Posted on 02/20/2008 11:58:35 AM PST by BurbankKarl
California's budget shortfall has swollen from $14.5 billion to $16 billion, according to the state's chief budget analyst, who calls on lawmakers to reject the governor's approach for closing the deficit through spending cuts alone and consider raising taxes.
Legislative Analyst Elizabeth G. Hill, whom lawmakers of both parties look to for advice on fiscal matters, says the depressed housing market and high energy prices will cause revenues to sag even more than the administration of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger projected last month.
The increase in the size of the deficit, detailed in a report Hill released this morning, essentially erases the emergency spending cuts lawmakers have made so far to bring the budget into balance. Those actions, approved by the Legislature and governor late last week, amounted to roughly $2 billion in service reductions targeted largely at school programs and health care for the poor.
In her report, Hill criticizes the governor's plan to balance the budget largely by making a 10% across-the-board cut to every government program as reflecting "little effort to prioritize and determine which state programs provide essential services or are most critical to California's future."
(Excerpt) Read more at latimes.com ...
That $43.7 billion does not count the federal contribution. I’m sure they wouldn’t want to stop spending $43.7 billion because it could jeopardize another $5 billion or so. </sarcasm>
bump
In two weeks it will be $2 billion more.
And then they will continue to spend more than they have. Hey, we got illegals to support and more on the way.
Regards
How’s that Karl?
Not unless Sacramento relocated itself somewhere south of San Francisco.
ok, I give - where is it?
It’s about 80 miles ENE of San Francisco, not far from the Sierra Nevada foothills. It’s well within the North American Plate.
Well, I was wrong on that one. Funny how we can have improper notions for years - I thought it was down near LA!
LOL
Eventually, Los Angeles will be where San Francisco is, and San Francisco will either be an island or perhaps disappear into the depths off the California coast. Probably the latter.
This is happening at a rate of over 2 inches a year which is pretty dramatic in geologic terms.
If you’re 50 years old, Los Angeles has shifted over 8 feet north of where it was when you were born.
It pretty much explains why there are earthquakes.
It would be nice if Che-Porter lost for sure. I heard a pole last week where Shaneen was leading Sununu 47-41. I hope we don’t lose that seat.
“The demon-rats and RINOs in Sacramento are stuck on stupid.”
Don’t blame them.
Californian’s are getting the politicians they voted for.
Time and again California Voters have defeated ballot proposals that could have gotten them out of this mess, and passed ones that have gotten them deeper into it...
At some point, someone is going to have to pay the Butcher’s Bill for runaway Liberalism, and it it’s better now, than later...
“the referendums fail under heavy union pressure, and he turns into another go-along to get-along Politician.
You can’t blame arnold for that.
California voters have been very clear that they want MORE liberalism, especially if it’s “Free”...
Sigh. It would be a shame if Sununu lost, but I also read that he’s vulnerable. The magic of the Shaheen name....
Nice chart. From the state’s budget document I’m guessing, or from the LBO.
It would be nice if they changed the labels on the expenditure side from K-12 education, to payments to unionized teachers, administrators, and support staff.
From “corrections and rehab” to “payments to prison guard union workers.”
From “higher ed” to “payments to unionized professors and college staff”
etc,etc.
The unions call the shots, IMO. Painfully evident in Kah-lee-fornya, when Arnold reversed field after the unions strongly opposed his referendums.
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