The California Budget Project has both the pdf version and the html version of Davis' press release link (4/25/02) on their website. The comparison is between the January budget proposals from Davis and Simon.
They also have an updated (5/15/02), more critical analysis of Davis' May revision with a link to the official budget (108 pages, pdf).
The Governor proposes to bridge the additional gap withThis group probably advocates more social welfare services. Here is their self description:
program reductions ($2.4 billion);
securitizing a larger portion of the state's tobacco settlement payments ($2.1 billion);
loans ($478 million);
deferring certain payments to schools ($1.1 billion);
restructuring state debt payments ($1.1 billion);
tax conformity and compliance initiatives ($760 million);
accelerations, transfers, and shifts ($233 million); and
tax increases including a deferral of net operating loss carryforwards ($1.2 billion), a
$0.50 per pack increase in cigarette taxes ($475 million), and
a temporary increase in Vehicle License Fees ($1.276 billion).
The California Budget Project (CBP) engages in independent fiscal and policy analysis and public education with the goal of improving public policies affecting the economic and social well-being of low and middle income Californians.
We have $5,011,000,000 in loans out of $11,122,000,000 in total loans+reductions+new taxes. That's 45% loans!
We have $2,951,000,000 in various new taxes, and $760,000,000 in better tax collection &c, 28.4% of the total.
So, as you can see, cuts are a truly miniscule part of this budget. Worse, these relatively minor cutbacks and tax increases are only going to take care of about half of the $23 billion gap.
He loves bonds, because he will be long gone while we're still paying off his follies. He was hoping he'd be in the White House by the time it hit the fan. Fortunately, I think these messes eliminate any White House prospects he might have had. I say fortunately, because the guy is dangerous; he lets crises fester until they get really, really bad. Both the power crisis and the budget crisis show, in my opinion, that he's unfit to govern.
I talked to a Davis supporter on this issue a few weeks ago, and he said that government moves slowly and so Davis shouldn't be blamed. He's right that government moves slowly, which is all the more reason to have someone who personally knows how to move fast and act promptly. If you can't act promptly - and Davis can't - you don't give government the time it needs to act and solve problems.
D