Davis slices $21 billion in spartan budget plan- ...would reduce state spending to pre-'99 level

SF Chronicle ^ | 1/11/03 | Greg Lucas, Lynda Gledhill, Mark Martin, Chronicle Sacramento Bureau

[randita]

Sacramento -- On a grim, drizzly Friday, Gov. Gray Davis proposed an equally grim budget that cuts state spending by nearly $21 billion, increases taxes by $8.3 billion and hands off dozens of health and social programs to counties.

If enacted by the Legislature, where it faces significant hurdles, the Democratic governor's proposal would reduce spending to less than California's 1999 budget.

[The Raven]

He cut medial outlays by 15%?? He's just reducing the payments to the hospitals and docs by 15%. In other wors, he's not going to pay the complete bill.

[norton]

Note Mr Davis' recent re-election...
Note to California:
Eventually you do get what you deserve.

[Moonmad27]

Note that it was a very close election, and could have been a Republican in the Governor's seat with more effort. The fact that Governor Doofus' speechwriter just plagiarized Clinton's 1992 speech and when confronted, said that the unintended coincidental similarity in words was an "homage" to Clinton, says it all about this fool of a governor. He wants an excuse to raise taxes, and would do so even if he didn't have to cut spending.

[TheSpottedOwl]

HIGHER FEES AND TAXES

Gov. Gray Davis proposed raising taxes and fees $8.3 billion on Friday, to pay for state services. Here are some of the highlights:

-- An increase in the sales tax rate by one percentage point (a penny on each dollar).

-- Adding a 10 and an 11 percent personal income tax rate for high income earners, up from 9.3 percent.

-- Increasing the tax on cigarettes by $1.10 a pack.

-- Unspecified fee increases at the University of California and the California State University system to cover part of $373 million and $326 million in cuts, respectively.

-- An increase in the cost for identification cards issued by the Department of Motor Vehicle from $6 to $20. Cards will be free for seniors.

-- Increasing vehicle registration fees by $3.

-- An increase in the cost of a noncommercial driver's licenses from $12 to $24 for a five-year license.

-- A quarter-of-a-cent "public safety surcharge" on all phone calls.

-- A new court security fee of $20 per court filing.

-- Raising trial motion fees from $23 to $33.

-- Increasing community college fees from $11 per unit to $24 per unit.

-- A parent co-pay for services provided to minors living at home and receiving services from regional Department of Developmental Services centers. The fee will be on a sliding scale and apply only to families earning more than 200 percent of the federal poverty level.


Holy cow, Davis ain't messing around. He's sticking it to everybody. Of course he's going to stick it to the smokers, that's a given. The higher fees for college makes me really sick, but since there aren't any jobs for you when you do graduate...why bother going in the first place?

The last one has me stumped. Can anyone translate it for me?

[NeoCaveman]

Governor would reduce state spending to pre-'99 level

I wish governor Taft of Ohio would cut spending to pre-'99 levels

[NeoCaveman]

-- Increasing community college fees from $11 per unit to $24 per unit.

24 bucks per credit hour? My heart bleeds for these poor souls (not!)

[TheSpottedOwl]

Note that it was a very close election, and could have been a Republican in the Governor's seat with more effort. The fact that Governor Doofus' speechwriter just plagiarized Clinton's 1992 speech and when confronted, said that the unintended coincidental similarity in words was an "homage" to Clinton, says it all about this fool of a governor. He wants an excuse to raise taxes, and would do so even if he didn't have to cut spending.

It has been pointed out that Davis being re elected is a good thing because of the mess he's made. If Simon had been elected, the Democrats would of blamed him for this disaster. I heard about the speech and had to laugh. How bloody typical.

[Koblenz]

Some 1,900 state employee positions would be eliminated, and the state's advisory boards and commissions are ordered to cut their meetings to one per year.

Only 1900? Here in Connecticut, the governor just eliminated 2,800 jobs. And CT is a lot smaller than CA! Our highest income tax bracket is 4.5%, and the state is going to add a new bracket of 5.5% for incomes over $1 million. That isn't good, of course, but it's a lot better than California. I think Colorado has some law that says state budgets couldn't grow faster than the cumulative effects of inflation and population growth, so during the dotcom boom, they didn't add all these silly programs like most other states.

[TheSpottedOwl]

-- Increasing community college fees from $11 per unit to $24 per unit. 24 bucks per credit hour? My heart bleeds for these poor souls (not!)

That is going to add up if someone is going to school full time. It's safe to say that the folks that can afford a fee increase are not going to community college in the first place. Davis screws up, and the whole state population has to bear the consequences.

[NeoCaveman]

OK 16 credit hours a semester times 24 bucks a semester = $384 dollars a semester or $768 dollars a year. Not bad for a year of college.... working one day a week at minimum wage can swing that. Plus there are student loans too.

[gaspar]

Smoke and mirrors. State spending is reduced to pre-99 levels only because city and county venues are expected to pick up the slack.

[visagoth]

OK 16 credit hours a semester times 24 bucks a semester = $384 dollars a semester or $768 dollars a year. Not bad for a year of college....

No doubt... my last class was $368/Credit Hour ($1104 for a 3 credit class). My undergrad was $285/Credit Hour, and the local community college is $61/Credit Hour.

Thats some cheap tuition out there comparing it here in Michigan.

[NeoCaveman]

Thats some cheap tuition out there comparing it here in Michigan.

Ohio is the same way, maybe even more expensive than Michigan.

[Bill Davis FR]

a bump for the budget-cutting governor...

[johniegrad]

Exactly. Gaspar, next time my credit card bill comes in, I'm simply going to declare it your bill and then I'll claim to be debt-free. How does that sound?

[geedee]

[Drango]

Davis erases another 24 percent of the problem by transferring programs to counties

Oh OK that solves it. Davis gives smoke and mirrors a bad name.

[TheSpottedOwl]

I just read something worse than tuition hikes on another thread. Davis is proposing to cut hospice care for the poor. I guess he figures they'll be dead sooner or later. The man is revolting.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

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