Amazing. And we pick on Congress for not reading 1,000 page stimulus bills.
Our state legislature just voted on 31 bills in roughly 30 non-stop hours.
This approved state budget, for which the governor needs to get out his knife and carve out one billion dollars, will fall on its face.
UPDATE: As of now, 9 a.m. Saturday July 25th, it is difficult getting a clear picture out of Sacramento on a final vote.
This redevelopment agency 40 year extension, SB 26 (4X), passed out of the Senate but I am unable to get final verification on the Assembly vote.
If approved read Section 5 Health & Safety Code 33333.6 “The limitations of this section shall apply to every redevelopment plan adopted on or before December 31, 1993.”
The question for Juice readers.
How soon will the CA legislature and governor Schwarzenegger be forced to come back and try again?
4 months?
5 months?
6 months?
Sadly they approved an extension of redevelopment agencies by up to 40 years without findings of blight so that they could leverage future state revenues for borrowing purposes.
Folks. We are going backwards in California.
Sales, property, and income taxes in this recession are an unpredictable source of funds.
larry these bozos we have up there i give them 6 months they do not represent the people . they are slaves to public unions. that is who they anwser too . we must next election remove them and remind them who they work for .
It’s pretty sad that they have played games simply to give the impression that they have actually balanced the state budget.
“Borrowing” a billion here and a billion there, when cities don’t wish to give up that money. Delaying payroll from June 30th to July 1st. Great examples of juggling the books for our children to witness.
I hear all types of complaining, yet nobody has outlined a better plan? If you have a better (feasible) idea on how to close a $26.3 billion state budget shortfall, please feel free to share. If you don’t have specifics, then no logical person really cares what you think. Period.
Rollback wages, rollback pensions, rollback health benefits.
The California civic servant costs are double or more than any other state.
There has never been shortage of qualified job applicants, and there would still be plenty at half the current scale.
Return the legislature back to its unpaid part times status without term limits.
Put the current retirement systems, Calpers and teachers with its current assets and the health benefit funds into receivership. (And others)
The elected officials, bureaucratic management, and civil service unions have gamed the system to receive rewards way beyond the value of their services. These need to be rolled back and reset to reality before it gets so bad that the only choice is decapitation an in the French revolution of the late 18th century.
06-07 calif. Spending 102,137
07-08 calif. Spending 103,141
08-09 calif. Spending 103,401
09-10 calif Spending 111,089
Every year the state has spend more, not less.
The cost per capita for government services should be the lowest of all 50 states because of the vast size of the economy and population of California, but it is the largest. Even after the state has cut services across the board every year, the state has consumed more dollars for its thirsty high living, bureaucrat-civil service-elected official complex.
Without having the budget specifics in front of me it is hard to give a solution, however, I am tired of being lied to by government. I was told nearly a year ago that I received a CalGrant of which I have received 75%. Two weeks ago when the new quarter started I did not receive the remainder as I was promised and used in my budget for the next 3 months. I only work 30 hrs a week but have been seeking agressively for a full time job for the last 3 years. Now, less than a year from graduating I have no idea how my 3 children and I will eat or have a roof over our heads come the first of August, or if I can even finish school. Education is the only way to a future, but it gets cut, instead of lowering the salaries of politicians and their unneccessary expenses.
Booper. Cook just provided the solution above.
If you work, or worked in the private sector you might be able to comprehend and fix the problem.
Andrea. AS this recession drags on everyone needs to tighten their belts starting with those whom we sent to Sacramento.
If there is a shortage of funds we should be reducing staff, wages, benefits and non essential programs.
Yes that’s right cut off the oensions of teachers firefighters, police and other public servants that they already earned. What a solution!!!
I agree we pay to much to our workers overall, but that is because we do not have public funding of campaigns. The special interests on all sides, big business, unions etc write thier own contracts.
Take away the power for them to control the process by public financing of campaigns.
When a dem state senator told me a few years ago the most powerful lobby in the capitiol is the prison gurad union, followed by several big businesses and other unions and that the people do not have a voice. That right or wrong does not matter it is about who can re-elect you or get you elected I needed no more convincing, that a change in the way campaigns are financed is the only real way to begin to get to real solutions.
Jim. I am not proposing cutting off police and fire pensions. As we have all read CalPERS has just lost a huge chunk of it’s funds. CalPERS being the California Public Employees Retirement System. In fact, “Since July 1 its total investment portfolio has fallen to $185.5 billion, a loss of $53.5 billion, mostly the result of turmoil in the stock market and other non-realty investments. The decline is so steep that CalPERS says it might have to demand higher contributions from the state, municipalities and other government agencies that rely on CalPERS for their pensions. The increased payments would start in 2010.”
As stated above, this money eventually must be backfilled due to the “defined benefit” structure of these pensions which simply are not sustainable. While it is virtually impossible to remove benefits that have already been approved, all new government hires must be given a different retirment plan such as defined contribution/401K.
Where is the bankrupt state of CA going to find the funds requested by CalPERS when we cannot even balance our budget? Please, help me out here
Andrea – No 5. Part of the California budget problem is things like CalGrants. The public funds are no longer there to provide some with lower cost higher education via such grants – this program should be mothballed. Also, while a tug at the heartstings issue, the bottom line is that it is not the responsiblity of State government to feed you and your children.