http://web.mac.com/videopalitalia/iWeb/Site/Photos.html
NOW IS THE TIME FOR ALL GOOD PEOPLE TO COME TO THE AID OF THEIR COUNTRY!
Bryan Patrick / bpatrick@sacbee.com
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger poses for a celebratory photo with Senate Minority Leader Dennis Hollingsworth, left, Assembly Minority Leader Sam Blakeslee, Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg and Assembly Speaker Karen Bass. Schwarzenegger praised the budget deal - sans tax increases - as "a really great, great accomplishment."
MORE INFORMATION
- A summary of key spending cuts included in Monday's budget deal: $6 billion: K-12 schools and community colleges over two years. Nearly $3 billion: University of California and California State University. $1.3 billion: Medi-Cal, the state's health care program for the poor. $1.3 billion: Three unpaid furlough days per month for state workers. $1.2 billion: State prisons. $528 million: CalWORKS, partly by increasing sanctions for families that fail to meet work requirements.
Here's the score for state workers - 13.85% pay reduction, increased State withholding taxes, same work load. Gov Adolph and his pinhead Mini-me spokesidiot won the media blitz by successfully vilifying the lowly drone. Now every brain-dead, right-wing goose-stepping elitist parrots the "blame the state worker" mantra. Never forget that it was this joke of a governor and these corrupt, self-serving legislators who wrought this fiscal meltdown, not state workers. These political hypocrites are forcing everyone to pay for their mistake. They should be imprisoned. But no one is holding them accountable. They got away with it. At ours and others' expense.
-- jrb1
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RecommendA deal -- at last
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and legislative leaders agreed Monday to erase California's $26 billion deficit by cutting broadly across state government, shifting costs into the future and taking funds from cities and counties.
State leaders believe their budget plan is good enough to end the state's issuance of IOUs, a practice California is using for only the second time since the Great Depression.
Standing with legislative leaders in front of his Capitol office Monday evening, Schwarzenegger called the deal "a really great, great accomplishment," and heralded the fact that the $88 billion general fund budget includes no tax increases.
Legislative leaders spoke in sober tones about producing a plan with $15.5 billion in cuts they know will face scorn from millions of Californians who depend on state government for services, education or employment, as well as from local officials whose budgets were already teetering. Both Democrats and Republicans blamed the ongoing recession for the choices they made.
"This is, of course, one of the most difficult economic times to face our state since the Great Depression," said Assembly Republican Leader Sam Blakeslee, R-San Luis Obispo. "So none of these were easy choices. All of them entailed difficult options for the state."
A floor vote is expected Thursday, and leaders plan to brief their caucuses by phone Tuesday. While leaders expressed confidence in Monday's handshake agreement, the last "Big Five" deal in February met resistance once it reached the Senate floor.
The budget includes $6 billion in new cuts to K-14 schools, as well as $3 billion in cuts to higher education, some of which colleges can offset with federal stimulus dollars.
Leaders used a retroactive $1.6 billion cut to avoid suspending the state's Proposition 98 guarantee for school funding. They also committed the state to paying an extra $9.8 billion to schools when the economy rebounds as compensation for 2008-09 budget cuts, in addition to $1.5 billion owed for 2007-08.
The budget agreement also has about $850 million in cuts to three major safety-net programs – In-Home Supportive Services,CalWORKs and Healthy Families low-cost medical insurance.
"For Democrats, I have to tell you that many of the cuts we had to make … in another time we would have thought were unthinkable," saidAssembly Speaker Karen Bass, D-Los Angeles,who said that because of the recession she felt they "didn't have a choice."
Democrats said they protected CalWORKs andHealthy Families from being eviscerated by the governor, who originally had proposed eliminating the programs. Steinberg said that "frankly, we had one hand tied behind our back" because Republicans would not support tax hikes.
Schwarzenegger and Republican leaders, however, highlighted permanent increases in sanctions designed to force more welfare recipients into work that take effect in July 2011. Those include more interviews and reviews of recipients, as well as benefit reductions if parents don't meet new requirements.
Leaders agreed to require fingerprinting of In-Home Supportive Services providers and recipients, excluding amputees. Providers would undergo background checks. The governor suggested it was part of "cutting the waste, fraud and abuse in some of the programs."
But advocates said leaders should have raised taxes on tobacco and oil production to preserve benefits.
"This is the biggest step back from protecting and investing in vulnerable Californians in a generation," said Frank Mecca, executive director of the California Welfare Directors Association.
Leaders agreed to cut $1.2 billion in the state's corrections budget, but they would not discuss how they would realize those savings until after they meet with their caucuses.
The state will take about $4.7 billion from cities, counties and special districts.
The plan relies on $2 billion in borrowing the state promises to repay in 2013; local governments are expected to seek loans to compensate. It also takes $1 billion from gas tax money that now pays for local road projects, as well as $1.7 billion in redevelopment funds.
Call Kevin Yamamura, Bee Capitol Bureau, (916) 326-5548.
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stev5a wrote on 07/21/2009 04:37:08 AM:Let's see; $1.3 billion: Three unpaid furlough days per month for state workers...$1.3 billion: Medi-Cal, the state's health care program for the poor. Thanks, State Workers...
- rivercity65 wrote on 07/21/2009 04:20:12 AM:
stevecravens said: "When your state loses revenue and has a deficit, you can do two things to fix it,cut services or raise taxes. Our elected Officials chose to cut services over tax increases. So WE as Californians should stop crying and enjoy the bed that WE made for ourselves." +1, dude I won't sit here and defend our lawmakers, b/c they've lied like all the others, telling voters that a no-pain fix is achievable. IT'S NOT. But at some point, we have to go past Ahnold and the legislators and blame ourselves. We put and keep them there with our votes. Grow up, use your h.s. education by reading the voter's info guide, and vote intelligently. Turn off the radio shock jocks and leave the racist, fascist and hippie websites. Go to the Sec'y of State site and find out what this crap really means. If you can't tell from reading, ask somebody. Go to a freakin' debate sometime. We as voters need to stop selling OURSELVES down the river
mariabrenner wrote on 07/21/2009 03:59:09 AM:HEY CALIFORNIA, LOOK AT ALL THOSE SMILES IN THE PIC ABOVE.....DID THEY AT LEAST ASK YOU TO BEND OVER?
- Redwoodranch wrote on 07/21/2009 03:23:34 AM:
Ya mean we made illegal aliens get all those goodies. We made welfare the prime business? Those are legislative decisions. Time to throw all incumbents out. This budget is a total joke. It won't be long before we are 20 billion in the hole gain. Beg, borrow (from future tax revenue),and steal just does not cut it any longer. They were assigned to do a job and it only took them 7 months what any normal person could figure out in 5 minutes. For this they get paid?
- stevecravens wrote on 07/21/2009 03:02:54 AM:
I dont get why people are complaing so much about this budget. WE as voters passed prop 13 when we knew it would starve the state of cash. If you dont pay taxes the government wont have money. WE as voters introduced the tough sentencing laws on petty crimes that have led to massive overcrowding and massive costs. We have voted on all the components that have made our budget so streched. We are the people that created this recession by reckless spending now WE have to deal with the consequences. When your state loses revenue and has a deficit, you can do two things to fix it,cut services or raise taxes. Our elected Officials chose to cut services over tax increases. So WE as Californians should stop crying and enjoy the bed that WE made for ourselves.
Recommend (10)
Report abuse - duncanjbb wrote on 07/21/2009 02:34:24 AM:
THIS IS LIKE A BAD MOVIE WITH ARNOLD AS THE STAR. IT IS YOUR FAULT FOR VOTING FOR AN ACTOR. REMEMBER THE PROMISES HE MADE - I WILL FIX THIS MESS WITHIN 10O DAYS. REMEMBER THE LETTER HE SENT TO STATE WORKERS TELLING US HOW HE VALUED OUR SERVICE. SOMEONE HELP HIM WITH HIS ENGLISH - THE CORRECT WORD IS DEVALUED OUR SERVICE. WITH THAT IN MIND -------> ASK YOURSELF THIS "WILL YOU BE THE FOOL TO COME TO WORK AND PRODUCE AT THE SAME RATE BEFORE THE PAYCUT?" S L O W D O W N
- clynward wrote on 07/21/2009 02:28:57 AM:
Where are the financial experts, business(wo)men, scholars and otherwise fair and intelligent individuals who know how to earn a fair profit? Time for the taxpayer's of this state to gather them together to meet with us in town hall meetings and get this state on track!
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