May 18, 2012, Vol. 5, No. 17
En Español
In this issue:
• California Budget: Where’s the Balance?
• Catholic Advocacy Day Reports to be Released
• How a Major Abortion Bill Failed in the Senate
• Signature Efforts for Parental Notification Initiative Fall Short
California Budget: Where’s the Balance?
Governor Jerry Brown began his second appearance as California’s chief executive much the same way as his Republican predecessor – vowing to change the way the state’s finances are handled. But this week’s budget revision shows just how much entrenched interest and hyper-partisan politics have stymied both governors.
Brown announced a $15.7 billion deficit, sharply up from the $9 billion he projected in January, blaming lower than expected revenue, a slower economic recovery and court rulings that disallowed earlier cuts.
Not unlike Governor Schwarzenegger’s failed attempt to win voters over in a 2009 Special Election, Brown said that the cuts would be much deeper – especially to education – if voters did not approve his initiative slated for the November 2012 ballot.
Few areas have been as deeply and consistently cut as programs that support society’s poorest and most vulnerable members, particularly low-income children. It is a trend that continues with the latest proposal which has even more severe reductions for CalWORKs assistance, Medi-Cal services and home health care.
The Governor is counting on one-time funding sources like tax revenue from the Facebook stock offering and moving nearly $300 million from a Federal settlement intended to help foreclosed homeowners to fill some of the gap ,while trying to convince voters to approve his temporary tax increase in the Fall.
Dysfunctional state politics have prevented the state from taking effective action for more than seven years now with deficits fluctuating between $7 billion to $25 billion over that period. “Solutions” have ranged from moving one month’s state payroll to the next fiscal year to eliminating redevelopment agencies – one time fixes for ongoing problems.
For more details, read State Budget: Balancing Subsidiarity and Solidarity, or contact Steve Pehanich, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .
