California S Budget

Re "Legislators uncork a plan to pick the pockets of the poor," column, July 23 State Assembly Speaker Fabian Nuñez's (D-Los Angeles) celebration -- with two $150-plus bottles of wine -- of what lawmakers consider a budget-passage victory is like Nero fiddling. That passage is based on theft from voter-approved transit funds and cruelty toward the most vulnerable among us. And they'll get away with it because we will look the other way.

Despite an economy on the mend, California's budget woes will drag deep into the next decade, according to a report released Wednesday by the state's chief budget analyst. Tax collections have leveled off after one of the most precipitous drops since the Great Depression. But revenue is not expected to fully bounce back until the 2014-15 budget year. State government faces a nearly $21-billion deficit over the next year and half, according to the report by nonpartisan Legislative Analyst Mac Taylor.

State Supt. of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell said Tuesday that meddling with voter-approved funding guarantees for schools would cause "severe and long-lasting harm to both our students and our schools." The comments came in response to a proposal by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to suspend the budgeting formula as part of a plan to wipe out California's $26.3-billion deficit. Calling the proposal "short-sighted" and "irresponsible," O'Connell said at a morning news conference that schools were being "made the scapegoat for the budget crisis."

State Supt. of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell said Tuesday that meddling with voter-approved funding guarantees for schools would cause "severe and long-lasting harm to both our students and our schools." The comments came in response to a proposal by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to suspend the budgeting formula as part of a plan to wipe out California's $26.3-billion deficit. Calling the proposal "short-sighted" and "irresponsible," O'Connell said at a morning news conference that schools were being "made the scapegoat for the budget crisis."

As one of those hard-working average Americans in the top 1% of wage earners, I can't tell you how happy I am to be saving a few thousand dollars in taxes this year (May 29). What a waste it would be to spend this money on health care or education! Now I can buy myself yet another expensive wristwatch or a fourth computer. Shame on George W. Bush. Bruce R. Feldman Santa Monica Here is a suggestion for those who feel very strongly that President Bush's tax cut is the wrong thing to do. When you receive your check, simply endorse it to the U.S. Treasury and send it directly to Bush at the White House.

Regarding "Clearing Out Bad Data on Illegal Immigrants," Golden State, Dec. 22: Michael Hiltzik says California spends no more than $4.6 billion a year on illegal immigrants, and that California's budget gap is running $8 billion to $12 billion annually. When I do third-grade math, then illegal immigration represents 38% to 57.5% of the budget gap. That is not small change in my book. True, solving the illegal immigration problem won't solve the state's budget woes, but it sure would help.

An Assembly panel Thursday voted to trim $2 billion from California's budget, with cuts to education, healthcare and other programs. The move by the Assembly Budget Committee follows a similar vote Wednesday in the state Senate. The full Legislature is expected to vote on the cuts today in the lawmakers' first action to rein in the state's $14.5-billion deficit. The reductions are in response to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's declaration of a fiscal emergency last month. In the early cuts package, schools would lose $400 million.

California's budget woes deepened Tuesday as the state reported that tax receipts plummeted nearly $1 billion last month because of plunging corporate profits. The news comes as the state moves closer to the July 1 deadline for lawmakers to close California's budget gap, which had earlier been estimated at $16 billion, and there is little agreement on how to do that. Corporate taxes alone came into the state at $869 million below what was forecast in Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's budget, released in January.

Legislators and the governor, hamstrung by voter initiatives, play a shell game with California's budget to cloak deficits and questionable borrowing, a blue-ribbon commission concluded Tuesday. The 23-member California Citizens Budget Commission offered 31 recommendations to speed up budget deliberations, assure public scrutiny and limit what it called needless gridlock in the Capitol.

The Schwarzenegger administration, which was launched via an electoral campaign of majestic hypocrisy in 2003, has finally fulfilled all the heady promise of those distant days of the Gray Davis recall. Just a few days after being featured on "60 Minutes" talking about his commitment to "what is best for the people of California," he sneaked his sixth annual budget plan into the public spotlight on New Year's Eve.

The Schwarzenegger administration, which was launched via an electoral campaign of majestic hypocrisy in 2003, has finally fulfilled all the heady promise of those distant days of the Gray Davis recall. Just a few days after being featured on "60 Minutes" talking about his commitment to "what is best for the people of California," he sneaked his sixth annual budget plan into the public spotlight on New Year's Eve.

California's budget woes deepened Tuesday as the state reported that tax receipts plummeted nearly $1 billion last month because of plunging corporate profits. The news comes as the state moves closer to the July 1 deadline for lawmakers to close California's budget gap, which had earlier been estimated at $16 billion, and there is little agreement on how to do that. Corporate taxes alone came into the state at $869 million below what was forecast in Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's budget, released in January.

An Assembly panel Thursday voted to trim $2 billion from California's budget, with cuts to education, healthcare and other programs. The move by the Assembly Budget Committee follows a similar vote Wednesday in the state Senate. The full Legislature is expected to vote on the cuts today in the lawmakers' first action to rein in the state's $14.5-billion deficit. The reductions are in response to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's declaration of a fiscal emergency last month. In the early cuts package, schools would lose $400 million.

Re "Legislators uncork a plan to pick the pockets of the poor," column, July 23 State Assembly Speaker Fabian Nuñez's (D-Los Angeles) celebration -- with two $150-plus bottles of wine -- of what lawmakers consider a budget-passage victory is like Nero fiddling. That passage is based on theft from voter-approved transit funds and cruelty toward the most vulnerable among us. And they'll get away with it because we will look the other way.

Regarding "Clearing Out Bad Data on Illegal Immigrants," Golden State, Dec. 22: Michael Hiltzik says California spends no more than $4.6 billion a year on illegal immigrants, and that California's budget gap is running $8 billion to $12 billion annually. When I do third-grade math, then illegal immigration represents 38% to 57.5% of the budget gap. That is not small change in my book. True, solving the illegal immigration problem won't solve the state's budget woes, but it sure would help.

As one of those hard-working average Americans in the top 1% of wage earners, I can't tell you how happy I am to be saving a few thousand dollars in taxes this year (May 29). What a waste it would be to spend this money on health care or education! Now I can buy myself yet another expensive wristwatch or a fourth computer. Shame on George W. Bush. Bruce R. Feldman Santa Monica Here is a suggestion for those who feel very strongly that President Bush's tax cut is the wrong thing to do. When you receive your check, simply endorse it to the U.S. Treasury and send it directly to Bush at the White House.

Despite an economy on the mend, California's budget woes will drag deep into the next decade, according to a report released Wednesday by the state's chief budget analyst. Tax collections have leveled off after one of the most precipitous drops since the Great Depression. But revenue is not expected to fully bounce back until the 2014-15 budget year. State government faces a nearly $21-billion deficit over the next year and half, according to the report by nonpartisan Legislative Analyst Mac Taylor.

California's budget situation has improved, but has it done so enough to allow raises for Gov. Jerry Brown and state legislators this year? State law does not allow raises in years when a surplus fund falls below a certain level. Budget problems have resulted in the California Citizens Compensation Commission cutting the pay of the governor and lawmakers by 23% in the last four years. Thomas Dalzell, Brown's appointee as chairman of the panel, said it looks likely that the financial requirement will be met this year so that raises can be considered when the panel meets March 21. But just in case the surplus is not large enough, Dalzell has asked the panel's attorney to determine whether it could comply with the no-raise rule if it just restores pay levels cut in the past.

Legislators and the governor, hamstrung by voter initiatives, play a shell game with California's budget to cloak deficits and questionable borrowing, a blue-ribbon commission concluded Tuesday. The 23-member California Citizens Budget Commission offered 31 recommendations to speed up budget deliberations, assure public scrutiny and limit what it called needless gridlock in the Capitol.