The state passed a budget earlier this week, closing a $24
billion deficit. Wednesday, with a stroke of his pen, Gov. Arnold
Schwarzenegger
– with what appeared to be glee – slashed another $500 million
from the budget and made official what is surely the largest
reduction in services California has ever seen.
Legislators are balancing a budget without all the necessary tools
The state passed a budget earlier this week, closing a $24 billion deficit. Wednesday, with a stroke of his pen, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger – with what appeared to be glee – slashed another $500 million from the budget and made official what is surely the largest reduction in services California has ever seen.
With the Governator demanding the legislature balance the revised $85 billion budget without raising taxes, politicians were left with a two-legged stool. They could cut and borrow, but they could not increase revenue. How do you accomplish such a massive task without all the available tools?
Historic budget hurts those who can least afford it the most
From $9 billion in cuts to K-12 schools, to $174 million in cuts to Healthy Families that could remove tens of thousands of children from the health care program, to the $16 million in cuts in domestic violence programs, the budget hurts those who can least afford it the most.
It appears that in California we are living in a democracy that no longer works. It’s a dysfunctional system, with more cuts likely to come should the stock market again tumble, or unemployment continue to rise.
“It’s a fragile budget,” said Assemblyman Bill Monning (D-Santa Cruz).
Two-thirds requirement to approve a budget must be eliminated
So how do we fix the system?
First, we need to rid ourselves of the two-thirds requirement to pass a budget. That requirement allows the minority party to hold sway over the majority, who voters put in charge.
Second, we need to require ballot propositions that mandate state spending to include a funding mechanism for the cost of the measure. The legislature controls just 15 percent of the state budget. The remaining 85 percent is mandated by voter approved propositions.
Finally, real campaign finance reform is needed rather than term limits, which allow lobbyists and staffers, who see legislators come and go, rule the roost in Sacramento. Perhaps politicians can agree to voluntary spending limits because the state can limit campaign contributions, but it cannot limit what is spent due to of freedom of speech issues.
Something needs to be done because the current system is broken.
Act now:
Contact Assemblyman Bill Monning at (408) 782-0647 or visit http://democrats.assembly.ca.gov. Contact Senator Abel Maldonado at (408) 277-9461 or visit www.sen.ca.gov.
