BIG SUR, Calif. -- As Sacramento squabbles over the state's $42 billion deficit, Californians are getting a bitter taste of what's to come after the steep budget cuts that are inevitable when legislators and Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger finally hammer out a deal.
Some world-famous parks like Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park may not open this year. After-school programs in low-income areas are being scuttled, putting high-risk teens on the street just as police forces are being cut. Schools are closing classrooms, and some highway projects have ground to a halt. The state may not be able to monitor some sex offenders as required under law.
A budget deal may restore some of the missing funds. But everyone knows that not all monies will flow again after a deal, and Californians increasingly fear they are seeing a hint of their future.
"Before it gets better, it's going to get a lot worse," said Joseph Valentine, director of Contra Costa County's Department of Employment and Human Services. The department, which administers social services such as food stamps, has cut 12%, or $25 million, of its budget. It has managers answering reception-desk phones, and Mr. Valentine expects another round of cuts.
The empty coffers have hit some California icons. Pfeiffer Big Sur may not reopen this summer because work on a new bridge to the campground was halted, part of a $6 million renovation project that state officials have ordered frozen along with hundreds of millions of dollars in other state infrastructure projects. Dan and Vickie Coughlin of Torrance, Calif., face not camping in the park with their daughters, ages 10 and 13, for the first time since they were born. When they were advised they couldn't book reservations, "it just broke my heart, and my kids almost cried," said Ms. Coughlin.
Other states face budget cuts too, but California's budget mess stands out for its size. Its deficit is projected at $42 billion by mid-2010. Since Gov. Schwarzenegger declared a fiscal emergency 14 weeks ago, he and lawmakers have been deadlocked over how to close the gap. Democrats want tax increases and moderate spending cuts; Republicans seek deep cuts and no tax increases; the governor wants a combination.
The governor's office warned Tuesday that if no budget deal is reached by Friday, the state would send layoff warnings to 20,000 workers. Gov. Schwarzenegger also said he intends to cut 10,000 jobs through layoffs and attrition to save $750 million over 17 months.
Meanwhile, the state is raising money in unprecedented ways. The treasurer's office said Tuesday that it is close to selling $200 million in general-obligation bonds to the Bay Area Toll Authority, a municipal agency, to fund public-works projects around the San Francisco Bay area.
While Sacramento talks, money is drying up in places like Contra Costa County, where 40,000 families have applied for 350 available slots for Section 8 vouchers -- a federal subsidy that allows low-income families to rent in the private market. "The level of desperation is just heartbreaking," said Joseph Villareal, executive director of the Contra Costa Housing Authority.
Marin County's Novato Unified School District alarmed parents with a proposal to cut its entire sports program to help save $6 million over two years, which would affect about 75% of Novato's 8,600 students. "When the community heard about the possible cut, they freaked out," said Superintendent Jan La Torre-Derby, who adds that "it's not set in stone yet."
The California State University system -- the nation's largest -- faces new cuts after already seeing reduced class offerings, increased classroom sizes and delays in students being able to graduate after a series of budget cuts in recent years.
Things could get worse as more budget cuts loom. The state may not be able to monitor sex offenders as required under a 2006 law that calls for sex offenders to be on GPS monitoring for life and to live more than 2,000 feet from schools and parks. In January, corrections officials said they were monitoring all 6,622 paroled sex offenders with GPS devices, after Gov.
Schwarzenegger set aside $106 million in last year's budget for the program. But because the law contained no revenue-raising mechanism, authorities say it is unclear whether they will have funds to continue monitoring.
11 comments:
I personally do not understand why California's government is cutting spending for necessities such as school, the food stamp program, and the police force. Also, laying off workers is only going to exacerbate the problem. With fewer workers, businesses will not be able to produce as much, and revenues will fall. The remaining workers will have to handle a higher workload which will surely result in disgruntlement. Why not just lower the salaries of high wage officials such as the governor, mayors, and others?
This whole mess that California is having is really bad. All the working people and even students are being affected by the $42 billion deficit! Gov. Schwarzenegger is doing a really bad job in trying to keep the state in good conditions. He plans to cut jobs in order to raise money!(who does that?!) Even schools are having to get rid of their sport program in order to keep the school running. What he should do is find a way to fix this that wont effect the citizens of the state, its not their fault that Mr. Schwarzenegger is spending away money like crazy.
That is really too bad that California has a $42 billion deficit, especially since it seems the only solution they have found so far is to cut back on funding for schools and state parks. Considering the entire U.S. is dealing with economic distress, it isn’t exactly a surprise that California isn’t doing too well either, but the economic situation there does seem to be a little more severe than in other areas of the country. Either way, I think cutting crime prevention, or school programs/extra-curricular activities for small children isn’t the best way to go. Maybe there is a way to implement the same programs in a more efficient manner in order to cut down on costs (like finding an alternative method to allotting 106 million per year for several thousand sex offenders). While most of these programs listed in the article should not be completely cut, there are probably other ways to handle the situation. In general though, cutting police forces and sending children out on the streets in the face of sex offenders who won’t be monitored any more isn’t going to work out well.
I think that it would be most efficient to implement moderate tax increases and moderate budget cuts so that taxpayers don't have to pay astronomical gas prices, nor do several thousand state employees have to lose their jobs. It is a shame to see that registered sex offenders may be on the loose because of a deficit; California legislators need to get their priorities straight. Seeing that the debt is substantial, it seems as though politicians have been more concerned with getting elected than the good of the people of California.
poor Schwarzenegger he should have just stayed and actor, i bet that job was a whole lot easier and probably a whole lot more fun. Now California is getting all these set backs for thier budgets in cali, and i know that the people are upset there. I've never been to California, but im glad they are getting the budget setbacks as opposed to Texas, where i live.
California seems to have some tough times ahead. Right along with the rest of our economy.
It seems like California is a microcosm for what is going on around the United States. America, once seen as a standard that other countries looked to for economic and political ideology, is now facing a recession that causes important programs from receiving funding. Although I do not support cutting education spending, some programs must be cut from the state's budget as California is facing a housing crisis and growing debt. I think the tourism ads by the governor are step in the right direction. However as Americans are hoarding their extra cash, it will take more than that to solve California's and the United States' economic troubles.
Why is California ignoring the necessity. It seems that almost everyone is going to be affected. But wow.... a $42 billion dollar deficit! Gov. Schwarzenegger is not doing his job. Gov. Schwarzenegger needs to do something productive about the current situation.
It is quite scary to think about these plans being put to action. Crime might escalate because police forces are being cut. Schools need sports programs because many students depend on athletic scholarships to help them pay for their University. It also frightens me to think about what will happen once sex offenders are no longer monitored. I think that there could be better ways to decrease spending that do not include completely cutting school programs and laying off workers. I agree with johanna and sarah they should instead increase taxes and lower salaries of high wage officials. Although it will cause irritation, it is an alternative that will not risk the safety of people.
why does it seem like California is cutting all of the necessary programs? Cops and monitoring sex offenders seems pretty important to me. Suffering is imminent in a time like this and they need to find better things to cut back on. Where's the national government in all this?!
why is california's government cutting cutting funding for necesseties like police force, and the tracking of sex offenders(those things should def not be cut together). how did californias gov let the deficit get this bad and not once think hmm we should cut back? i think it is bad tht the public has to pay for the lack of for-sight and planning.(the missing one)
Post a Comment