(Denny Crane: "Sometimes you can only look for answers from God and failing that... and Fox News".)
This phenomenon (of mandatory spending) does not only apply to CA. More and more, it's applicable to the federal budget as well. Trimmable discretionary spending is becoming an inceasing smaller piece of the pie.
"Live within our means"? Californians don't appear to do that in their personal finances, I am referring to the outrageous cost of housing in California and the folks who are not living within their means but are paying more than their incomes allow for housing by getting the unusual mortgages.
The libs want it all but from what this article implies surprisingly they aren't proposing raising taxes like they did in the past. Interesting. So keep on spending money you don't have?
"Among other things, it attempted to take away renters' tax credits from thousands of senior citizens, eliminate dental care for the poor and charge tens of thousands of low-income Californians premiums to obtain healthcare. It called for slashing the salaries of workers who provide home care to the frail elderly and disabled, and would have reduced state contributions to the pensions of teachers and other public employees.
Eliminate dental care and charge premiums for healthcare, why not? No one pays for my expensive dental care here in Texas. As for healthcare? Taxpayers pay for medicaid to cover healthcare.
California must have one heck of a giveaway package for their citizens, no wonder they are going broke.
Polls show voters like the idea of controlling state spending, but dislike cutting services. Education and healthcare absorb more than three-quarters of California's general fund.
2005--06 general fund expenditures (in billions of dollars)
K-12 education 39%: ($36.6)
Health and human services 32%: ($27.1)
Higher education 11%: ($10.2)
Corrections and rehabilitation 8%: ($7.4)
Other 10%: ($8.7)
* Source: California Department of Finance
An important point:
"A large chunk of voters 49%, according to Baldassare's polls said they wanted spending controls. But once they heard the title that Democratic state Atty. Gen. Bill Lockyer had given the measure "The State Spending and School Funding Limits Initiative" the number dropped to 26%."
As usual, people believe the Dem lies, because they don't bother to find out anything for themselves.