Posted on 01/14/2006 8:53:48 PM PST by FairOpinion
Gov. Schwarzenegger breezed into office in October 2003 announcing that he hoped to fix dysfunctional California government with some simple reforms, including an overhaul of the state's budget structure. Now he finally has acknowledged that it's not so easy.
A major reason is that more than 70% of state spending, which totals a projected $126.6 billion in the fiscal year starting July 1, is already accounted for before he even begins the budget process. That money is mandated to be spent for specific purposes and nothing else. It's a fiscal straitjacket that makes it impossible for the state to make logical choices and put its tax dollars to work where they may be most needed.
.. Proposition 98 in 1988, fixed education spending permanently at roughly 40% of the General Fund budget. Proposition 98 still is a major factor driving budget-making in the state. In the coming year, state spending on education from kindergarten through community colleges will total about $40 billion, or a little more than 40% of the General Fund.
The governor says nothing will solve the state's budget problem "other than getting rid of those automatic spending formulas." The only way to do that is a sweeping reform of state government, something that is not on the horizon unless people begin demanding it. All California voters can do for now is to keep things from getting worse by rejecting the new ballot-box budgeting initiatives that are certain to come.
(Excerpt) Read more at latimes.com ...
He didn't personally put the propositions on the ballot, of course, because they required signatures of the people, etc. But he was pushing prop. 74-77 strongly.
Thank you! Very much!
"And you can thank me and my conservative buddies for collecting signatures and doing voter registration and walking precincts. "
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I am certainly grateful for all of you for that. I just wish you would have also succeeded in getting more conservatives to the polls to pass the reform propositions.
Learned that up close on Prop 174 (School Vouchers) through '92/93.
We need to break the unions, no matter how risky the move is, it'll help us all in the future
I am former CA resident. I couldn't agree more with you. I've met a few here in NC who think NC would "benefit" from Unions. The bile rises in my throat, and I verbally hurl. That's how strongly I am anti-union. I've seen the full "CULTURE OF CORRUPTION" involved with UNIONS.
I did pretty good with the conservatives. It was the RINOs that resisted.
So what do you think of people who claim to be conservative, yet voted NO on Prop. 76?
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