[americanophile]

Personally, I don't care if they turn the lights off...the spending must stop.

[americanophile]

"...ending the state's main welfare program for the poor, eliminating health coverage for about 1.5 million poor children, halting cash grants for about 77,000 college students, shortening the school year by seven days, laying off thousands of state workers and teachers, slashing money for state parks and releasing thousands of prisoners before their sentences are finished."

BUT THE PUBLIC EMPOLYEE UNIONS ARE FAT AND HAPPY!

[Logical me]

Oh Schwarzenegger my heart bleeds for you. You pampas a@@ just don't get it. Make all the threats like cutting the poor off. Stupid immature nitwit cannot act like a real man and take the cuts where they should be placed. What a nitwit. An King Obama look alike.

[ExTexasRedhead]

California Liberal’s chickens have come home to roost to quote Reverend Wright the Socialist wonder. Hey, Arnold cut all state funds going to illegals via schools, hospital fees, etc.; audit the state government and cut all the duplicate garbage, find the graft and fraud. Next, the worthless California Assembly should be part time with a pay cut and loss of their benefits. Take their cars and per diem away too. Now, those are a few painful cuts that the taxpayers would support.

[counterpunch]

cutbacks could include ending the state's main welfare program for the poor, eliminating health coverage for about 1.5 million poor children, halting cash grants for about 77,000 college students, shortening the school year by seven days, laying off thousands of state workers and teachers, slashing money for state parks and releasing thousands of prisoners before their sentences are finished.

And yet missing from all of that is ending MediCal for illegals, canceling the $50 billion high speed train, ending corporate welfare for biotech firms developing commercial stem cell products, reducing teachers' salaries from 35% above the national average, or reforming the tax code to make California more attractive for businesses.
 

[goldstategop]

The way I see it, there's a once in a lifetime opportunity to shrink California's government down to the bone. It can no longer afford the indulgent gold-plated welfare state the Democrats built. The tax base is no longer there to support it.

"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus

[jiggyboy]

The governor's cutbacks could include ending the state's main welfare program for the poor, eliminating health coverage for about 1.5 million poor children, halting cash grants for about 77,000 college students, shortening the school year by seven days, laying off thousands of state workers and teachers, slashing money for state parks and releasing thousands of prisoners before their sentences are finished.

When I start seeing stuff like "the state government has 'borrowed' so much money from local governments that cites like San Jose, the self-styled 'Capital of Silicon Valley', have had to lay off their entire staff of Code Enforcement Officers, the much-maligned quasi-judicial city employees empowered to cite city residents for parking their own cars in their own driveways for more than 72 hours...", THEN I might start to ponder the possibility that they're starting to cut non-essential 'services'.

[blue state conservative]

California will “rewrite its social contract with its citizens”? More like with its non-citizens!

[BlazingArizona]

Most of the suggestions in here will be on the demand side (cutting spending) but I have a suggestion on the supply side: a five-year hold on all state regulatory interference with energy projects. If Californians had 5 years to drill for oil, build nuclear plants, install solar cells in any sunny place they wanted, plus develop geothermal and other odd sources, who knows how much of the state's departed industry - and hence its tax base - might be restored?

[tflabo]

This will be an interesting event-—Ca. legislatures lack the spines to make the cuts. To expect them now to pony up is a fantasy. Expect lots of pig squealing sounds from the halls of the Sacto Capitol. What a show it will be!

[William Tell]

From the article: "... could rewrite the social contract between California and its citizens. "

I think I see the problem right there.

There is no social contract between California and its citizens. The contract, called a consitution, is a contract adopted by the citizens for their own benefit. There is no contract between me and this government.

At every turn, I expect this government to steal my money and infringe my rights. The less there is of this government, the better I will like it.

I've been waiting years for the spin, crash, and burn. I just hope my popcorn hasn't become stale.