Everyone knows California budget cuts needed, but no one wants to feel the ax

Contra Costa Times ^ | 2/6/12 | Tom Barnidge, Contra Costa Times columnist

[SmithL]

If the subject is the state budget, you know what follows: What will be cut this time?

This has been an annual discussion ever since California's economy imploded and tax revenues dried up.

It was the central topic of state Sen. Mark DeSaulnier's town hall meeting in Concord last week, where he gave a primer on the arcane process by which Sacramento balances income and outflow.

He talked about Gov. Jerry Brown's proposed budget for 2012-13, his planned cuts, projected revenues, assumed tax hikes, triggered cuts if the taxes do not pass, and the many meetings that will take place before anything is approved.

Numbers piled upon numbers until he acknowledged: "I see a few glassy eyes out there."

The 80 or so people in the City Council Chamber listened politely enough, but that wasn't the main reason many of them were there. They came to voice their concerns over what is at risk in the era of austerity.

Taking turns at the microphone for more than an hour, they expressed fears for everything from in-home support services to government-funded child care, mental health, education, libraries, medical coverage and animal control.

They could have been any group, in any locale, on any night, DeSaulnier said. He hosts town hall meetings throughout his district, and there is only one common denominator among constituents' pleas.

"Don't cut the thing that we like," he said. "If there's something people care about -- libraries, mental health, whatever -- they don't want you to cut that from the budget."

[Del Rapier]

Best thing to do is to breakup the State,into individual regions.With Jefferson to the North,California proper in the Coastal areas including Silicon valley and Los Angeles.Orange County and San Diego would be their own State as well.

Then the liberals can have their utopia and anyone else can do their own thing.