"Senate Democrats unveiled a budget plan Tuesday that would stave off the deepest proposed cuts to California's health, welfare and student-aid programs by dipping heavily into the rainy-day fund that Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger wants set aside in case the economy continues to sour," the LAT's Shane Goldmacher reports.
Yay! Progress! Right?
"The governor declared the Democrats' approach to dealing with the state's projected $24-billion deficit "hallucinatory."
Oh. Never mind.
Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg (D-Sacramento) said
Democrats would not stand for the dismantling of the
state's social
safety net.
The Senate Democrats' plan he outlined would save those programs
largely by tapping into a $4.5-billion reserve included in
Schwarzenegger's budget. The Schwarzenegger administration has argued
that the money should be tucked away in case the economy
continues to
suffer or program costs exceed those budgeted, such
as for fighting
wildfires. Democrats would lower the reserve to as
little as $500
million, Steinberg said.
"The purpose of a rainy-day fund is to provide a reserve for a rainy
day," Steinberg said. "It is thunder and lightning in California right
now."
The Merc's Mike Zapler adds, "The Democratic leader also said he would not rule out pushing to raise fees and end tax loopholes for businesses to close the budget gap after program cuts are made. He vowed that the Legislature would act by the end of the month to head off a cash crunch this summer that could threaten the state's solvency.
Steinberg said he also opposed the governor's plan to borrow $2 billion from city and county governments to balance the state's books. The state's mayors were in the Capitol Tuesday urging to governor to agree.
"Emerging from a tense meeting with Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, a group of California mayors warned Tuesday that they may have to lay off police officers and make deeper cuts in vital services if the state siphons off gas taxes and property taxes to help resolve the state's fiscal crisis," Peter Hecht reports.
Meanwhile, on Planet Republican, Susan Ferriss checks in with Dennis Hollingsworth. "California's Republican Senate leader said Tuesday his caucus will back most of the budget cuts recommended by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger , but won't agree to the governor's plan to save money by releasing inmates and laying off prison guards.
Then he pointed fingers.
"Hollingsworth said proposed spending cuts are "abhorrent" to many Californians. But he said they could have been avoided if Democrats had been more "tempered" in spending in the past.
The GOP leader said he thinks Democrats will agree to cuts in "a sufficient amount to make the budget balance."
Steve Lopez connects with letter writer Michael Daly, and together, the two hash out a budget plan of their own.
"The problem up to now, we agreed, is that middle- and upper-class
people haven't had to feel any pain because budget cuts are always
aimed at the poor, elderly and disabled. If Daly were
king of
California, he would swing such a mean blade that Republican
legislators would start calling for higher taxes to
pay for the
services their constituents demand, and Democrats would
have to make
hard choices instead of throwing money at every social
service
imaginable while the state goes broke.
So how would Daly take aim at the middle class?
"If we shut down half the DMV offices in the state,
that would cause real pain," he said with an evil grin.
Take away state support for canes, seeing-eye dogs and wheelchairs and you might spark a small protest rally in Sacramento. But force people to drive past a shuttered DMV office to have a license renewed, only to find that the lines are twice as long as normal, and we'll have a revolution on our hands.
The LAT's Jason Song reports unions lost a fight at the LA School Board Tuesday. "The Los Angeles Unified school board narrowly passed
a resolution
Tuesday to suggest changes to state laws that would
expedite the firing
of teachers accused of serious crimes.
The resolution, approved on a 4-3 vote, was a much milder version of an
unsuccessful proposal by retiring school board member
Marlene Canter to
facilitate the teacher dismissal process. Even so,
it was fiercely
debated, as union leaders and some board members called
for greater
teacher input.
Here's a glimpse of your future, California. Voters in San Francisco will have a score of local tax measures on their next ballot.
The Chron's Marisa Lagos reports, "options on the table for a November ballot include an increase to the sales tax and payroll tax, another business tax and an increase to the vehicle license fee. And the city, which has been hit hard by the economic downturn, will also impose dozens of new fees that do not require voter approval but will make doing business, living in and visiting San Francisco more expensive. Among those proposed fees is a new fee on alcohol, which was introduced by Supervisor John Avalos."
Coming soon to a city or county near you...
Carla Marinucci floats a new name in the gubernatorial sweepstakes.
"California's already crowded 2010 governor's race could get more interesting with some of those rumors we're hearing -- about a well-connected woman with deep state business and political ties being urged to jump in
We're talking Sunne Wright McPeak, currently President and CEO of the California Emerging Technology Fund, who's also a longtime insider in California politics. McPeak is the former state secretary of Business, Transportation and Housing in the Schwarzenneger administration; but prior to that, for six years, she was president and CEO of the Bay Area Council, a leading business policy group.
"These days, she's a busy woman with a central role on the leadership council of California Forward, a coalition of business and community leaders formerly chaired by Leon Panetta; the group describes its mission as exploring how to "transform our state government through citizen-driven solutions -- to provide better representation, smarter budgeting and fiscal management, and high quality public services so all Californians have the opportunity to be safe, healthy and prosperous in the global economy."
In the wake of Curren Price's ascention to the Senate, Speaker Karen Bass jiggered some committee chairmanships. Joe Coto takes Price's chiar at Assembly Governmental Organization (the committee that handles all alcohol, gaming and tobacco legislation); Jose Solario takes Coto's old chair at Insurance and Juan Arambula takes over for Solario at Public Safety.
Josh Richman reports, "Tucked in among the moves was news that Assemblyman Tom Ammiano, D-San Francisco, is replacing Assemblywoman Nancy Skinner, D-Berkeley, on the Public Safety Committee. While all the other moves Bass announced today seemed to involve Price or those being moved to replace Price, the Ammiano-for-Skinner substitution seemed to have nothing to do with anything else.
You’ll recall that Bass stripped Assemblyman Sandre Swanson, D-Alameda, of his Labor and Employment Committee chairmanship back in March, an apparent punishment for his having voted against parts of the budget-and-special-election package the Big Five had pounded out in February.
"But I’m hearing from the Speaker’s office that this move isn’t retribution, just logistics and coincidental timing – Ammiano wanted to be on the committee, Skinner didn’t particularly, and it was easiest to do and announce the substitution while dealing with the ripples from Price’s departure."
Finally, we head to Boulder, CO for our headline of the day: "Gardening nudists claim landlord discrimination"
Intrigued? We're not either. But alas...
A couple of nudists claim their landlord is wrongly discriminating by trying to get them to cover up while gardening. Robert and Catharine Pierce have been accused by their landlord of being a nuisance by gardening wearing only thong underwear, plus pasties for Catharine Pierce. Neighbors complained to police about the Pierces' scanty clothing. But police say the Pierces are not violating the law as long as their genitals are covered."
Pasties??
"But their landlord, Boulder Housing Partners, has sent the Pierces a letter saying they could face eviction if they don't cover up. The Pierces say the threat of eviction amounts to discrimination.
"We want our freedom, " said Robert Pierce, 58. "We want exactly what the law gives you, and we don't want to be harassed about it."