Seems like everyone's got something to say about the governor's new budget proposals.
The LAT's Michael Rothfeld highlights the fact it would "slice up to seven days off the public school year,
releasing
thousands of inmates from prison and packing others
into county jails,
cutting off healthcare to more than 200,000 children and drilling for
oil off the Santa Barbara coast."
Team Chronicle says the plan means "deeper cuts in education and health programs and by
borrowing billions more dollars."
Jim Miller plays up the politics of the release, noting "billions of
dollars in possible cuts hinging on whether voters
approve
special-election ballot measures next week, while Brian Joseph adds the governor "will try to slash the prison terms of 19,000 illegal immigrants.
Mike Gardner also gets the 5,000 layoff notices going out to state workers in his lead, while the Bee places the budget in context,
saying the plan represents California's
struggles to survive a historic economic downturn.
Got all that? Good.
Mike Zapler reports, "Schwarzenegger actually
delivered two budget plans — one that assumes the ballot measures pass,
and another based on them failing. Both scenarios are
grim, but passage
of Propositions 1A through 1F would make things somewhat less ugly, the
governor said."
If the measures do fail, Schwarzenegger said it would
be necessary to borrown $2 billion from local governments, placing additional
strains on cities and counties.
Capitol Weekly delves a bit into the proposed layoffs to state workers . "Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's plan to lay off 5,000 state employees will fall hardest on prison officers
and on social service workers, while employees of some
of the state's largest departments will not be affected, his top
finance official said.
"That's because to save the state money, the jobs that are
cut must come from the state's General Fund, the main coffer of income,
corporation and other taxes. Some state agencies depend
heavily on the General Fund for their money, such as
the Department of Corrections and the Department of
Social Services.
"But agencies such as the Department of Transportation,
the Department of Motor Vehicles and the Employment
Development Department are financed largely by fees
they and special taxes targeting specific tasks, and
thus are not subject to the planned layoffs. The California
Highway Patrol also would not be subject to the layoffs."
Oh, and if anyone wants to buy a prison or some fairgounds , have we got a budget for you...
Couple of tidbits from the press conference: Schwarzenegger admitted the Department of Finance began assembling the revision
plan on Sunday, And when he introduced finance director Mike Genest,
he cautioned Genest might be "suicidial," because of the four-day deluge of work.
We know Genest, and have a hard time believing that.
Homocidal, yes. Suicidal, probably not...
And in case you were wondering, Meg Whitman outlined
a policy idea of her own, saying she'd lay off up to 30,000 state workers.
"Whitman has vowed since February to cut 10 percent of California 's
345,000-employee work force if she is elected governor. In
her
appearance Thursday before hundreds of luncheon guests,
she described
her plans to invoke a CEO-style of governance."
With all the blood on the floor in the governor's first-floor budget press conference, upstairs the Legislature went about its business.
"Thursday, the Senate passed several measures, including
one by Sen.
Mark Leno, D-San Francisco, to bar health insurance companies from
charging different rates by gender. The Assembly approved
a similar
measure earlier this week.
Leno's proposal to declare May 22 as Harvey Milk Day in honor of the
slain San Francisco supervisor also passed. Gov. Arnold
Schwarzenegger
vetoed a similar proposal last year.
"A ban on smoking on all 64 state beaches and in all 279 state parks
also won approval. The measure by Sen. Jenny Oropeza,
D-Long Beach,
imposes a $250 fine."
Strike up the band!
And fianlly from our Personal Grooming Files, "A Chicago-area company is marketing hair products inspired by
ousted Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich. The shampoo and conditioner carry the brand name
"BLAGO It's Bleep'n Golden!"
"Blagojevich was removed from office in January after
being accused of misdeeds that include trying to sell
President Barack Obama's
vacant Senate seat. The brand name refers to a comment
he allegedly
made about the appointment: "I've got this thing and it's (expletive)
golden."
"Blagojevich has pleaded not guilty to
federal charges. His publicist Glenn Selig says he hopes the
shampoo "at least passes the smell test."
