California now faces budget cuts “beyond draconian”
One of the first targets is 200 state parks, already causing a public outcry as summer approaches.
By Daniel B. Wood | Staff writer/ May 30, 2009 edition
Los Angeles
Before this state’s May 19 vote on five initiatives intended to solve the state’s chronic fiscal difficulties, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger — in person on the stump and via TV ad blitzes up and down the state — told voters that if the measures did not pass, the resulting budget cuts would be “draconian.”
In the days after the measures went down in flames, the announcements have come rapid fire, and various constituencies are reeling — calling the cuts “beyond draconian.”
Some 235,000 state workers will have to take a 5 percent pay cut. Of the state’s 279 state parks, 200 will be closed. Schwarzenegger’s plan to dismantle the Cal Grant program — considered one of the nation’s best programs to help poorer students cover full fees or tuition at public colleges — would make California the first US state to eliminate student financial aid while raising tuition.
The list goes on and on:
A massive plan to overhaul healthcare in state prisons will be scaled back. A Senate bill which would have created a state-run system to provide healthcare to every Californian has been scrapped. A CalWorks program providing medical, dental, and vision care to 90,000 children will be eliminated. Hundreds of new spending programs have been sidelined, and the local budgets of cities and counties have been raided to make ends meet.
“We recognize the fiscal situation in California, and as much as we would love to be doing new and different things in California, we simply don’t have the money,” says Senate President pro Tem Darrell Steinberg (D) of Sacramento. After closing a $41.5 billion budget gap in February, the state has another $24.3 billion deficit in a $92 billion general fund budget.
Besides the pay cuts to state workers, one of the most highly-visible and painful cutbacks will be the closure of state parks, not just at the beginning of the summer season in which they are needed most, but in a recession year in which many vacationers are opting to say close to home to save money.
“This is going to be devastating,” says Jerry Emory, director of communications for the California State Parks Foundation, a nonprofit organization which raises money to support parks. State parks had a record 80 million visits last year, and every indication is this year would have exceeded that, with reservations for the year filling up just hours after opening in January.
Besides laying off staff, the effect to local economies will be even worse. Studies show that for every dollar spent at a state park, $2.35 is generated for the state’s general fund through the ripple effect at nearby stores, attractions such as ferries, restaurants, souvenir stores, and other amenities. Closing the parks also creates law enforcement challenges and the further deterioration of buildings, restrooms, trails, and roads.
“Closing parks costs a lot of money. We already have $1.2 billion in deferred maintenance,” says Mr. Emory, “and that figure will balloon way beyond that while this closure is in effect.”
Emory says his foundation website is creating easy links to legislators for citizens to vent their anger and hopefully change Schwarzenegger’s directive by next Tuesday, when a budget meeting is scheduled. The governor announced the closure of 48 state parks last year, but later changed his mind after a public outcry.
Parks that will remain open are state beaches and other parks used by off-road vehicles and boats whose funding comes from taxes and fees generated by such boats and vehicles. Some beaches attract enough visitors to operate from parking, admissions, and other concessions fees. Some critics have said that the amount of savings is so minuscule from parks — only $70 million — that the governor may be using the high-visibility parks issue to provoke public pressure on legislators to solve the budget problem.
But spokesman for the governor’s Department of Finance, H.D. Palmer, says the governor’s proposals are “not a test.”
“We have been forced to put forward proposals that would have been unthinkable even a few short months ago,” Palmer says.
Staff writer Gloria Goodale contributed to this report.
Comments
2. Pete | 05.30.09
So, we help the budget by ruining the economy even more? I hope people see the foolish nature of the nitwit running the Executive Branch in California. This better be rhetorical scare tactic because it makes no sense, but seeing how California’s “leaders” have mismanaged such a dynamic economy, I would guess it is not. That is pathetic.
3. Ralph Deluca Jr. | 05.30.09
This is a WARM UP FOR THE FEDERAL BUDGET THIS WINTER !!!!
Once the Dollar crashes, we will not be able to finance debt at 10 %
You know the old proverb, “As California goes, so goes the nation”.
The Terminator really is THE TERMINATOR…HE JUST HELPED KILL OFF THE CALIFORNIA ECONOMY FOR A DECADE…
5. MIKE | 05.30.09
THE ONLY BUDGET CUT SHOULD BE IS THE GOV. PAY CHECK! WHY SHOULD THEY KEEP ON GETTING PAID WHEN ALL THEY DO IS SCREW UP. WE WOULD BE FIRED IF WE WORKED LIKE THEY DO.
8. Claude Wadsworth | 05.30.09
“For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.”
9. Len J. | 05.30.09
Beyond draconian? Because they are trying to inconvenience and punish those increasingly few citizens who actually pay for this ongoing drunken sailor’s binge, apologies to drunken sailors? Then, a lengthy list of new spending excesses ’sidelined’, not canceled, and sacrificing recreational opportunities? That will teach us selfish taxpayers and voters, won’t it? I can’t believe we put these morons in office.
10. Ian Logan | 05.30.09
California is home to some of the richest people in the world who all have one thing in common, they’re dumb and greedy and just flat out don’t want to pay taxes. You would think the very public results of this greed would be a major source of embarrasment but evidently, it isn’t. I guess any amount of pain created by the humiliation can be assuaged by having all that money to spend on yourself.
If they won’t pay taxes how about a real revolt…regular folks should stop going to movies, stop buying music, stop going to professional sports and hit these greedy pigs in their pocketbooks in other ways.
At least Mel Gibson will feel at home when it California turns into a Mad Max movie.
11. Alan | 05.30.09
Did Calfornia cancl the study on the sea otters yet? Arnold I am sure, could look deeper to cancel many things before hurting people, but it turns out that he is seemingly vindictive, and since he did not get his way, he wants to make the first cuts the most visible. Why is it that hard working taxpayers always seem to get nailed, while low or non payers reap the benefits? The nation probably should not bail us out, because surely they are next to face reality.
12. Greg Barker | 05.30.09
Unthinkable? What is unthinkable? Raising taxes on the wealthy so that they pay the same percentage overall as the poor and middle class do? Realizing that Proposition 13 gave large corporations huge and unfair tax breaks? That this Governor said everybody who makes less that $100,000 a year is a loser? What is unthinkable is doing what is right for all the people, not just the rich.
13. Phil Hicks | 05.30.09
As was the case when the voters passed Prop 13, then :As LA Mayor Tom Bradley said, “No politician will lose his job from these cuts.” It appears as if they still don’t get it. There need to be “beyond draconian” cuts in staff, commissions, agencies,pay levels and perks for all levels of government. This is not a mandate to “punish the Peons” it is a wake up call to Sacramento that the party is over.
14. Marty Arnold | 05.30.09
This whole thing is because of the stupid 2/3 needed to pass anything about tax’s in the State congress. California was a leader in education & health for decades until the republican minority decided not to allow any tax’s to be levied & the stupidity of the public in electing Arnold who had NO clue of what he was doing.
To add to the lack of tax’s coming in was the fact that California leads the nation in illegal’s coming into the State & having to support not only their health & education needs but their needs on roads, water, & all the rest of the public services meaning more & more illegals coming in faster then the small tax’s if any that they pay could keep up with. Education burdened with the non working concept of by-lingual eduction & the hundreds of thousands of illegal births & children being paid for & so on have put the State on this present course.
Unless the federal Government steps in & pays it fair share of the whole Illigal persons costs the State will continue to fall further & further into a State of a third world nation with a small group of have’s, smaller amount of sort of haves & a ton of 3rd class have nothings…..
15. Harold Reimann | 05.30.09
You don’t vote for my tax increase, I close your parks!
Do you know that California has 3 times the average welfare rate. Wonder if illegal mexicans will feel the pinch?
16. Kevoh | 05.30.09
This is the future of America if our government doesnt change course… just on a smaller scale.
17. John | 05.30.09
The people should suffer in CA they voted to spend billions of dollars on there drug war and said they were willing to sacrifice the schools and nieghborhoods and everything else. So keep paying for a drug war you can’t win because you deserve it.
18. b. onigman | 05.30.09
The wealth of affluent people in the State of California is still not being tapped. Those making only $47,000 pay the same rate as those making one million - 9.3%. The top rate for those making over $1M is 10.3%, and that’s it.
California needs to revise it’s unfair personal income tax structure, so those who make over $300,000 year pay substantially more in taxes, and with markedly progressive rate increases continuing as income rises.
19. Sandy Espinosa | 05.30.09
In addition to the state worker 5% salary reduction, we need to actually cut state jobs!
20. Margaret Washington | 05.30.09
Join the armed forces America and you will now have to work for your healthcare, education and state parks instead of getting it handed to you over the years.
21. ivan bishop | 05.30.09
Everyone is belt tightening. However, as a parent I sit here and read about state park closures and feel myself quietly simmering. Counties like Santa Clara and cities like San Jose between them have up to $530 million ear-narked for such
‘necessities’ as new ball parks, soccer stadiums, refurbishing convention centers and extending the HUGE money loser BART.
And for what? In times of plenty these would be admirable civic goals. Right now however, keeping teachers employed for our children whose education cant wait is a priority.
San Jose unified is a ‘mere’ 14million short for this fiscal year. And yet the San Jose city council, who are also the redevelopment agency board, want to spend $238 million to make a convention center more modern. Thats tax payers dollars being wasted in this climate.
So I’ll cry hard for California, I’ve lived here 14 years, but with fiscal irresponsibility surrounding us at all levels of government what do we expect. We let these people and their attendant lobbyists get away with this.
Who is to blame? Not a mortgage meltdown, thats for sure.
22. Lennon Zamora | 05.30.09
The government, both in Sacramento and Washington D.C., seems to think that without them, parks, utilities, public services and prosperity simply wouldn’t exist. It’s not that complicated–the people came first, THEN the government, not the other way around.
Sell off state property to private and charitable institutions that use their money in a fiscally conservative manner unlike those in Sacramento who find it so easy to spend other people’s money.
We don’t need your help, your charity, your pity or your concern. We the people were here before you and we will be here after you. The sooner, faster and harder Sacramento goes bankrupt the better. 5% pay cut for state workers? Don’t like it, get a real job. Stop whining. There are those of us who don’t even have jobs right now.
What happened to us America? Can we not sit or stand without government say so? When they say jump do we ask how high? How far we have fallen.
There’s not ONE government service that runs more efficiently than a similar private service, NOT ONE. Sure, there’s greed in the private sector. There’s greed everywhere! You don’t think there’s greed and incompetence involved in Sacramento? How in the heck do you think we got into this whole mess in the first place? Dumb, greedy, incompetent (perhaps well intentioned), politicians.
Stop whining for the state to fix your problems or the problems of others. Get off your keaster, turn off American Idle and do something about it your self!
23. CJ | 05.30.09
If you close the state parks, you’re shooting yourself in the foot. For every dollar the state spends for the parks they get $2.35 returned. I agree with most of the other cuts. Yes, it is painful folks but programs cost MONEY! The ones that have no fiscal return, have to be cut if not eliminated.
24. Putjoel rossetti | 05.30.09
Put a bar graph up showing where the State of California money goes. By category, just like the Federal Government. Or better yet; like Govenor Palen, put the check book register for the State on the web. Put the voters and politicians on a level playing field.
If the State of California Budget can’t be agreed upon before start of a new fiscal year; forget about paying bonus money to politicians for everyday they work past end of the current year.
26. Paul | 05.30.09
Cutting healthcare for prisons is not a bad thing in my book. Why should they have any, they are criminals. Also, lets face facts: the unions have been given everything by the democrats in this state, with no realistic way for the people to pay for it. Oh no, they have to take a pay cut! Gosh, maybe if I could retire at 53 like many of them can I would feel bad for them.
27. Foss Newburg | 05.30.09
“Some critics have said that the amount of savings is so minuscule from parks — only $70 million — that the governor may be using the high-visibility parks issue to provoke public pressure on legislators to solve the budget problem.”
Bingo — 70 million is a drop in the bucket, but boy are a lot of people going to be angy.
28. Mock | 05.30.09
It’s time for people to take note, it was never meant for government or the state to be a provider of charity. California with it’s ultra liberal practices and policies has driven it’s self into the ground. As the weak become weaker and more numerous and even more dependant on the system those of us who actually pay into the system are no longer going to be able to keep up with the increasing costs of state rune welfare programs.
29. James Williams | 05.30.09
The idea that keeping state parks open is central to the economic issues in California is laughable. There are two issues here that merit attention, neither of which was addressed in this article. The first is the “hundreds of new spending programs.” California’s politicians have for years insisted on new spending programs even though there were insufficient revenues to support them and even though these programs are not related to the majority of citizens. The second issue is the heavy financial burden the state’s millions of illegal immigrants impose on the state’s economy. Billions are spent to provide support for everything from education to health care, even though the majority of the illegal immigrants pay no taxes. These socio-political priorities are unsustainable. During the good times, the state forced income producers to subsidize income consumers. Now that the producers are suffering, there simply is no money left for anything. Now we hear some calls for a revamping of California government. The problem is that the calls do not address the underlying dysfunction, instead focusing on such nonstarters as eliminating the popular referendum. Meaningful political reform must entail abandoning the existing welfare model of government.
30. Daniel Petry | 05.30.09
I have watched California devolve from the most advanced State in the Union to one that ranks closely with most third world countries. Education from 2 to 49th, transportation system from 1 or 2 to 48th, and the medical system from 1 or 2 to 49th. Shame on you for letting such a great State become as it is today. You are failing to truly address a number of issues that would assist your State tremendously. Eliminate medical support for illegals, cut your State employee staff by at least 40%. Eliminate your State income tax. Watch your State leap back into the position it really deserves.
31. Joe in Alaska | 05.30.09
TS Suck in your belt!
You can’t live on borrowed money and the people said, CUT!
We not paying for all the socialist programs listed above.
32. Suzy Q | 05.30.09
A large percentage of Californians support these “draconian” cuts. Too few of us pay for too many. California taxpayers are worn out and want the red carpet rolled up.
33. Wake up | 05.30.09
It is about time California realized you cant expect evertying from the goverment. YOU have to work for it.
34. Eric The Red | 05.30.09
The state could bring teacher’s salaries, currently 35 percent over the national average, in line with the national average and it would eliminate $11 billion in expenses. The meat of state expenditures are in the education segment. Cost of living in California is a little higher so I could see a justification for not cutting quite that much. Bottom line is that the California Teachers Association has had Sacramento over its knee for way too long. Throughout my entire lifetime all I have heard election after election after election is the cry and eventual answer for more education funding, ie. higher pay for teachers for the most part. Incidentally I have lived in Colorado, Montana and Washington state at certain times and in each of those states people are noticeably better educated, in general. That may be only my opinion and I am just one person so you are welcome to take that with a grain of salt or dismiss it entirely.
35. Tom | 05.30.09
It is time to stop the drama California has no choice but to cut spending just as any one else has to in tough times. Parks are not critical at this stage when things turn around then Ca can reopen them. I think a 5% pay cut is modest I would have done more. They got themselves in this situation so it is what it is. Time to stop crying and turn it around.
36. ben….san diego | 05.30.09
What did people think would happen? People hear the word taxes and automatically are oppose to any proposal. Has horrendous as the proposal to cut financial aid is, maybe people will now understand that taxes is not a bad word but a necessity. People need to start making the connection between taxes and services. The wealthy lead the assault against taxes and the masses eagerly follow, but now the masses will shoulder the burden.
37. charlie barton | 05.30.09
Today California, tomorrow America. This is the inevitable path of big government.
39. Dr Willy | 05.30.09
As a start, California should layoff 10% of its State Employees and require 8 hours a week public service labor from all citizens that wish to receive unemployment compensation. This labor will provide more than sufficient staffing to maintain state parks and other services while probably providing serious upgrade to the State’s work force. When the State Employee Unions whine, lay off another 10%.
The legislature should end the State employee gravy train setting an earliest normal retirement age of 62, requiring 30 years service for maximum benefit, limiting the maximum benefit to no more than 50% of the average of the highest five years of base pay and never allowing retirement pay to exceed 50% of current salary for an equivalent position.
40. H. M. Prescott | 05.30.09
Calif. should completely redo its welfare program….The Calif. constitution
should be altered to take this into consideration. TOO many are on the welfare rolls in Calif.
41. Shine | 05.30.09
Until the state government and the governor learn to live within its income, they can close down the whole government, with the exception of police and fire services, as far as I am concerned.
The average citizen whose debts get too high, cuts spending.
I voted for Schwarzenegger; I thought no one could be worse than Gray Davis; I was wrong.
43. James H. Penland | 05.30.09
Sorry folks, it is time to balance the budget once an for all. There is too much welfare, aid for people living with relatives collecting money for taking care of them, too much child support paid by proxy by the citizens, too much money given to dope addicts so they can roam the streets and buy more drugs, and too much paid to many workers that belong to SEIU that don’t warrant the wage scale for the type of work done. Cut everything but school for the children(do cut administration cost), Care for the elderly whom have already paid the price for the care by working all their live, and medical for children. Reduce the taxes on businesses that will relocate to California to create jobs that will help the unemployment situation and bring more dollars in to the State via new taxes paid by workers. Right now we are going backwards by chasing businesses out of the State! Also, raising taxes on auto registration and sales taxes is a dis-incentative rather than an incentative for folks to go buy a vehicle..Less income for the state by raising taxes because people are not stupid enough to go buy anything with the added tax. The politicians need to eat a bowl of grits and get to the business of balancing the budget and start getting the state out of debt. The sooner the better. Thank you
44. windrider | 05.30.09
As much hue and cry as there will be, I hope the Guvernator sticks to his guns. And I hope other governors follow suit. People scream and moan about taxes and about how the states spend too much money, but don’t want to give up any services. It’s about time for a massive dose of reality for Americans: we get what we pay for and if we don’t want to pay, we don’t get. Californians made the choice not to pay more taxes and that, by default, is a decision to give up services and favored privileges. The poor will suffer most because they are always the last ones helped and the first ones to lose what meager support they have, but that’s the way it works in a ‘christian’ nation that despises its poor and begrudges every penny.
45. Tom | 05.30.09
the real question as they cut projects for the people is where the remainder
in funds are going to?
as they slow or no pay state tax refunds.
46. S. W. Cooper | 05.30.09
Not one PINHEAD reporter has mentioned the savings by getting rid of ALL illegal aliens. Stop all state services to ALL illegal aliens.
Cut 20 % of the 235000 state employees. Do we really need all these bureaucrats? Amazing on so called journalist has the guts to confront the system they love. SWC
47. chamateddy | 05.30.09
The Greatest Casualty Of Schwarzenegger’s Draconian Cuts - Education
Arnold “The Terminator” Schwarzenegger is cutting education? I don’t think he can really do much more to harm it than thirty-years of GOP mis-administration has already accomplished.
Californians can also bear a large portion of the blame. They were duped by the verbal hype of the so-called Education Initiative that profits from the lottery would “fund” education. They thought they were getting something for nothing. Education Without Taxation! Unfortunately, they forgot to do one thing: Read the fine print - Stupid! Had they done so, they would have discovered that the state was not obligated to give one-red-cent to education over than the state mandated minimum. All other monies were discretionary.
Fortunately, this little loophole just may be education’s salvation. If the Democratically controlled legislature can get their elective act together, they can raise the bar on the state mandated limits and force the gambling profits to be used as originally intended.
When I moved to California, the educational system was superior. The UC and State College systems were 100% funded by the state, and tuition was affordable. Had the Clark Kerr Master plan for tertiary institutions been implemented, California would have been the leader of a world-wide education revolution. Reagan made sure this plan was killed and even tried forcing the UC Regeants to close and sell campuses. UC Santa Cruz and UC Davis were two under consideration. With Reagan, CA education began it’s slippery slope toward mediocrity and incompetence. When I moved out of state, only two percent to eleven percent of state funds were dedicated to the UC system, and student ADA its public schools sunk to 48th in the nation.
The Right-Wing has always feared a literate and informed populace and has done everything within their power to destroy education. Schwarzenegger is merely the “Terminator” of what’s left.
49. John Randall | 05.30.09
The amazing thing in all of this is Pharoah had seven years of plenty before the famine hit, and had advisor’s saying that the famine was coming. Pharoah in this case is the out of control legislature. Speaking as a resident, California needs a new constitution.
The classic and endemic problem in California is responsibility and authority are not in balance. In California it is acceptable to take authority over things for which you have no responsibility. This has to stop.
50. Vivian | 05.30.09
Tale the governor and his henchmen out of office and we wouldn’t have a problem.
51. Scott | 05.30.09
California’s problem: too many unskilled migrants. California can’t afford to pay its bills anymore due to too many unemployed migrants.
Immigration is good, when those migrants are skilled and joined the labour force. Immigration is bad, when those migrants are unskilled and don’t joined the labour force.
Solution: Welcome skilled migrants, deport unskilled illegal migrants. California can’t afford to educated the unskilled migrants currently, perhaps in the future when California has turned its fortunes around.
52. Jon | 05.30.09
If Arnold needs money that badly, he should just ask the surrounding states for a loan. I mean, granted, we’re all strapped for cash too, but we’d gladly take a raise to our taxes if it means there won’t be a mass exodus of Californians flooding into our states. We get enough of them as it is.
53. John Randall | 05.30.09
California subsidizes 14 instead of 12 years of school, greatly offsetting the cost of “Junior College”. It also runs two more programs that supply the same redundant service to the same population “Adult School” and “ROP (Regional Occupational Program).
Part of the changes to schools funding (who pass through money to ROP and Adult School) is that they were allowed (but not mandated) to stop passing that money on and not see a decrease in funding for five years. I.e. the schools had to decide to cut ROP and Adult School.
This shirking of administrative duty is typical of Sacramento. They don’t want to look bad or take a political hit for closing redundant programs, so they put it off on the local schools.
This particular example of redundant expenditure has been common knowledge for many years, but wasn’t touched because of the perception that Adult School and ROP were acclimating “immigrants” into the US work force, teaching them English and giving them needed skills.
Closure of those two programs could save about 4 percent out of the States budget. Now lets find the other 20 percent.
54. Johnny Rocket | 05.30.09
A prediction -
This round of budget woes combined with the backlog of unreleased foreclosures will force the real estate market of California down to something on par with the majority of the rest of the U.S.
The decendants of old California who had moved and then were unable to move back, due to the rapidly escalating real estate market, will find they can now afford to live close to grandma in California.
Old Californians will move back (from Colorado, Washington, Oregon, Nashville)and return California to a more conservative State and fix this mess.
55. Pepper | 05.30.09
I think the Gov is being a tad hard. But the blame goes to our representatives in Sacramento. They failed to come up with a budget. Instead of working together they fight like children. Either way the average Californian will take the hit. We voted no on the props to send a message but it was pointless. You will pay. Either you pay more in taxes or lose your job or due to job losses lose more business. Legislature needs to tax the wealthy and big business and close loopholes. Doubt that will happen. So California will tank.
56. Joel in LA | 05.30.09
Illegal aliens cost California taxpayers (those few of us left) over $9 billion a year. They have destroyed our health system and our education system, strain our highways, water and sewerage systems, and fill our jail cells. Our leaders have betrayed us. They are more concerned about the welfare of foreign nationals than they are about their own citizens. Draconian measures ARE necessary. We need to seal our border and expel the undesirable illegals. Start by deporting the illegals in the jails then eliminate the services that encourage the illegals to stay. Presidents Hoover, Truman and Eisenhower expelled illegals when they threatened the well being of our citizenry. It can be done. It is time to do it again.
57. Tony in Long Beach | 05.30.09
Too much blaming the Mexicans in these posts by those who undoubtedly supported the party of NO. Because it is those who support that party who most often look for any way possible to avoid paying taxes whether it is through loopholes in a rich-friendly tax code, business tax breaks, incentives to invest, Prop 13 etc., etc. It is these supporters of NO that have brought this crisis on by their greed, mismanagement, and corruption. And they’ve been enabled by a group of legislators in Sacramento who, like their brethren in Washington DC, only know how to say NO when their state and nation needs them most.
It’s high time that these part-time patriots be real patriots who stand up to pay their fair share to support their states and country in this time of need instead of hiding in the hypocrisy of their self-serving “ideology.”
58. Joshua | 05.30.09
“Sell off state property to private and charitable institutions that use their money in a fiscally conservative manner unlike those in Sacramento who find it so easy to spend other people’s money.
We don’t need your help, your charity, your pity or your concern. We the people were here before you and we will be here after you. The sooner, faster and harder Sacramento goes bankrupt the better. 5% pay cut for state workers? Don’t like it, get a real job. Stop whining. There are those of us who don’t even have jobs right now.” The American government was around before all the white people moved to California, falsifying the statement that the people in California were there first. I also think it would be stupid to make a business of government by selling off state property.
Tax the rich more. Jesus knew what he was talking about when he said that the poor widow gave more than the rich man because it was everything she had, even though by amount the rich man gave more. The rich people can be tax more and still be left with far more than the people left with like $30-40k after taxes. It would be nice if the rich people were reasonable, but people are a lot like squirrels by nature, I suppose?
If leaving taxes low for the rich worked there wouldn’t be so bad a financial disaster, would there? Percentages more of millionaires’ and billionaires’ incomes add up a lot more than percentages of middle and lower class incomes.
59. wrdc | 05.30.09
All I got to say is “Liberal Democrats”, don’t blame Arnold. “Liberal Democrats” and their B.S. social programs are the reason for all the issues. Look at Washington and the CRAZY spending that the President is doing, “Liberal Democrat”, look at that CRAZY politician from California Nacny Pelosi “Liberal Democrat”. Get rid of the Social Programs and you won’t have these issues. Get a flat tax and stop complaining about the “Rich” have too much money. Get off your butts and WORK. Now you can really see how the Government works. I don’t feel bad for any of you, most fo you are getting what you deserve.
60. alan gibbs | 05.30.09
As I recall, Arnold tried a few years ago to rein in the state employees (mostly ASFME types) and was soundly defeated at the polls. This is all so stupid: across the board 10 to 20% cuts in ALL services excluding police, fire, and essential city services such as trash removal (not welfare benefits), and absolute proof of citizenship before ANY services including education and the problem will resolve itself in a few years. Then an amendment or something to preclude spending more than the state takes in and California could be back to normal, just like a real state.
61. Tomby | 05.30.09
Hmmmmmmm can’t believe what is happening to California…… born and raised in San Diego and use to love it….. So glad I’m in Montana now….. you can have the weather, the masses, and Arnold & his crew………… There is a lot to say about small towns and living closer to your means……. Miss the ocean but there is a lot to say about rivers….. and now the parks are being closed…. Come on Californians “cowboy up” and get the State back on track the way I knew it to be growing up………………….. Give the kids a break……..
62. nancy | 05.30.09
I am proud of Arnold. He has the courage to do what is right. The lazy people are getting worse by the minute. It is not the responsibility of the middle class and rich to support the poor. Have you not heard of survival of the fitest. Everyone is given a chance to work hard. The poor are lazy and think they should drink watch tv drive cars without earning the priviledge. I’m so sick of it. Birth control is the option or abstence if you perfer. No one should have kids if they can’t even afford to support themselves. Ignorant people are to stupid to see that. We have to teach them. This is a lesson they will now learn. Don’t be the octomom so you don’t have to work and have kids as an excuse to support you. Kids are not born to raise their parents. Go to San Bernandino and build a city. than come back and tell me. We are capitalist not communist or socialists
63. Mike J | 05.30.09
We would never have to cut the number of teachers, fire police officers, close fire stations or provide less Children’s services if they had the guts to do even one thing right.
Every item in every budget should be assigned a priority in the budget just like you and I do. If we have less money, what do we do? We go to the movies less, we spend less money at Christmas, We take less expensive vacations, and we buy cheaper goods instead of expensive ones.
We don’t reduce our spending across the board by ten percent; we eliminate expenses we cannot afford until we spend the required amount less. Here is what they ought to do, yet never will do, because of the influence of “Special Interests”.
First, if the President or a Governor says to his staff “Reduce expenses by Ten Percent (10 %) in every department”, they may make some changes, however they will never really make substantial change because they do not really control the purse strings. It sounds good on the TV News or in the newspaper, but makes very little difference because nothing is ever eliminated from the budget. You just end up with the same things at a smaller level.
Second, The Legislatures (or Congress) controls what is spent by appropriating funds to programs. If the head of State (The Governor or President for example) makes too many changes they then just re-write the legislation to make it a law to be enforced by the courts or take it away from the Head of Governments control. This is due to the influence afforded selected groups of people routinely called “special interests”. You then run into the NIMBY effect. Everybody thinks we need a new prison or a new waste dump, as long as it’s NOT In My BackYard.
Lets say there are 2000 (two thousand) items in a State (or any Government) budget. There is probably more but let’s say it is 2000. Put the highest priority items at the top, start with Number One (1), then prioritize, and number every one of them until everything in the budget is on the list, numbered One (1) through Two Thousand (2000). Along with each item, list the cost of each item next to it. Now put the accountants to work and figure out how much real money we have coming in as close as we can figure it. Classify every budget expense as one of three things. One is a need (absolutely must have), next is a desire (just would like to have), next is a want (Would like but could do without). Cut all wants first. If that is not enough, cut out the desires. If it gets bad enough, then you have to cut needs. If you absolutely must have all the needs, then you can raise taxes. Adjust each line item to the level on what is left to levels we can afford and if that is not enough, start with the last item on the list and eliminate it. Keep eliminating until you have your expenses at the same level as revenue.
Understand, if we do this, we are going to eliminate things that would be nice to have, but cannot at this time afford. We may not be able to give block grants to build a new park (or even keep them open) or have some arcane study done concerning some state insect, but we would have teachers etc at the level we have to have.
I suspect that if politicians would do this one simple exercise, we would never lay off a teacher, a firefighter, or a Police Officer ever again. I also think if they would look at it like this, we wouldn’t mind paying a little more in taxes, because we would know why it is necessary to raise them.
Politicians will never do this because they have forgotten that their job is to represent us and not to do things that will ensure that they will be elected in the next election.
What do you think?
64. Evan | 05.30.09
Atlas is shrugging in Cali. It takes adversity to get people to focus on what is most important. I hope they rebuild a SUSTAINABLE state government.
65. ingrasam | 05.30.09
This is yet another act in the plot to make America more dumb, more sick and less robust. These pieces of trash like Bush and the Governator are all a part of it. We give triillions to banks but do things like cut health care for the poorest children amongst us and also by making college more expensive and therefore less reachable. They want an upper and lower class only.
66. MmmDee | 05.30.09
It’s a misconception that the richest California residents pay not, or less than their share of taxes. In fact, as is true nation wide, it’s true in California too… that the 5% richest people in California pay 95% of the taxes. It’s the 95% using the services, yet paying their fair share of taxes that’s causing California to finally reign in spending.
67. Ironic… | 05.30.09
Its ironic how last month he gave a speech talking about how the education of children is the first priority and now he is trying to take away the only source of help we have. Ill be attending a cal state this fall and the cal grant is something that was going to help me, it was at least something. My family isnt made of money and I honestly dont know where they think Ill get the rest of the money to pay for college… We cant find jobs and yet we can have education, we are heading down the crapper…
68. demosthenes | 05.30.09
As a person who has been on welfare I would like to say that the money spent on welfare is NOT a waste. It is because of that money that poor parents, like me, are able to acquire new skills so that we can have better jobs, thus raising our income and turning around to pay it back in taxes.
The Cal-Works program has helped me so much that I am now a student in one of the best engineering schools in the U.S., UC Berkeley. When I join the workforce in 2 years I will have a BS Mechanical/Nuclear Engineering, making a considerable sum of money. All of that from being a welfare mom.
All of these budget cuts affect me seriously, but I won’t allow them to deter me from the goals on which I began 2 years ago as a new welfare recipient.
It is because of budget cuts like this that I will always be a democrat, so long as the democrats are spending and investing in our communities. I hope that in the future we can work to get programs, like the Cal Grant for college students, back up and running on MY tax bill.
I don’t care what anyone says: Paying taxes is patriotic.
69. Eddie F. | 05.30.09
Do not cut 5% salary to the low pay workers. Just lay off managers (there are more managers, supervisors than workers really), and cut 10% of those who make more than $100,000 a year would save some money for the state.
70. Kim Gilgenberg | 05.30.09
What is the point of having a movie star in office if he can’t exploit his infamy to do a few overseas advertisements as fundraisers for California?
71. susan Cole | 05.30.09
Cutting our parks to pay for illegals having children at the taxpayers expense in not smart.
Why do illegals have more rights than taxpayers?
Who will protect the taxpayers from the illegals and all their expenses?
72. M. Friedman | 05.30.09
For nearly thirty-thousand years the human race got along fine without social welfare. This is evident from the ever expanding population which by all estimates has never left its Bell curve exponential growth rate.
When people get sick, they die. It’s a sad fact that it happens to children as well. Preventative techniques like hand-washing, inexpensive inoculations and vaccines and the such are more than adequate. If you don’t have health insurance… then you are just going to have to pay out of pocket for the services. Contrary to what some John Q might think, all 300 million Americans ARE NOT entitled to 21 century health care. The only way it should be free is if you volunteer for experimental treatment.
We should not dismantle the New Deal completely. Retirement age and eligibility for SS benefits should be lowered, but only the retired workers and the legitimately disabled should qualify for any assistance. No medicaid for people of a less age.
It is time for Darwinian principles to be applied. America is dying because the cancer of millions of lazy, incompetent people who would not have survived past their 20’s in prior centuries are allowed to survive with government assistance to be perpetual blood suckers. If someone had a strong will to survive, they wouldn’t need government help.
Children are amongst the most healthy of the population. If they have a strange disease caused by genetics… just face it, they weren’t meant to live and burden the system for their artificially extended lives. Let them die so the rest may survive. Or better yet, screen pregnancies and terminate fetuses which are shown to exhibit signs of genetic damage or disease.
Taking this line of thought will save the economy and save America. Give help to those who really need it, don’t give help to all who want it. And don’t give help to those who weren’t meant to live a few days out of the womb. It’s nature’s way, and I would think a lot of you who think it’s a sin to commit suicide would appreciate that.
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, you may proceed, sir. He’s the only governor in the union who is taking the steps right now to do what is necessary.
73. Helen HIll | 05.30.09
I am one of those who voted “NO” on all the propositions. I just had a horrible time with the way the state budget IS NOT working. The politicians punted and I hold them all accountable.
Secondly, there is no more money to be gotten from taxpayers. I’ve been laid off, and found another job after two months, thankfully. I’m making about a third less than I did before because I took what I could get. I have friends and colleagues out of work, some losing their homes. It is a horrible situation.
And to ask for MORE taxes on top of being laid off and broke is just too unbelievable. The belts must be tightened across the board. I wish I had more money for all the good programs the state does actually do, but I don’t. So now you have to cut back, ask people to take less, or do layoffs. It’s not pretty.
There simply isn’t any more money. Sorry.
74. Seer | 05.30.09
It’s amazing to read the endless litany of people blaming someone else for the state’s problems. The blame rests right here, at the feet of California’s voters. Year after year, selfish politicians created new spending initiatives that would please their constituents and keep them in office. These same selfish politicians repeated voted against tax increases to pay for these programs. However WHO PUT THESE PEOPLE IN OFFICE AND KEPT THEM THERE? Us! The People! We thought we could get something for nothing, and the result, now is we get to see exactly what that something costs. It’s easy to blame illegal aliens who do all the work we don’t want to do, including putting food on our tables. Or perhaps blame the poor - they can’t respond to the blame either, they have no voice. But blame ourselves? No! Never! We’re ENTITLED to live like kings and have someone else pay for it. And now we have a state senate full of politicians who we’ve rewarded for 30 years for bribing us to keep them in office. You think they’re going to suddenly figure out how to pay for all the stuff they bought? Of course not! They don’t know how. We made sure of that.
No more. Kick the spend and no-tax right-wing “conservatives” out of office and put someone in that can manage the budget.
75. Jennifer | 05.30.09
I project the CALWORKS programs cut will cause a lost to california in the area of 5 billion spread out. Of the amount cut, Cali will lose 4 billion from the federal government, since 57% of the funding comes from Washington. People will not be able to pay landlords, not be able to get to work, lose there jobs due to lack of child care assistance, not frequent the markets and buy toilet paper, shampoo, etc because they won’t have the money. The shelters will be overloaded, people will be sleeping outside, babies will be abandoned, the idiots on this board will wonder what happened to all the remaining people who had jobs but lost them and went to collecting unemployment. The rich thrive off the backs of the poor, when I had a job I did that same thing.
CALWORKS DOESN’T FUND ILLEGALS, UNLESS ITS A STOLEN **VALID** SOCIAL BEING USED. I found out someone stole my son’s social and was receiving benefits for themselves, I had to wait 3 months to even get help for my son and report his identity stolen on top of that.
People on CALWORKS are required to have a social, and be lawful residents or citizens. How else can they look for work with EVERIFY being used by employers now. They are required to cooperate with child support, job search, and make a plan with their caseworker for self-sufficiency. If they don’t cooperate cash will be cut and food stamps is next on the chopping block. I wish that more people would educate themselves rather than thinking pre-TANF, WHICH REPLACED AFDCS. I was planning on getting my licensure in Nursing. I’ve completed one year, but haven’t been able to go back because of my inability to find stable work that doesn’t run out when the company starts going under. Plus my son has been in 4 schools in the passed year, we had to go where we could survive. its so simple to you guys, but I’m on the front lines and I want to get off the merry go of ****. I know I’m not lazy, but it frustrates me when others have no idea what this former foster care child has gone through. I don’t have family and my kids are what has kept me alive. I want to be the rich, unfortunately I didn’t grow up with a mom and dad that cared, although my dad is millionaire in Oregon with a 5 bedroom house and 3 cars. He had parents, but when it came to me he told me it isn’t his responsibility to help me go to school or learn how to drive. I did that on my own, and I paid his mortgage with my two jobs at 16. That’s why I was removed, I was working 60 hours a week and didn’t have time for school. When I got my check, mom and dad took it and threw me back out the door. I fought to be taken away till I won my right in court for emancipation. But I screwed up and now I should pay for it, I didn’t know how dearly. Now I want to keep my kids but not hurt them by living in the homeless shelters, what do I do now? Get a job when I’ve been looking and I haven’t been hired? Yes, I want a job, I’ve been looking for almost a year. Its funny usually when I look I get work, but even with references from the head of our legal department I’m still not there. Enough rambling, now I’m going to sit back and find out how many people post to me that I’d better off dead and bury my kids with me. Wish you could live in my shoes one day, it suxs not knowing what you’ll eat tomorrow.
CALWORKS INFO
76. reason | 05.30.09
I live in california and I love this. Yes these cuts are draconion but WE CAN’T AFFORD THESE PROGRAMS. Over 10 percent of californians are not working and many of the rest are part time.
The legislature spent us out of house and home. We have to do this. Tax increases would only have made our lives worse.
We will come out of this lean and mean and better off then ever before. Then we can decide what programs we can afford and bring them back slowly.
It’s too bad Obama and Congress didn’t do this also. Our kids will be deficit slaves because Obama and his cohorts have bankrupt America.
77. Mock | 05.30.09
We as US citizens need to get back to being the doers of deeds, we need to concentrate on doing great things as we once did. Our society is being dragged down by the weakest links. California has the highest per-capita tax rate yet the state is bankrupt so how do Democrats justify additional taxes on the wealthy? If it takes the tax output of my family to fund 2 families on welfare, and I have one chilled because I make that decision. Then the two welfare families each have 4 kids or more because they don’t make the decision to limit them selves to live within there means. At what point does the system become bottom heavy then where do you get your tax revenue to keep the system going.
78. Dr. Serizawa | 05.30.09
“as much as we would love to be doing new and different things in California, we simply don’t have the money”
Well, what can you expect when love of “things” and being “different” always took priority over common sense (at least until the well ran dry)?
This is beyond government ineptness– it is endemic to their culture. Simple concepts such as “budget” and “affordability” are beyond the grasp of the average citizen. I lived there for half a decade. The locals thought there was something wrong with me when I bought and paid for a relatively modest new car instead of leasing something much more expensive and “appropriate” like everyone else. The state has the highest percentage of vehicles purchased with home equity loans, for example! After all, it’s “free” money and anyway they’re entitled to drive to bankruptcy court in style in their hiz ‘n’ hers matching Mercedes (no McMansion is complete without a pair in the driveway).
With some notable exceptions, the typical Californian simply has no concept of living within their means, and it’s a lesson long overdue. So please offer them all your empathy, encouragement and insight– but under no circumstances offer them a bailout.
79. Paramus | 05.30.09
New Jersey is next …
Corzine spent 100 thousands of dollars to get elected and now we are the highest taxed state. Too many state workers. Very high paid teachers. Too many expensive pensions. And like California, too many illegals. You even pay a fine for moving out of NJ.
Let’s see what Schwarzenegger is going to do. Might be a glimpse of what will happen next in NJ.
80. Mark | 05.30.09
Good job Schwarzenegger! He should cut as much as he needs to balance the California budget. Otherwise, Ca will continue to be the worst run state in the nation.
81. Rich in Calif | 05.30.09
I live in California and love it. Prop 13 has allowed me to live in my home for the past 35 years. Without Prop 13 there were be a huge amount of homes on the market from people, like me, that could not afford to pay 10 times what we pay today in property taxes to live in the same home. The problem is NOT Prop 13, the problem is our legislators do not know, or care, about balancing a budget. 5% salary cuts are nothing when compared to the normal business environment. Cut their salary by 30% and then you might feel what people not in government feel. Better yet, cut 30% of our gov’t employees by cutting programs for illegals, don’t hand out money to people who could be working….make them work for it. Start running our state like a business and then the citizens will feel sorry for the state workers and will vote for some tax increases. Remember, the wealthy can vote with their feet.
83. Black Saint | 05.30.09
Meantime, with millions of Americans without jobs, the invasion continues, no Liberal Democrat will address the 500 pound gorilla in the room, and millions of invading, plundering, welfare loving, Illegal Aliens taking millions of jobs that should be American jobs and 100,s billions of dollars in social services that should be for American citizens!
One cannot be political correct and admit that Illegal Aliens are an large part of the problems in this Nation.
Their negative impact extends to every area from Sub-par loans & defaults, Underground economy, Massive document fraud, Lower standard of living, Crime, Overflowing prisons , Bankrupted hospitals, Failing schools, Property Taxes, Insurance costs, Environment, Culture, Welfare costs, Welfare fraud, SS fraud, Voter fraud, Disrespect for our laws & country, our Constitution against invasion and even Balance of payments occurring from oil and other imports to support the 20 to 30 million illegal aliens in this country!
One has to only look at Calif. which is basically mostly an Spanish speaking, Bankrupt state that cannot afford to provide Welfare, Schooling, Medical, Prison cells etc. for millions of MS-13 Gang bangers, Drug dealers, Rapist and other assorted Criminals and uneducated, fast breeding, third world rejects from Mexico!
In a very few years it will be impossible to see where Mexico ends and Calif. begins as both will be an third world cesspool!
Failure to secure our borders and reward the Invading horde for their invasion and their relatives in an never ending chain with American Citizenship is nothing less than committing National Suicide & will assure our future is an over populated Spanish speaking third world Nation that is an Cesspool of Corruption, Crime, Poverty and Misery modeled on Mexico!
84. Ken W | 05.30.09
Does anyone not really think that if you sent the goverment your whole paycheck in the form of taxes that they would find a way not only to spend it but leverage it by borrowing against it, as they have, and even spend more. They will have to find a way to live within their means like the rest of us. Of course if they won’t or can’t live within their means like many of us they could loose their house.
85. Lee | 05.30.09
Why is everybody freaking out? No money means less programs. State parks hardly represent esential services, so they should be on the choping block. As a California resident I struggle to understand this incessant complaining.
86. Jim Morrison | 05.31.09
funny how GM and California are in very similar states. both have huge built in costs due, that have accrued over previous years in which they both were in a much better economical/financial conditions. another analogy would be both Medicare & Social Security. promises made are now coming due, only there are less people paying into the programs, yet, the rates of pay still rise. in good times salaries are raised across the board, additional benefits are passed and in general these fixed costs all go up under inflation for one, and, up again for various other reasons. GM was a health care provider that sold cars to pay the premiums. now, many of those health care costs will be covered by the government, hence, the taxpayer. so ultimately the taxpayer pays for many of these legacy costs that the unions have spent decades bargaining for. when the free trade act was passed the idea was to raise the standards of living for many of those poorer countries, and in doing so, they would spend their newly acquired income on goods & services from the U.S. true, it has done that, but you also see that all across the older developed economies, jobs moved to cheaper sources and a “giant sucking sound was heard”.
the Steel, Textile, Automotive, and others began to collapse. do you see the pattern here. now it is spreading to States, Cities & the FED.
87. Lynn | 05.31.09
Why is it that when the economy is booming, those in the private sector making 2 to 3 times as much as any state worker ever will don’t complain about state worker wages? But as soon as we hit hard times, all the sudden state workers make too much money. CA state workers are already taking 2 furlough days a month, but apparently that isn’t good enough, now the governor wants to add a 5% pay cut (which is illegal by the way). The state workers knew that by working for the state, they’d never be rich, not like they could be in the private sector. But they chose it anyway, for the stability and benefits, that was their choice, and the private sector employees choose to work in the private sector. Putting state workers out of work is not the answer, that will just further hurt our economy. But those in private sector can’t seem to understand that, all they see is “I lost my job, you should too!” But remember you chose to work in real estate, or construction, or wheverever it is you do. I don’t see county or city employees being furloughed, why is that? California already has the lowest state employee ratio of all states but one. And I read a comment early, that said that state employees should “get a real job”, that is a very ignorant comment to make. State workers work very hard; I’m sure there are those few who don’t, just like in the private sector, but for the most part, state employees are dedicated workers who work very hard for their paychecks and in most if not all offices, on a very short-handed crew.
88. Tim | 05.31.09
most of the state employees still make 70% of their salary in pension, fire fighters get upto 90% as pension. No wonder our state is broke. Unions have negotiated the retirement age down to 50 in some jobs. I say dismantle the unions and hire the people on welfare and pay them the 80% of state employee salary.
89. FHZ | 05.31.09
I lived in Cal. most of my life and watched most of my friends, (that did not get the prop. 13 bennies due to being too young) have a lot of trouble even concidering buying a house. Lots had moved to other states and prospered. Others had gone through splits due to money issues. This goes back 20 + years and the sancuary position of the state has contributied to a good portion of this. This is not about giving the state away to others at the cost of the residents, but fairness to the ones that would like to stay there if possable and may have lived there all their life but cannot anymore due to the giveaway. California has always been a trend setter, lets hope this time it will trend the nation not to follow it into the ground. People of California, the other 49 states do not feel like bailing you out this time. Most of you have gone by your daily life as good people trusting you politicians which have slowly been doing this to you. There was a prop. (186 I think) years ago that was voted by popular demand that was overturned by a judge in Santa Ana that was a tipping point on myself packing up and moving on down the road. You taxpayers by popular count do not even have a say in your state. Cal. is a great state with a lot to offer, take it back.
90. Common Sense | 05.31.09
Demosthenes,
Glad to hear you are doing well after having your entire family living off of me. If you believe paying more taxes is patriotic, why don’t you try it? Working hard is patriotic (whether you are a government worker or are in the private sector). Using birth control when you cannot afford to have a family is patriotic. Aside from it being patriotic, you will find hard work is good for your character and soul. Trying to shame others into paying for your ride because theyve planned well and worked hard shows you might not be worthy of higher education….
91. billreed | 05.31.09
what do they need to manage a beach……….its a beach…its been there thousands of years without the gov….what a load of hooooy i was born and raised in calif…..sooooooo glad i left
92. Atish | 05.31.09
California’s largest corporations are still getting tax cuts even as the rest of the small and mid sized businesses are reeling.
The largest corporations like Cisco and wealthiest individuals pay little or no tax. They have tax sheltered investments.
To fix the budget, tax the wealthy individuals and corporations and give some relief to small and mid sized businesses who employ 2/3 of people in California.
93. MaryJ | 05.31.09
We Californians voted years ago to stop welfare payments to illegals; our vote was nullified by a liberal court judge acting in collusion with the Mexican government, Mexican-”American” ethnocentric organizations, and the ACLU. What can you do when your “government” doesn’t respect the democratic will of its people? Vote with your feet, which is what several million educated, native-born Californians have done since then. A declining tax base plus a rapidly increasing number of tax consumers imported from a foreign land, equals economic meltdown. It’s been coming for quite a while. Those of you who blame Prop. 13 or the 2/3rds ruel are missing the point. We already pay a huge amount of taxes for inferior public services. Tax-and-spend liberals: I’d be willing to listen to your case for a tax increase if you were willing to listen to me when I say I don’t want to support illegals anymore. As long as I’m expected to be a cash cow for an endless number of foreigners who have no respect for me, my culture or my language, forget it. I’m simply not paying. I am a native Californian with deep family ties in this state, but I’ll move on a dime if it gets much worse. And since my husband and I currently pay 20K in state income taxes and 8K in property taxes alone, California will miss me far more than I will miss it. You can’t kill the goose that laid the golden egg and then whine that there’s no more eggs.
94. walter francis | 05.31.09
Illegal immigrants have their role in what has transpired with california’s bugdet crisis but one must always remember to follow the money. who beneifited from their endless supply of labor. one solution would be to deport all illegals from American soil auction their homes to Americans at a lower rate to get them back into the state and use prison labor to work the feilds. The US constitution alows for slave labor for people in prison.
95. Ada | 05.31.09
I think that it’s really unfair how the goverment is going out on the less fortunat, first it’s ssi, then welfare, come on Governor, we are in a situation where alot of families are loosing their jobs and they don’t have anywhere to turn but welfare for a little help and then they find jobs, Where is the money that President Obama gave to each state? there are other ways to budget but i have seen that only the less fortunate are the ones who are paying for the mistake of bad budgeting. Why do people have to suffer because the Governor or the legislators can’t budget, then it’s time to bring in someone who can budget.
96. Hilary Smith | 05.31.09
Taking away public parks, the lands that we own in common, is going to destroy private property values. That, in turn, will further erode tax revenues. People won’t want to live here if there is no quality of life. Look at what we’re doing just to avoid taxing the wealthy and big business. We need to be asking more of the fortunate few.
97. MissM | 06.01.09
Do your homework before blaming mexican illegal aliens. Programs help many others than just mexicans. I know because I work for a High Tech company where an asian woman (she could afford to pay for feeding her parents) brought her parents every year for 6 months and somehow was able to get monthly government money for 6 months. The parents did this every year. It was like a governmnet paid vacation with your tax dollars. Think how many more people bring their parents to California to get a paid vacation.
I think the point I am trying to make is this: Think outside the box and expand your criticism beyond the mexican illegals. They are not the only illegals in California.
I really feel that funding for all types of people should be evaluated.
98. anymouse | 06.17.09
good close the parks, they are only used by illegals anyway. I have stopped going to the parks with massive groups of illegals setting up camp. The vans come in the morning and they start to build their temporary city, of BBQ grills, coolers of beer, and tents. None of the parks allow overnight camping so they do this everyday, just amazing.
99. Another blue state crashes and burns | 06.20.09
Liberals do this over and over again. Spend spend spend, then crash and burn, never learning a single lesson.
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1. Joe | 05.30.09
Time to make some choices..
Welfare for illegals?
OR
State parks for tax paying American citizens?
Have a fun summer Cali!