The Assembly Democratic Perspective on the May Revise and California’s Budget Crisis

[courtesy of California Progress Report]

In the Democratic weekly radio address, Assemblymember John Laird argues that the Governor’s budget proposal unfairly hurts struggling Californians.

You may listen in English or Spanish. The transcript is below.

Hello, this is Assembly Budget Chair John Laird.

Earlier this week, we saw the governor present his updated budget proposal for next year.

The governor’s proposals are not the right answer for California and are not a real fix. They’re bad for our economy, lay off teachers and are based on risky assumptions.

However, I am glad the Governor recognizes that we need to bring in more revenue -- that the budget deficit cannot be solved through cuts alone.

But there are cuts in this budget proposal that unfairly hurt struggling California families.

Also, the current budget does not address long-term solutions and I think it’s important to do that. So, I applaud the governor for embracing the proposal for a tax commission that will study ways to bring our state’s revenue collection into the 21st century.

But while we crunch the numbers and twist some arms, it’s important for every Californian to know that each of you has a say in the process.

The past few months have seen communities throughout our state make their voices heard.

From showing up to packed PTA meetings to attending demonstrations in Sacramento, Californians are making sure their concerns regarding education, health, and public transit are taken seriously by their state government.

It was obvious then and now that reducing access to low-cost healthcare and quality education is not what Californians need or want.

So, we look forward to working with our Republican counterparts to find funding solutions for our schools, healthcare and other important services while also closing our budget gap.

The citizen participation Californians have engaged in around the state has provided inspiration to us in Sacramento.

But with his revised budget, the governor ignores what the people are saying. Californians recognize there is no substitute for hard decisions.

The governor’s budget targets kids at school, and then again at home in the form of his very deep cuts to health and human services.

And at a time of increased transit ridership, the governor proposes to pull nearly all transit funding out the budget. He also proposes to take the annual federal increase in social security payments and divert the money away from seniors and into the state budget for other purposes.