by David Dayen [courtesy of Calitics - Front Page]

by Brian Leubitz [courtesy of Calitics - Front Page]

[courtesy of The California Majority Report]

Following the Governor’s release of his proposed 2008-09 budget Speaker Fabian Núñez responded by saying the Governor’s "spending cuts only" approach will not solve the state’s fiscal problems and will hurt Californians. As we learn in this Assembly Web Report, the Speaker went on to say, "It’s time for creative thinking and courageous action. This budget isn’t particularly creative or courageous. But if we have the will, and we stand up for California values then the ultimate budget solutions we come up with can be."

by Brian Leubitz [courtesy of Calitics - Front Page]

[courtesy of California Progress Report]

By Anthony Wright
Executive Director of Health Access California

Former Governor Pete Wilson gave the Governor's radio address over the weekend, and hinted at what the Governor Schwarzenegger might be thinking, as we head into the week where the budget will be announced.

Josiah Greene at the California Majority Report is right to sound the alarm. Wilson invokes his attempt at Proposition 165, to give him as Governor more budget-cutting authority. It also raises the specter of Schwarzenegger coming back with something similar to Prop 76, which would have allowed the Governor to make unilateral budget cuts in certain emergencies. Both measures failed at the ballot box, and for good reason.

Whether the cuts are "unilateral" or "automatic" doesn't make them better, it makes them worse.

• It means that cuts are made without proper consideration of what is penny-wise and pound-foolish;

• It means that cuts are prioritized over other budget solutions, including raising revenues, and yes, taxes.

• It means that legislators escape accountability to make the tough choices, whether cuts or revenues.

[courtesy of The California Majority Report]

If you listened to Republican legislators, even those who know better like Assembly Budget Committee Vice Chair Roger Niello, or columnists like Dan Weintraub of the Bee, their tired budget mantra is that the current budget problem has to do with too much spending. They typically point to spending increases in recent years as evidence.
 
But like so much of California's budget, it’s a little more complicated than the simplistic glance that the right wing and quickie posts like to spend at addressing the real problems facing California.
 
Some have taken a quick look at General Fund spending totals over the past for years and come to the shortsighted conclusion that Government has grown by over $25 billion, or over 35 percent. But this does not come close to being an accurate measurement of spending growth or the growth of Government.
 
A more accurate description of spending levels the last for years is the analogy of a balloon that was squeezed at one end which forces an expansion at the other end. In the end, actual state spending has grown less than the growth of population and inflation over the past four years.
 
Here are some details: