[courtesy of California Progress Report]

• Health budget keep January proposed cuts, goes further in directly denying coverage
• Hundreds of thousands of the poorest working families would lose coverage

By Hanh Kim Quach
Health Care Policy Coordinator
Health Access California

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger released the revised version of his budget proposal today, which makes deeper cuts in health and human services programs in order to address the state’s shortfall, which has grown by nearly $3 billion since he first released the budget in January. Altogether, the $100 billion general fund budget is $17.2 billion short.

“The crisis is very real and it is very serious,’’ the governor said. His proposal would attempt to bring in $11.7 billion in new money ($3.5 billion from deficit bonds of years past), and another $5 billion by selling the lottery’s income to Wall Street. Schwarzenegger would cut an additional $12.5 billion from state programs, on top of the $1 billion that was cut earlier this year to help minimize the deficit.

[courtesy of California Progress Report]

By Hanh Kim Quach
Health Care Policy Coordinator
Health Access California

There's the steady drone of doom and gloom emanating from the Capitol, but Sacramento is collectively holding its breath, waiting for Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to release his updated budget proposal today in what's known in Capitol parlance as the "May Revise."

This second version of the budget comes out a month after tax day, when the state has a better idea what kind of income it has to work with the following year ....and by all accounts, it has not been pretty. Estimates of the deficit -- which started at $14.5 billion in January -- are more like $16 billion to $20 billion now.

While the entire state budget is $140 billion -- the general fund, where we have the shortfall -- is $100 billion. That means the deficit is nearly one-fifth of our budget.

Accompanying the bad figures are equally as bad rumors: Cuts, cuts and more cuts. On the flip side, precious little in new income for the state.

For most of this decade, we have grappled with multibillion dollar deficits larger than the entire budgets of many of the states in the US. And what have we done? We've borrowed and cut.

[courtesy of California Progress Report]

California already spends less in Medicaid than all states except Louisiana and Georgia

By Frank D. Russo

This is not something that makes one’s breast swell with pride about the state of California in the 21st Century. Governor Schwarzenegger has rolled out the “Year of Education” and proposes to cut needed spending, so our educational system will only worsen and the future for our kids will be dimmer. You’ve read about this here and in all newspapers in the state--the resulting pink slips to cherished teachers, stories about other states recruiting those who will not have jobs with these cuts, and the outpouring of parents, kids, teachers, and busineses who need a trained workforce who have been appearing in their local communities where the cuts are felt.

But still within memory of last year’s blockbuster “Year of Health Care” directed and produced by our Governor, his budget would increase the numbers of uninsured in our state--including children--cut hospitals and access to medical care for millions of Californians, and end up costing us more in the loss of Federal dollars than it “saves us.” You’ll be reading more about this as the budget moves forward.

[courtesy of California Progress Report]

• Governor revisits health budget cuts previously rejected as too severe
• Cuts include major provider rate cuts; benefit cuts, including dental
• Health reform proceeds, offers argument against cuts, for revenues

By Anthony Wright
Executive Director of Health Access California

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger returned to his pre-post-partisan days Thursday, unveiling an austere 2008-09 budget that attempts to address a $14.5 billion deficit, and calling a fiscal emergency.

THE BUDGET IN BROAD STROKES

Next year’s $141 billion budget would close parks, cut education funding, and cancel advance payments of budget borrowing from previous years. The budget reduces most state departments and programs by 10 percent, across-the-board.

“Now, some might say that it sounds easy to just cut across the board by 10%, but let me tell you… I can see every single person hurt by those cuts, and I understand how difficult they will be for many, many people,’’ Schwarzenegger said.

by jsw [courtesy of Calitics - Front Page]

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[courtesy of California Progress Report]

By Anthony Wright
Executive Director of Health Access California