"President Obama's latest speech on the economy and the White House's recent job summit highlight the fragility of the economy. Meanwhile, in California crippling budget cuts and a structural budget deficit have sapped the ability of the state to advance the general welfare of its citizens. Indeed, California is forecast to lag the rest of the nation in economic recovery. That is why Sacramento must take seriously a recent report by the Los Angeles Times that found evidence of billions of dollars of waste associated with the state's use of private contractors."