"Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger presented his $83 billion 2009-2010 budget last week. This budget is based on hope and hard choices.
The hope is for economic recovery and for nearly $7 billion in help from Washington. The hard choices are more cuts in government spending. Almost every part of government will experience additional cuts with the exception of higher education that receives a slight increase.
I agree with the Governor that the Legislature must act with great urgency to bring our current year budget into balance. Our budget problems are so severe that we cannot afford to wait to make the honest budget choices required to get our state’s finances back on track. Also, it is imprudent, at best, to believe that California will receive any meaningful support from Washington for legitimate federal expenses born by the state, such as those associated with the incarceration of criminal illegal aliens in our prisons. It’s critical that we get to work immediately to address $21 billion in deficits this year and next through a mixture of cuts, efficiencies and reforms. The long-term solution to this crisis is to remove governmental barriers to economic growth and make California job creation the state’s number one goal."
The hope is for economic recovery and for nearly $7 billion in help from Washington. The hard choices are more cuts in government spending. Almost every part of government will experience additional cuts with the exception of higher education that receives a slight increase.
I agree with the Governor that the Legislature must act with great urgency to bring our current year budget into balance. Our budget problems are so severe that we cannot afford to wait to make the honest budget choices required to get our state’s finances back on track. Also, it is imprudent, at best, to believe that California will receive any meaningful support from Washington for legitimate federal expenses born by the state, such as those associated with the incarceration of criminal illegal aliens in our prisons. It’s critical that we get to work immediately to address $21 billion in deficits this year and next through a mixture of cuts, efficiencies and reforms. The long-term solution to this crisis is to remove governmental barriers to economic growth and make California job creation the state’s number one goal."