California Budget Crisis-Today
I just returned fro a Town Hall with Senator Darrell Steinberg held about the state budget crisis at the Belle Cooledge library in Sacramento. As you know, Senator Steinberg in the Senate Pro Tem ( Democratic Leader) of the Senate, thus he has one of the major inputs on the budget.
Senator Steinberg started with a general view of the budget and the political situation of the coming votes. Essentially Governor Brown and the Democrats are proposing 12.5 Billion in budget cuts and proposing passing a special initiative to extend the current ( temporary ) tax increases for 5 more years to recover 12.5 billion in revenue.
The room was packed to overflow with persons some of whom agreed with the Senators argument that these cuts were necessary and others who disagreed and argued that these cuts were destructive to life and opportunity. Advocates for the disabled, for child care workers, teachers, and others made their case.
California can continue the current process of cuts and reductions. The fiscal