California schools have "lost their way," U.S. ed chief says

[Danno 1,228]

Wasn't this kind of predictable though - noone wants to raise taxes to meet the budget shortfall, so the obvious thing that would happen is that budgets are slashed. Education being one of the first targets (it always is).

Too many people want to have their cake and eat it, while burying their head in the sand about the reality of things and the hard choices that need to be made.

But really, when you cut items from a budget that will have to be reinstated .... and avoid any real cuts in the fat, are you really cutting the budget or is it just a temp trim?

I would bet you anything if you sent out a long list of possible govt programs and positions that could be cut...... and people could check them off like a menu at a Chinese take-out place.....

we would have serious cuts.

example?

In my city we have a Bike-Tzar (yes for bicycling) this position paid over $80,000 (like 5 years ago) it's could be $100,000 by now.

Would people cut 2 teachers or the Bike-Tzar?

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

Wasn't this kind of predictable though - noone wants to raise taxes to meet the budget shortfall, so the obvious thing that would happen is that budgets are slashed. Education being one of the first targets (it always is).

Too many people want to have their cake and eat it, while burying their head in the sand about the reality of things and the hard choices that need to be made.

But really, when you cut items from a budget that will have to be reinstated .... and avoid any real cuts in the fat, are you really cutting the budget or is it just a temp trim?

I would bet you anything if you sent out a long list of possible govt programs and positions that could be cut...... and people could check them off like a menu at a Chinese take-out place.....

we would have serious cuts.

example?

In my city we have a Bike-Tzar (yes for bicycling) this position paid over $80,000 (like 5 years ago) it's could be $100,000 by now.

Would people cut 2 teachers or the Bike-Tzar?

CA has already laid of a staggering number of government workers, and put almost everyone else on reduced hours.

From what I understand programs would have to be cut anyway - but the impact would be lessened by increased taxes. Without that extra money - wholesale slashing of budgets ensues with the result that the people who didn't want to pay the extra taxes end up paying anyway - in other ways.

Arnie gets a lot of flak for taking draconian measures like this - but if noone in the State government is prepared to compromise on the tax issue, there's aren't really a whole lot of choices.

This is the current state of things - one of the largest sources of income is going to come from cutting education (that amounts to 1/3 of the money needed to cut the budget shortfall over 18 months).

Breakdown of Budget Deficit Jan 2009 - Jun 2011

The fiscal year of 2009 commenced a period in which the California budget crisis is scheduled to commence. Until the time of July 2011, California is to experience a $40 billion budget deficit as announced by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. In order to close this budget deficit over the next 18 months, Governor Schwarzenegger first plans to obtain $14.8 billion in state revenue:

$9.5 billion by raising the sales tax by 1.5 cents on the dollar for three years

$1.4 billion by imposing sales taxes on some services and activities that currently aren't taxed such as golf fees, amusement parks, sporting events, veterinary treatment and vehicle repair

$1.4 billion by reducing the income tax credit for dependents to the level of personal credits in 2009 tax year - from $309 per dependent to $99

$1.2 billion by imposing a 9.9 percent per barrel tax on oil extracted from California

$829 million by raising the excise tax on alcohol by 5 cents a drink

$451 million by raising annual vehicle registration fees by $12 per vehicle

$38.5 million by eliminating property tax deferral for eligible elderly, blind or disabled homeowners

Governor Schwarzenegger next plans to borrow money in the amount of $10.3 billion:

$4.7 billion from selling revenue anticipation warrants in July 2009

$5 billion from investors against future lottery earnings

$594.2 million mostly by borrowing from special funds and shifiting tribal gambling revenues to general purposes contingent on receiving federal funds for transpotation and safety programs

The last $16.5 billion is to be derived from spending cuts:

$5.2 billion cut to K-12 education and community colleges

$1.7 billion by furloughing state employees 2 days a month until June 30, 2010

$1.4 billion by reducing monthly grants to federal minimum for low-income aged, blind and disabled on Supplemental Security Income / State Supplemental Program and eliminating payments to recent immigrants

$1.1 billion from CalWORKS welfare programs

$788 million to the Department of Corrections and Rehibilitation by eliminating parole supervisions for all but those who have committed serious, violent or sexual crimes and reducing the medical budget by 10%

$742 million to Medi-Cal by eliminating certain treatments

$692 million by cutting UC and CSU budgets by 10%

$459 million by eliminating general purpose grants to local transit agencies

$473 million by reducing state payments for In-Home Supportive Services health workers

$422.8 million to the Department of Developmental Services

$275 million by eliminating the state First Five Commission

$226 million by diverting money set aside in Prop 63 for mental health services

$163.4 million by continuing through June 2010 "one-time" cuts in current budgets for state couts

$150 million by eliminting or consolidating varitey of state entities including Integrated Waste Management Board and the California Conservation Corps

$87 million by making various changes to the Cal Grant program including elimination of new grants awarded on the basis of competition

$43.2 million by cutting Legislature's budget 10% and eliminating cost-of-living increase

$37.8 million by eliminating food stamps for legal immigrants not eligible for federal assistance