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| The Governator Wins NoTax Increase / No Deficit Budget |
| 2005-07-08 |
| Willie Brown has met his match and gone down in flames. With uncharacteristic dispatch, the state Legislature approved California's $117.5 billion budget on Thursday, sending Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger the same agreement he struck earlier this week with legislative leaders. The vote was 64-13 in the Assembly and 34-4 in the Senate, a show of support far greater than the two-thirds vote required for passage in both houses. The governor is expected to sign the spending plan early next week. It would mark the earliest date California has approved a budget in five years. The compromise spending plan _ negotiated by Schwarzenegger and leaders from both parties over the Fourth of July weekend _ achieves the governor's goals of avoiding tax increases and deficit spending for the fiscal year that began Friday. "The leadership came through and delivered what they had discussed with the governor in the Big Five," Schwarzenegger spokeswoman Margita Thompson said, referring to meetings between the governor and the four leaders of the Assembly and Senate. The budget provides $3 billion more for schools and brings total education spending, including higher education, to $61 billion, a record for the state. An unexpected infusion of about $4 billion from the improving state economy also allowed the state to spend $1.3 billion on road and transportation projects, return $1.2 billion to city and county governments and pay down some of its debt. The budget also reduces the expected state deficit in the 2006-07 fiscal year from $15 billion to $4.7 billion. "This is a very good first step," said Republican Kevin McCarthy, the Assembly's minority leader. "This is the right step, the right direction, but let's keep the movement going forward." Economists and fiscal analysts warn that future shortfalls are likely to continue until a long-term fix is found. The state's persistent fiscal imbalance is a result of generous spending by lawmakers in recent years and complex funding formulas that lock in spending increases each year. The absence of a prolonged budget battle this year frees Schwarzenegger and Democratic leaders to focus on compromises to initiatives on a November special election ballot. The GOP governor is seeking through initiatives to cap state spending, change how legislative districts are drawn and extend the time it takes teachers to get tenure from two years to five. Schwarzenegger and the majority Democrats have been mindful of growing voter disenchantment with their job performance, pushing both sides to show they can work together. It's AP, so the closer was pre-fated to be a swipe. |
| Posted by:.com |
| #9 It'll all disappear with no truely measureable results to show to justify the expenditure. Not to worry. At the very least, what we'll get for our money will be half-educated kids of illegal immigrants. This is on top of the half-educated kids of Americans and legal residents... |
| Posted by: Bomb-a-rama 2005-07-08 17:41 |
| #8 Little known secret. When those international test that compare high schools students are administered, the US gives them to a sample of _all_ high school kids. When Europe, Japan, et al give the test, they only give them to their college prep kids -- what they would call in Germany a Gymnasium or in France a Lycee. Remember that in countries outside the US, most kids don't get to go to a regular high school. At 13 or 14 you take a test and most kids end up in a "vocational" school with no shot at college at all. It's part of the whole culture of "bureaucratic failure" we have here in the US. No one gets funded by succeeding. So you jiggle the figures to prove that the US has the dumbest kids in the world, or that we have the highest rate of infant mortality in the developed world (hint: we count much younger premies than anyone else), whine to city hall, the state house and Congress, and the money flows in. |
| Posted by: 11A5S 2005-07-08 17:28 |
| #7 7% for Edumacation, yes, that is good. And 7% for you regular UN Dues. And 7% to the UN for African Aid, um, thingys. And 7% for General Aid thingys. And 7% for Emergency Aid thingys. And 7% for the UN's Peacekeeping thingys. And 7% for the new digs that are so urgently required. And 7% for Kyoto thingys (pre-real-world math, that is). And 7% reparations for Afghanistan and Iraq cuz you did so many terrible things to the infrastructure there. Send the Armored Cars, a lump sum each month would be fine, in unmarked bills, to me directly, please. I will be keeping the books on this one. Sevan is unavailable. Thank you for giving your Fair Share. |
| Posted by: .Jan 7% Egeland 2005-07-08 14:41 |
| #6 I blame the poor quality of students these days. |
| Posted by: Shipman 2005-07-08 14:32 |
| #5 The US spends (per NationMaster) 7.0% of its GDP in education (all levels), while government spending is 4.7% of GDP. That is the highest of all industrialized countries. It isn't the amount, but the poor return on investment of tax funded K-12 education that is controversial. 1.United States 7.0% of GDP 2.Denmark 6.7% of GDP 3.Sweden 6.5% of GDP 4.Canada 6.4% of GDP 5.France 6.1% of GDP 6.Australia 6.0% of GDP 7.Norway 5.9% of GDP 8.New Zealand 5.8% of GDP 9.Switzerland 5.7% of GDP 10.Austria 5.7% of GDP |
| Posted by: ed 2005-07-08 14:28 |
| #4 Would feel better about the $61B if more California high school graduates could read and write English OR balance a checkbook. |
| Posted by: Random thoughts 2005-07-08 14:16 |
| #3 mmurray__ I read someplace that if California were a separate country, it would rank in the top 10 in terms of the GNP. |
| Posted by: Hupolutch Whereger2897 2005-07-08 14:10 |
| #2 ...total education spending, including higher education, to $61 billion... $61 billion!?!? Holy Freaken' Moley! That is 13.5% of the TOTAL DOD budget for 2005! |
| Posted by: mmurray821 2005-07-08 09:27 |
| #1 The budget provides $3 billion more for schools and brings total education spending, including higher education, to $61 billion, a record for the state. This is just like sending more money to Africa. It'll all disappear with no truely measureable results to show to justify the expenditure. |
| Posted by: Chavish Grilet6152 2005-07-08 09:00 |