ARTICLE
It would be difficult to determine the single most troubling aspect of the State’s budget boondoggle – there is so much to choose from. It is clear that we’ve not passed whatever the political threshold is necessary to begin serious problem solving. Dick Wilson, the recently retired Santa Cruz City Manager told a Chamber Membership Luncheon crowd last year that to the extent there was hope it lay in local government. It seems likely that Governor Brown was also headed that way too, but wanted to do it in a way that gave public employee’s unions some cover in the form of “new” revenues (through the dissolution of Redevelopment Agencies) to help in the union’s negotiations with the cities and counties. Would Republicans have really agreed to a continuation of taxes if Brown had let go of the protection of these unions? The processes seems so fluid that all things seem possible… or, at least, equally improbable. What is clear is that the State is in a bad way. For at least two years economists have been in agreement that the California economy was headed for recovery with one very significant caveat, the state must solve its financial problems. None of these prognostications seem to depend on a particular outcome. In what proportions raise taxes and lower expenditures occurs seems to make little difference. It is, rather the uncertainty and the inability of both the public and private sectors to make meaningful plans that is the real drag. That is not to say that what is funded and what is taxed make no difference. For instance the draconian cuts to higher education proposed by Brown’s budget will have very serious repercussions in Santa Cruz. And the dissolution of redevelopment agencies will, we believe, diminish the longer-term prospects of our county. What is to be done? The Chamber recommends reviewing the proposals of California Forward. Founded by Leon Panette and more than two dozen other state leaders, CAForward continues to work as a bi-partisan effort to influence the constitutional structures and electoral sensibilities that continue to defeat the best efforts of our elected representatives to solve the State’s financial problems. To CAForward’s new website go to http://www.cafwd.org/explore. We encourage you to following their efforts and lend your support where you agree.
It would be difficult to determine the single most troubling aspect of the State’s budget boondoggle – there is so much to choose from. It is clear that we’ve not passed whatever the political threshold is necessary to begin serious problem solving.
Dick Wilson, the recently retired Santa Cruz City Manager told a Chamber Membership Luncheon crowd last year that to the extent there was hope it lay in local government.
It seems likely that Governor Brown was also headed that way too, but wanted to do it in a way that gave public employee’s unions some cover in the form of “new” revenues (through the dissolution of Redevelopment Agencies) to help in the union’s negotiations with the cities and counties. Would Republicans have really agreed to a continuation of taxes if Brown had let go of the protection of these unions? The processes seems so fluid that all things seem possible… or, at least, equally improbable.
What is clear is that the State is in a bad way. For at least two years economists have been in agreement that the California economy was headed for recovery with one very significant caveat, the state must solve its financial problems. None of these prognostications seem to depend on a particular outcome. In what proportions raise taxes and lower expenditures occurs seems to make little difference.
It is, rather the uncertainty and the inability of both the public and private sectors to make meaningful plans that is the real drag. That is not to say that what is funded and what is taxed make no difference. For instance the draconian cuts to higher education proposed by Brown’s budget will have very serious repercussions in Santa Cruz. And the dissolution of redevelopment agencies will, we believe, diminish the longer-term prospects of our county.
What is to be done? The Chamber recommends reviewing the proposals of California Forward. Founded by Leon Panette and more than two dozen other state leaders, CAForward continues to work as a bi-partisan effort to influence the constitutional structures and electoral sensibilities that continue to defeat the best efforts of our elected representatives to solve the State’s financial problems. To CAForward’s new website go to http://www.cafwd.org/explore. We encourage you to following their efforts and lend your support where you agree.