[courtesy of California Progress Report]

With canes, wheelchairs and walkers, they participate in Danville’s Independence Day Parade and educate voters about proposed state cuts that would take away their independence

By Jessica Rothhaar
Northern California Organizer
Health Access California

With flags fluttering from theirs walkers and wheelchairs, carrying signs saying “We Love Our Independence, Too” and “We Are Your Sons and Daughters,” dozens of Contra Costa area residents with disabilities asked parade-goers to support funding for critical programs that enable them to live independently. Four days into the new fiscal year and with no budget resolution in sight, the advocates participating in today’s parade asked voters to call on Assemblymember Guy Houston (R-San Ramon) to work with his legislative colleagues from both sides of the aisle to find a resolution that will protect the state’s most vulnerable.

Disability advocates said today that the budget proposal put forward in May by Governor Schwarzenegger is unacceptable, saying it amounts to stripping seniors of the right to live independently and with dignity. In Contra Costa County, the Governor’s proposal would mean:

by Brian Leubitz [courtesy of Calitics - Front Page]

[courtesy of The California Majority Report]

As legislators consider proposals in conference committee to reduce the amount of budget cuts to schools from the Governor’s proposed $4.3 billion in cuts, this week’s Field Poll showed that 80 percent of Californians oppose ALL cuts to schools --confirming what parents, teachers and other educators have been saying all along -- "no cuts to schools and students."
 
The Field Poll showed that education ranked at the top of the thirteen major categories voters would most like to protect from cuts.
 
California already has some of the most overcrowded classrooms and the greatest shortages of librarians, counselors and other critical support staff in the nation. According to Education Week, California already ranks 46th out of 50 states in per-pupil funding. The Governor’s budget proposal keeps California at the bottom of those rankings.
 
The Governor’s May Revision budget fails to include a cost-of-living adjustment for schools and all education programs, despite the steadily increasing operating costs for local districts. It also severely underfunds critical programs like class size reduction, and shows that schools and students are once again being asked to do more with less.
 

[courtesy of California Progress Report]

By Marty Hittelman
President
California Federation of Teachers

The governor’s proposed budget for schools and other vital public services will impede efforts to provide high-quality education. Our schools rank dead last in the nation for the number of teachers per student, as well as in the number of librarians, counselors and critical support staff, while having some of the largest class sizes in the nation. California is 46th in the nation in per-pupil spending.

The governor’s budget proposal keeps our schools and students at the bottom of those rankings, despite recent studies that show California needs to spend 40 percent more to ensure that all students meet the state’s rigorous standards.

The governor’s budget revision tries to protect education, but lacks the funding to do it. Continuing to balance this budget with a cuts-only approach hurts children, schools and the economic future of California. The final budget agreement must be built squarely on new progressive tax revenues to protect education funding.

[courtesy of California Progress Report]

By Elizabeth Goldstein
President
California State Parks Foundation

While we were thrilled to see that Governor Schwarzenegger removed 48 state parks from closure in his May Revise, we have concerns with his short-term solution, since it is possible and perhaps highly likely, that we will be facing significant revenue short falls next year, as well. This short-term solution would do nothing to permanently keep state parks off the chopping block during future budget cuts. We need a long-term solution that will provide the necessary means to keep California’s state parks open and preserved for future generations.

That long-term solution was introduced earlier this week when Assembly member John Laird announced the California State Park Access Pass program as part of the Assembly’s budget proposal. The California State Parks Foundation strongly supports this proposal to get us to that much-needed long-term solution.

[courtesy of The California Majority Report]

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger's May budget proposal has been universally panned by editorial boards up and down the state. But the Governor is still trying to put lipstick on this pig, judging by his comments at the Sacramento Host Breakfast yesterday.

According to the Associated Press, "Schwarzenegger said his $144.3 billion budget is a moderate plan that could be supported by legislators of both political parties.

'Deep down inside, the legislators know that this is the way to go because the Democrats want to raise taxes, the Republicans want to make all cuts. I think that we have to meet somewhere in the middle. That's exactly what our budget does. It's using revenues and using cuts in order to solve the problem.'"

Actually, Governor, Democrats don't want to raise taxes. Democrats do believe, however, they have to be part of a balanced solution. You know, the kind of solution that Gov. Pete Wilson (a Republican who actually had the guts to be straight with Californians about taxes) proposed the last time we had a budget headache like this one.

There's more...

[courtesy of California Progress Report]

In the Democratic weekly radio address, Assemblymember John Laird argues that the Governor’s budget proposal unfairly hurts struggling Californians.

You may listen in English or Spanish. The transcript is below.

Hello, this is Assembly Budget Chair John Laird.

Earlier this week, we saw the governor present his updated budget proposal for next year.

The governor’s proposals are not the right answer for California and are not a real fix. They’re bad for our economy, lay off teachers and are based on risky assumptions.

However, I am glad the Governor recognizes that we need to bring in more revenue -- that the budget deficit cannot be solved through cuts alone.

But there are cuts in this budget proposal that unfairly hurt struggling California families.

Also, the current budget does not address long-term solutions and I think it’s important to do that. So, I applaud the governor for embracing the proposal for a tax commission that will study ways to bring our state’s revenue collection into the 21st century.