In what's become a depressingly familiar story over the last 2 years, California faces another big budget deficit:
Less than four months after California leaders stitched together a patchwork budget, a projected deficit of nearly $21 billion already looms, according to a report to be released Wednesday by the state's chief budget analyst.
The new figure -- the nonpartisan analyst's first projection for the coming budget year -- threatens to send Sacramento back into budgetary gridlock and force more across-the-board cuts in state programs.
As the article points out, the deficit for 2009-10 (current fiscal year) is $6.3 billion, and the projected deficit for 2010-11 is $14.4 billion. Arnold is already talking about closing it with cuts:
"I think that there will be across-the-board cuts again," he said at a San Jose news conference....
"I can't think of any good solutions," said Assemblywoman Noreen Evans (D-Santa Rosa), who chairs the budget committee. Although the projected deficit would be smaller than the last one, she said, "the cuts are going to be harder to make because we've already made such substantial cuts."
Notice the difference between the two statements. Arnold is saying "there will be cuts again." Simple, declarative. Noreen Evans is saying "the cuts are going to be harder" but the subtext is "they'll happen anyway." Not a strong or clear statement at all.
Instead, what is needed is a very clear and simple statement from Sacramento Democrats: no cuts. CDP Chair John Burton got a loud ovation at the E-Board meeting this weekend in San Diego when he said we've had enough cuts to core services. The activist base, crucial to Democratic turnout hopes in 2010 (Dems lost 9 Assembly seats in 1994, giving Republicans a brief 1 seat majority for the first time in over 20 years), clearly hungers for a strong "no cuts" stance from their Democratic leaders if they're going to be motivated to go out and win the seats Dems need to get to 2/3rds.
Further budget cuts will only worsen the state's economy, at a time when we're at a fragile stasis - not getting worse, not getting better. We might be seeing genuine recovery had it not been for the billions of cuts made since the summer of 2007. Instead, California is poised to collapse by embracing these cuts.
Of course, Democratic refusal to cut won't solve the problem alone. California desperately needs a second stimulus. Talk of a new jobs bill has ramped up in recent days, and much of the talk includes aid to state and local budgets, as a way to protect and directly create jobs. Typically, Rahm Emanuel and the White House are still recklessly talking about deficit reduction, and ominous rumors of 10% across the board federal spending cuts have surfaced in recent days.
The path for Democrats - in California and in DC - is clear. Say no to budget cuts, and yes to new spending in order to create jobs. |
