Democrats Never Learn

For a good summary of what happened during this latest round of budget negotiations in California, what happened in the past, and what needs to happen in the future, click here now.

What Kind of California Do You Want to Live in?

New Budget Deal Bad for Schools, Working Families, Local Governments

Schwarzenegger all smiles with State Senate President Pro Tem Steinberg (D-Sacramento) & State Assembly Speaker Bass (D-Los Angeles)California's legislative leaders have reached a tentative agreement with Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger on a budget deal to close the state's $26 billion budget deficit with massive cuts to schools and social programs, while refusing to raise taxes on oil companies.

The so-called "Big 5"—Democratic and Republican leaders in the Assembly and Senate plus the governor—agreed to nearly $16 billion in devastasting cuts to schools, California's welfare to work program, community colleges and universities as well as public health and the state's In Home Supportive Services (IHSS) program.

Additionally, the state will take several billion dollars of property tax revenue from cash-strapped cities and counties, which will most certainly mean more devastating cuts by local governments.

Massive cutbacks in safety net, income assistance, and public health programs only deepen the economic hardship faced by California's low- and moderate income working families. Many families will no longer be eligible for some essential programs such as Healthy Families, California's health insurance program for children in working families.

State workers face more cuts to their paychecks as the Big 5 agreed to three unpaid days per month. Curiously, istead of taxing oil companies, legislative leaders overturned a 40-year ban to allow more drilling off Santa Barbara's coast.

The California legislature could vote to approve the budget deal as early as Thursday this week. California law requires a two-thirds vote in both houses to approve the budget plan.

This means that there is still time to oppose this plan, as Bass and Steinberg have yet to secure enough votes in both houses of the legislature to adopt the deal.

For more information or to contact your state legislator, call us at 1-866-336-9333.

Update on Wednesday, July 22, 2009 at 4:37PM by Admin

The Los Angeles Times has provided a good summary of the latest budget proposal. Click here and here and here to read. 

Meanwhile, those who prefer to listen to their news can hear very good and informed discussions about the seminal details of the current budget plan by clicking here and here.

Schwarzenegger Declares Fiscal Emergency to Force More Cuts

After rejecting Democratic proposals to help close California's $24 billion budget deficit through new taxes on oil companies and cigarettes and alcoholic beverages that are supported by a majority of California voters, Arnold Schwarzenegger has declared a state of fiscal emergency in California in order to be able to impose the types of budget cuts that he previously sought in May.

Under Schwarzenegger's state of fiscal emergency, the state legislature has 45 days to devise another budget plan to close the state's more than $24 billion deficit.

After 45 days, legislators cannot adjourn or act on other bills until they solve the crisis.

Meanwhile, Schwarzenegger has ordered the closure of state offices three days a month along with the associated furlough of 235,000 state employees on those days.

Because the furloughs are unpaid, state workers will effectively be taking a 14 percent pay cut.

The fact that Republicans can block any budget plan advanced by the Democratic majority means that this fiscal emergency will likely be used by Schwarzenegger and the Republicans to extract those deep budget cuts previously rejected by Democrats without the prospect of new revenues.

These cuts include the virtual elimination of social, health, and educational programs that serve the state’s residents such as CalWORKS, Healthy Families, and In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS).

Click to read more ...

Schwarzenegger Threatens to Shut Down the State

Democrats in the California state assembly employed a series of legal maneuvers to push through a proposal to balance the state's $24 billion budget deficit without any Republican votes over the weekend.

The plan, which includes $11 billion worth of cuts and $10 billion worth of accounting maneuvers, is now in the state senate.

California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has threatened to veto the plan on principle, should it reach his desk, because it contains $2 billion worth of revenue solutions consisting of an oil severance tax and a tax on cigarettes, measures that Schwarzenegger himself had previously proposed.

If Schwarzenegger believes that it is possible to balance the state budget without these revenue solutions, as paltry as they are, then he just doesn't understand economics.

Should he actually follow through on his threat to veto the Democratic plan, blame for shutting down the state would rest squarely on his shoulders.

While Schwarzenegger has been prone to using threats, coercion, and other ham-fisted approaches to realize the vision of a state with no capacity to provide social or educational services to the citizens of California, it is unclear whether he actually has the courage to take the blame for shutting down the state.

With California just a few days away from having to issue IOUs to pay its bills, the only way to win this game of budget chicken and avert the prospect of California taking its place among the Third World, an outcome that corporatists like Schwarzenegger and the Republicans have been planning for decades, is for Democrats to concede nothing and place a budget on Schwarzenegger's desk that includes new revenues.

This will put Schwarzenegger into a position where he will either have to make good on his threats or look like a complete hypocrite. If past performance is any indication, he will find an excuse to sign it.

Republicans Reject Democrats' Budget Fix

The budget plan proposed by our allies in the state assembly and senate has failed to garner the two-thirds majority vote needed to pass the legislature.

All the Republicans in both chambers voted NO on the budget plan advanced by Democrats this past Wednesday, June 24.

Now, Arnold Schwarzenegger is proposing to cut child welfare and foster care services and end state contributions to state employee health plans.

This is on top of the devastating cuts he previously proposed including the elimination of CalWorks and Healthy Families.

Time is running out, and providers—especially those living in Republican districts—need to urge their legislators to support a budget proposal that invests in our future.

Please call and write your legislators:

• Tell them that you are a registered voter and don't want to see the budget balanced on the backs of our children and seniors.

• Tell them to end the $2.5 billion worth of wasteful tax breaks that have been given to big business.

• Tell them that polls show a majority of California voters support taxes on oil companies and alcohol and tobacco producers.

• Tell them that polls show a majority of voters oppose cuts to public services.

If you live in a Republican district, tell them:

• You are a registered voter and will vote them out of office, unless they vote YES on the Democrats' current budget proposal.

• Tell them to voteYES on the Democrats' current budget proposal when the vote is held again.

Click here to find the legislator in your district.

CCPUnited's parent organizations (AFSCME& SEIU) will also be conducting various protests and rallies throughout the state to pressure lawmakers to do the right thing.

If you are interested in participating in these upcoming events, call 1-866-336-9333 or 1-866-574-8907.

Click here for a list of upcoming events.

Remember to keep those cards, letters, and phone calls coming.

Raise Your Voice! Stand Up for California!

CCPUnited California legislative postcardThanks to the letters, postcards, phone calls, and protests held by providers and thousands of other activists around the state, we have managed to beat back some of the more terrifying proposals that were advanced to close the state budget deficit including the total elimination of the CalWORKS and Healthy Families programs.

Now, Democrats on the Assembly budget conference committee are offering a new budget plan, and we need this proposal to pass in order to eliminate the possibility that Schwarzenegger's devastating cuts will be revived.

CCPUnited California budget flierKeep those cards, letters, and phone calls coming.

There is no guarantee that this new proposal will pass the legislature, and even if it does, Schwarzenegger may still veto it, which means that we may be facing a new round of outrageous attacks on providers and on the families who rely on us.

That's why we need you to tell our legislators to vote FOR the Democrats' new budget plan as it now stands and to stand ready to turn our focus towards the governor once it passes.

Click here to find the legislator in your district.

Click here to find the contact information of Assembly Budget Committee members.

You can also read more about how CCPUnited would balance the state budget by clicking here.

Discussion of Seminal Issues Affecting California's State Budget & National Health Care Reform

Here are a few very good and informed discussions about issues that are seminal to the state budget crisis and to CCPUnited's committment to quality, affordable health care:

Click here to learn how eliminating enterprise zone tax breaks can help to balance the state budget.

Click here to learn about the current state of national health care reform.

AFSCME Proposes Alternative Budget & Calls for Bold Leadership in State Budget Saga

The American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) has identified $44 billion worth of recurring revenues that can be used to balance the 2009-2010 budget and all budgets annually thereafter. These long-term solutions would obviate further cuts to the public service programs that polls show a majority of California voters support, putting California on sound financial footing by eliminating the state’s structural budget deficit. Click here to download AFSCME's alternative budget proposal. Then read more about it below. 

1121 L Street, suite 904 • Sacramento, CA 95814 • (916) 441-1570 • www.calafscme.org
	PRESS RELEASE
For Immediate Release: Thursday, May 28, 2009			Contact: Willie Pelote, 916-441-1570 o 916-873-6384 c

AFSCME Proposes Alternative Budget & Calls for Bold Leadership in State Budget Saga
Advances Long-Term Solutions that are Fair to all Californians

SACRAMENTO, CA—The American Federation of State & County Municipal Employees (AFSCME) has identified $44 billion worth of recurring revenues that can be used to balance the 2009-2010 budget and all budgets annually thereafter. These long-term solutions would obviate further cuts to the public service programs that polls show a majority of California voters support, putting California on sound financial footing by eliminating the state’s structural budget deficit.

The recommendations were delivered to state legislators on Wednesday and consist of a combination of measures including the imposition of an oil severance tax, an alcohol tax, the closure of existing corporate tax loopholes, an extension of a reduced sales tax to services such as entertainment and sporting events, the ending of offshore tax havens used by multinational corporations, and the restoration of high-income tax brackets to their levels under Republican Governors Reagan and Wilson.

Many of the proposals put forward by AFSCME were previously advanced by Arnold Schwarzenegger and state legislators last year but abandoned during the negotiations that produced the 2009 budget.

“This isn't a game or an academic exercise. Real lives are at stake here,” said AFSCME Assistant Political Director Willie Pelote. “The legislature has a clear choice. They can continue the failed policies of the past and destroy programs that all Californians including our children, working families, the elderly, and the disabled rely on, or they can back AFSCME’s common sense budget solutions that put the citizens of this state first. If the governor and legislature would just exercise some political leadership and listen to the voters, instead of the special interest lobbyists, California could be on course for a sustainable and equitable future for years to come.”

AFSCME has asked state legislators to indicate their support or opposition to the package of revenue solutions it has proposed.

“California families are at a breaking point,” said Doug Moore, executive director of United Domestic Workers of America (UDWA), AFSCME’s largest California affiliate. “If the legislature chickens out again and concedes to all the slash and burn cuts that Schwarzenegger is proposing, California will become just another Third World country where only the rich and politically connected are afforded a decent education and opportunities for a high quality of life.”

AFSCME is prepared to work with the legislature to identify additional solutions and is encouraging legislators to conduct town hall meetings and budget hearings at the county level in order to allow all Californians to participate in decisions that will advance the Golden State into the future.

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Update on Tuesday, June 23, 2009 at 2:50PM by Admin

KPFA Radio interviewed AFSCME about its proposal to balance the state budget on Monday, June 8, 2009. 

Click here to download the audio.