What They’re Saying About The Governor’s Budget Reform Proposal
Editorial Pages And Opinion Leaders Call Budget Reform Proposal Wise And A "Great Idea"
Union-Tribune - Governor's Budget Reform Proposal
"A Great Idea": "His
proposal would smooth out spending increases, divert part of revenue spikes to
a rainy-day fund and require that some budget cuts be prenegotiated so they can
take effect immediately during periodic revenue downturns. This is a great
idea." (Editorial, "The Path Out: Time To
Scrap Scattershot Budget Strategy," San
Diego Union Tribune, 3/21/08)
Press-Enterprise - "There is no
dispute about the wisdom of setting aside money during boom years...Had the state
regularly taken that step, it could have avoided much of the budget turmoil of
recent years." (Editorial, "Budget ABCs," Riverside
Press-Enterprise, 3/19/08)
- Saving Money During Good Times Just "Common Sense": "California should save money in good years to ease it through lean times. The Legislature's failure to practice such basic common sense is a dismal judgment on state governance. Legislators' standard procedure should be to tuck money away when revenue surges beyond projections -- automatically, if legislators cannot exercise even minimal self-control." (Editorial, "Budget ABCs," Riverside Press-Enterprise, 3/19/08)
- Governor's Strategy Would "Force Legislators To Truly Balance The Budget": "Such a strategy would also force legislators to truly balance the budget instead of running deficits and hoping that a strong economy and unexpected tax receipts will plug the holes." (Editorial, "Budget ABCs," Riverside Press-Enterprise, 3/19/08)
Daniel Weintraub - "There's
nothing wrong with skimming off a bit of that revenue in good times and saving
it for the inevitable downturn." (Daniel Weintraub, "Rainy Day Funds," Capitol
Alert Blog, 3/20/08)
LA Daily News - "Schwarzenegger Is
Right. It's Time For The Legislators To End The Kabuki." (Editorial, "Democrats Need To Work With Arnold," Los Angels Daily News,
3/13/08
Barbara O'Connor - "Optimistic"
That Reform Can Happen: "Barbara O'Connor, a professor of communication studies and director of
the Institute for the Study of Politics and Media at Cal State Sacramento, said
she is optimistic that legislators will agree to overhaul the budget process
this year. ‘I think the governor is correct that if we can't do it this year
when things are so bad, then the will to do it will evaporate,' she said." (Michelle DeArmond and Shirin Parsavand, "Inland Groups Hear
Rationale For Reform," Riverside
Press-Enterprise, 3/19/08)
Community Leaders "Praise" Governor's
Proposal, Call It "Absolutely Right"
Concord Councilwoman
Helen Allen - "Governor, What You Are Proposing Is Absolutely Right." (Lisa Vorderbrueggen, "Governor Seeks Support For Budget," San Jose
Mercury News, 3/20/08)
Concord Mayor Bill
Shinn - "This Is The Right Track." "Let me say congratulations on the leadership, and this is
the right track, in my belief." (Governor's Press Office, "Governor Meets With East Bay Officials To
Continue Budget Reform Discussion," Transcript, 3/19/08)
Governor "Found
Support" For Budget Reform Plan Among Fresno
Area Officials. "The
governor found support among the Fresno-area officials for his proposed Budget
Stabilization Act, a constitutional amendment to reform the state budget
process that he presented in his State of the State address in January." (Paula Lloyd, "Budget Show Comes To Fresno,"
Fresno Bee,
3/18/08)
- San Joaquin Mayor Dhaliwal - "You Have To Do" Budget Reform. "‘I understand what the governor is trying to do, you have to do it,' San Joaquin Mayor Amarpreet Dhaliwal said." (Paula Lloyd, "Budget Show Comes To Fresno," Fresno Bee, 3/18/08)
Contra Costa Water District Board President Joe Campbell - "I Agree With Your Concept." "And Governor, I want to tell you I support what you're showing us here today with the budget charts that you've put up... So I agree with your concept, and we practice it ourselves." (Governor's Press Office, "Governor Meets With East Bay Officials To Continue Budget Reform Discussion," Transcript, 3/19/08)
Orange County Business Council
President Lucy Dunn - "We Totally Get This." "‘We totally get this,' Dunn said after the
briefing. ‘It is a critical funding issue that has been plaguing California.' (Sarah Tully and Martin Wisckol, "Governor
Visits County
To Tout Budget Proposal," Orange
County Register, 3/20/08)
Assemblyman Benoit
"Praised" Governor's Budget Reform Proposal. "Assemblyman John J. Benoit, R-Bermuda Dunes, praised
the governor's proposal..." (Michelle
DeArmond and Shirin Parsavand, "Inland Groups Hear Rationale For Reform," Riverside
Press-Enterprise, 3/19/08)
