California is home to more veterans than in any other state in the nation. California's veterans have risked their lives to protect our freedoms and the state during emergencies, and we owe them a tremendous debt of gratitude for the contributions they have made. The proposed budget was constructed first by computing the workload budget level. From the workload budget, adjustments are made to reflect specific policy adjustments and reductions, including budget balancing reductions.

Proposed Workload Budget

Veterans Homes Project

• $9.4 million for the California Department of Veterans Affairs (CDVA) for the construction and activation phases of veterans homes in West Los Angeles and Ventura County.
• $580,000 General Fund for the CDVA for the initial construction and pre-activation phases of the Redding and Fresno veterans homes projects.

Veterans Nursing Facilities and Veterans Cemetery Projects

• $1.3 million General Fund for CDVA to meet the fiscal operational and oversight needs of eight veterans homes and a state veterans cemetery.
• $3.2 million for CDVA to establish a Facilities Management Unit and Deferred Maintenance Program. This unit will be responsible for implementing a program for maintenance and repairs at the three existing veterans homes, the state cemetery for veterans and the five veterans homes under construction.

Proposed Budget Balancing Reductions

Total budget-balancing reductions for the veterans segments amount to $19.2 million in 2008-09. This total amount is for General Fund programs.

• $18.7 million in 2008-09 for the CDVA veterans homes. In order to meet this reduction the veterans home in Yountville will maintain current member levels in the Memory Care and Skilled Nursing Care Units; the veterans home in Chula Vista will offer private rooms for members requesting assisted living care; the veterans homes in Ventura County will postpone opening the Adult Day Health Care units; and, the veterans homes in Redding and Fresno will delay staffing for the pre-activation phase. The department will also eliminate a component from the Enterprise-Wide Veteran Home Information System.
• $523,000 in 2008-09 for CDVA for Veterans Claims and Subvention. This reduction will impact outreach efforts and local assistance to the county Veteran Service Offices.