CalWatchdog Morning Read – January 11

by CalWatchdog Staff | January 11, 2017 8:32 am

Good morning. Happy Hump Day! One word this morning: Budget. 

Gov. Jerry Brown preached prudence on Tuesday as he unveiled his 2017-18 state budget, proposing no new major spending programs while taking a wait-and-see approach to the incoming Trump administration, even as other prominent California Democrats brace for the unknown.

The budget showed a $2 billion deficit — modest by historical standards, but worthy of the lawmakers’ attention — caused by an increase in government programs over the last few years and lagging revenues.

Brown said he didn’t want to “repeat mistakes of the past,” recalling the days of the state’s budget crisis. The proposed budget showed approximately $8 billion in the Rainy Day Fund by the end of 2017-18, which is 63 percent of the constitutional target, which Brown said was bigger than it seemed as he called for greater savings now. 

Independent analysts, as well as Brown’s budget experts, have cautioned against the state’s over-dependence[1] on the wealthiest residents to fund the government. Brown lauded the state’s “progressive” tax system, where people with the most pay the most. But he said it also requires prudence.

“It doesn’t make sense to pretend we have money when we really don’t,” Brown said. 

CalWatchdog[2] has more.

In other news:

Legislature:

Gov. Brown:

Tips: [email protected]

Follow us: @calwatchdog @mflemingterp

New follower: @KesiAlexx

Endnotes:
  1. state’s over-dependence: http://calwatchdog.com/2016/05/10/state-headed-financial-trouble/
  2. CalWatchdog: http://calwatchdog.com/2017/01/10/brown-budget-projects-2-billion-deficit-calls-savings/
  3. CalWatchdog: http://calwatchdog.com/2017/01/10/ca-democrats-spend-90m-party-races/
  4. The San Diego Union-Tribune: http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/politics/sd-me-government-0112-story.html
  5. Los Angeles Times: http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-contributions-ban-20170110-story.html
  6. The San Jose Mercury News: http://www.mercurynews.com/2017/01/10/chan-zuckerberg-initiative-taps-former-obama-bush-campaign-managers/

Source URL: https://calwatchdog.com/2017/01/11/calwatchdog-morning-read-january-11/