Millions for Nonexistent Higher Education Enrollment Growth

The University of California and the California State University system would receive $112 million in Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s proposed budget for the state fiscal year beginning July 1 to pay for increased enrollment even though UC, CSU – and the governor’s own spending plan – shows enrollment will decline next year.    Read more »

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Savings in Recently Passed Budget Bill Lower Than Claimed

A budget measure on Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s desk that purports to save the state $2.3 billion likely saves far less – perhaps only half as much.

The bill, ABX8 2, predicts savings of nearly $1 billion by changing the way health care is delivered to California’s 167,000 prison inmates — $811 million – and commuting the sentence and then deporting illegal immigrant inmates, $182 million.    Read more »

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Up to $2.5 billion in State Payments to Public Schools Delayed

Over the objections of public schools, the Assembly narrowly passed a bill February 25 that would allow the state to postpone up to $2.5 billion in payments to kindergarten through Grade 12 districts between July 2010 and March 2011.

Public schools, which have shouldered $14 billion of the $35 billion in spending reductions approved by lawmakers and Gov.    Read more »

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Headline: Three Universities Seek Tuition Hikes of 16-31%

Not really news given the steep increases already imposed by the California State University system and the University of California.

Except these increases aren’t for California public higher education students, they’re for at least 130,000 public higher education students in Arizona.

The Arizona Republic reported recently that because of state budget gets and “an uncertain economy,”

Regents of the University of Arizona will vote in March on a 31 percent tuition increase – very close to the 32 percent increase approved by University of California regents in December – that would boost tuition by $2,130 to $8,972.    Read more »

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California and Arizona’s Budgets: Different Sizes, Same Woes

‘Imagine taking off in a plane after siphoning some gas from the tank.

“From a budgetary perspective, that’s about what Arizona has done. 

“For years the state managed to cut many of its taxes while taking on greater spending obligations. Rapid population growth and the housing and dot-com bubbles helped obscure the reality that Arizona had an unsustainable long-term strategy.    Read more »

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What the Senate Is Proposing to Reduce Budget Cash Shortfall

Solutions

  A B C D E F G H 1 8th Ex. Session:  Senate Budget Committee Actions 2           Amount  (in millions) 3 Source Type # Org. Code Solution (Department and Issue) 2009-10 2010-11 2-year total 4 G-RS E 1 0250 Judicial:  Delay Implementation of Conservatorship Program $0.0 $17.4 $17.4 5 G-SS AF 2 0820 Justice:  Increase DNA Penalty Assessments for Support of DOJ Forensic Labs 13.7 45.1 58.8 6 C R 3 0860 BOE Revenues, tax enforcement:  Sales tax nexus 0.0 107.0 107.0 7 G-RS/C R 4 1730 FTB Revenues:  Credit Sharing, Limit NOL 0.0 650.0 650.0 8 C R 5 1730 FTB Revenues, tax enforcement:   FIRM 0.0 32.0 32.0 9 C R 6 1730 FTB Revenues, tax enforcement:  Abusive tax shelter definition–penalties 0.5 1.8 2.3 10 C R 7 1730 FTB Revenues, tax enforcement:  Revoke professional licenses of delinquent taxpayers 14.0 19.0 33.0 11 G-RS FS 8 2660 CalTrans:  Transfer of Tribal Gaming Compact Revenues to the General Fund 0.0 100.8 100.8 12 G-SS AF 9 2830 CalTrans:  Fuel Tax Swap: Reduce General Fund for Transportation  Debt Service.    Read more »

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Licensing Marijuana Distributors Helps Solve Budget Woes?

Numerous budget-related and job creation bills have been introduced by lawmakers as part of the special emergency session called by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to deal with California’s estimated $20 billion budget shortfall.

Also introduced is a bill that would require distributors of medical marijuana to get a license from the Board of Equalization.    Read more »

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Furloughs and Budget Cuts Disrupting State Tax Collections

(This press release comes from the Senate Office of Oversight and Outcomes)

 

SACRAMENTO—Every dollar California saves by furloughing workers at the Franchise Tax Board costs $7 in tax money that workers are not on the job to collect, according to a report released February 12 by the Senate Office of Oversight and Outcomes.    Read more »

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Legislative Analyst: Reject Governor’s Personnel Costs Plan

California state government has roughly 356,000 employees.

One-third work for the University of California or in the State University system.

Total state payroll is $24 billion.

Excluding university employees, some $10 billion in General Fund revenue – about 12 percent of the current year’s budget — is devoted to salaries, health benefits, pension contributions and other personnel costs.    Read more »

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Prison Plan Reduces 30,000 Less Inmates Than Estimated

Instead of reducing prison overcrowding by 43,500 inmates, Schwarzenegger administration policy changes and legislation signed in October to thin the state’s inmate population will only result in a 13,400 decrease in inmates over two years, the Legislative Analyst said in a report issued January 25.

That total is well short of the maximum number of inmates set two weeks ago by a federal three-judge panel which ordered the state to lower its prison population from roughly 168,000 to 128,000.    Read more »

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