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No
pay for state workers
By Tanya Dellaca
Summer On-line Forty-Niner
Legislative employees
will continue working without pay and the State of California
will continue to operate without a signed budget after a meeting
between Gov. Gray Davis and Assembly leaders on Thursday July
25 ended with a continued standstill.
Financing the governor’s budget proposals is one issue causing
the deadlock between the Republican Assembly Caucus and the
governor.
“The Republican Assembly has refused to vote and refused to
negotiate a bridge,” spokesperson for Gov. Davis, Hilary McLean
said.
Assembly Press Secretary Peter DeMarco said, “The plan is
fiscally flawed. It uses every borrowing capability possible
and the Legislative Analyst’s Office shows we could be about
$10 billion in debt by January 2003. It is extremely dangerous
and irresponsible.”
The governor’s office admits this is a tough year for the
budget but denies being irresponsible.
“That’s not true. There are significant challenges that will
need to be addressed in the next round of budget planning.
But holding off on this years budget won’t make next year’s
any easier,” McLean said.
Delaying the budget approval has left some Cal State University
System vendors unpaid, Clara Potes-Fellow, media relations
for the Chancellor’s Office said.
“Considering the condition of the State we have a good budget,”
Potes-Fellow said. “We wish the final version is the same
as was approved by the Senate.”
The Republican Assembly is asking for a combination of controls
and reductions on eliminating out-year structural deficits,
DeMarco said.
“We want [Gov. Davis] to continue to meet with us to make
changes that are fiscally responsible,” DeMarco said. “We
believe this can be done, together.”
McLean said, “They have to work together with their elected
assembly, the governor can’t negotiate on behalf of the Assembly
speaker.”
This year’s budget proposal combines spending cuts, increases
in cigarette tax and the vehicle license tax and various borrowing
tools, McLean said. “It is a balanced and responsible budget
plan,” McLean said.
Armando Contreras, executive assistant to Cal State Long Beach
President Robert Maxson recognized this year’s budget difficulties.
“Essentially [the budget] is fair to higher education as proposed,
but we don’t know if that’s how it will pass. It is not all
cuts and it does put off some expenses, a number of proposals
could be viewed as temporary, but the truth is probably somewhere
in between,” Contreras said.
According to a press release for Gov. Davis’ office, the budget
proposal increases education spending by $1.2 billion, which
includes a $136 per pupil increase, $400 million for low-performing
schools, $625 million for instructional materials, $75 million
to expand before-and after-school programs and $160 million
for teacher training and recruitment.
The release also stated Gov. Davis plans $2.7 billion in spending
reductions to help balance the budget.
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