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Editorial Board Meetings. LOCAL coalition money they will have this year. They are operat- members have met with editorial boards for lng blindly. . .And there is not much they can do newspapers in every media market and through- until the Legislature acts." out the state. These meetings have produced dozens of editorials that reflect the LOCAL mes- Sacramento Bee, Dan Walters column opposing sages - and sometimes the LOCAL coalition the cigarette tax. itself. A recent example was an editorial that ran Sacramento Bee, op-ed by Assemblyman Dave on August 21 in the Sa#nas Californian. Entitled Cox on need for Democrats and Davis to cut "Get on with it, Assembly, and pass state budget spending. budget ", the editorial reads in part, "Pass the Modesto Bee, editorial, pragmatic legislators budget now and take up the debate, along with willing to meet in the middle is needed to solve serious plans for budget reform, in the next budget crisis. legislative session. Then, use the principles of the San Francisco Chronicle, editorial, opposed to LOCAL coalition, Leave Our Community Assets cigarette tax as way to balance budget. Alone, as a platform for diving into budget reform. Torrance Daily Breeze/San Diego Union- LOCAL is guided by the common-sense idea that Tribune, editorial, state tax structure should be local taxes should be spent locally. LOCAL's reformed, otherwise CA will face these same principles: budget problems for years to come. Orange County Register, editorial asserting that · Essential local sen/ices should not be Davis is irresponsible not to be more involved in sacrificed to solve state budget problems, budget negotiations· · Local taxes and fees paid by local resi- dents should stay in the community to fund Articles: local sen/ices. · Local governments and local revenues are The Merced Sun Star ran a story on August 14 already part of the state budget solution, entitled, "Budget crisis strains hospitals." The · State government should balance the story reads, "California's budget drisis, now in its budget without takirig more money away sixth week, could force hospitals.., to start curtail- from local communities. lng sen/ices if the fiscal stalemate is not resolved within the next two weeks.' wh~i a concept to believe that taxpayers should expect most of their taxes to be used in · The San Francisco Chronicle ran a story on their communities, and not go toward balancing the state budget or paying for mistakes." August 14 entitled, "Contra Costa County cuts spending in new budget: Economy forces cuts Other Editorials, Op-eds and Columns in health, socialservices." The story reads, "Local governments may have to make additional The Visalia Times Delta ran an editorial on cuts once state lawmakers finally agree on a budget, said Dan Gage, chair of the Santa Clara Aug 12 entitled, "Lawmakers have no excuse County Board of Supen/isors. 'They're really for delaying budget." The editorial reads, "What does it matter if a budget isn't passed? It does doing a number on us... We're kind of caught beh//een a rock and a hard place right now be- matter, most importantly because of local jurisdic- tions, those that directly provide us with police and cause we cant do any future planning.'" fire protection, that see to it our streets are swept and our garbage picked up, the parks mowed and the streetlights lit, don't have a clue how much Continued on Page 6 Visit the League's Official Web Site--www.cacities.org PRIORITY FOCUS/PAGE 5