AgdaPkt 2003-05-19 - Laserfiche WebLink

Browse Search

4A -5 THE BUDGET STORY - SOME PRESS QUOTES Edit ials Columns O ads Letters to the focus on the state's inefficiency instead of quick or p Editor The Orange County Register, 5/1/03, Bor- rowing trouble to balance budget. "But there is a major problem with the GOP plan, in our view - the $10 billion in borrowing. 'This is sort of like using the American Express card to pay off the Visa card.'" Oakland Tribune, 5/2/03, Budget battle boils down to loans or taxes. "Democratic and Republican leaders in the Assembly moved toward agreement on a substantial down - payment on the yawning deficit — which has been pegged as high as $35 billion — by borrowing money to pay state pension obligations and reducing 2003 -04 spend- ing by several billion dollars." Riverside Press Enterprise, 512103, Califor- nia deficit: Charge it. "If approved, the state would borrow about $1.6 billion to make a payment to the state pension fund, freeing up a comparable amount from the stressed General Fund and making comparable program cuts. That's all well and good, but if this plan is to be a general ap- proach to the huge deficit, another $10 billion will have to be borrowed. It's not just robbing Peter to pay Paul; it's the grandest of thefts of Peter to pay Paul. The Los Angeles Times, 512/03, GOP Should Give Democrats Enough Rope to Hang Them- selves on the Budget. "Democrats are growing impatient. They want complete control of the budget process now, without the need to compro- mise with Republicans, which explains their plan to ease the two - thirds requirement. Republicans should let them have it... those in control of gov- ernment should be granted the power they need to accomplish their constitutional duties but also be held strictly accountable for their actions." San Diego Union Tribune, 5/2103, Time to merge plans and balance the budget. "Using those strong ideas as the starting point, Democrats can ease off their insistence for more taxes, and Republicans can move away from their plan to borrow $10 billion in order to shift our current deficit to future budget cycles. But to do that, they must fixes." Sacramento Bee, 5/4103, Nibbling at the budget — Lawmakers practice politics of evasion. "In a year in which bipartisan action has been hard to come by in the Legislature, even the smallest movement toward cooperation on dealing with the state's staggering budget shortfall is welcome. So give the Assembly and Senate a round of applause because they delivered just that: the smallest movement." Los Angeles Daily News, 5/3103, $10 billion debt plan lesser evil. "Far from confronting the state's spending addiction, the Democrats' plans would merely enable it. If that's the alternative, then the Republicans' sickening strategy — saddling the state with billions of dollars in debt and financing fees — looks better all the time." Long Beach Press Telegram, 5/3/03, Tack- ling the budget deficit — Bipartisan effort ends standoff. Now it's time to tackle waste. "The deficit- cutting budget package approved by the state Legislature Thursday doesn't get the entire job done, but it is a significant step forward." Contra Costa Times, 5/3/03, An absurdity the state simply cannot afford. "Obviously, times are tough and cuts must be made. But if the Legislature continues to be penny -wise and pound foolish with other people's lives it's more than bad politics. It's sheer stupidity that California simply can't afford." The Inland Daily Bulletin, 5/4/03, Small progress, but welcome signs on budget "Last week saw two bright spots in the darkness sur- rounding the state's red -ink finances. State lawmak- ers agreed to a $3.6 billion package of spending cuts, deferrals and loans to help with the deficit. And Assembly Republicans released their own budget plan." The Pasadena Star News, 5/6/03, Bring everyone to budget table. "Any plan to fix the state's finances is going to be painful and problem- atic. Which is why the ideas from both parties should be on the table the state needs every useful idea it can get." Continued on Page 9 Visit the League's Official Web Site -- www.cacities.org PRIORITY FOCUS /PAGE 5