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THE BUDGET STORY - SOME PRESS QWTES Editorials The Los Angeles Times, 6/11103, Where Are the Grown -Ups? "Sometimes, when Califumia really needs leadership, cooperation and a litt!e good faith, all it gets is political jihad." The Ventura County Star, 6111/03, Editorial: Amateur hour in the Capitol. "Well, this is what amateur hour looks like in the Capitol: Confronted by the biggest financial hurdle ever to face state government, the Legislature is caught up in a juvenile game of finger- pointing and seems un- likely to have a budget in place by Sunday, the constitutional deadline. With an ever - growing proportion of Assembly and Senate seats occu- pied by people who haven't the faintest idea how to craft policy, form coalitions and negotiate compromises, California finds itself burdened by a Legislature that simply cannot solve complex problems." The Stockton Record, 6/12/03, Quit Pro- crastinating — Is There Any Way California's Squabbling Lawmakers Can Get a Budget Passed by Sunday's Deadline? Probably Not "Lawmakers in Sacramento have lost touch with reality. Less than two weeks from their constitutional deadline to enact a 2003 -04 budget, all they can produce are an excess of bills and political hot air. The Republican Parry can get in the stupid line first." billion or so from a $78 billion budget. Up nearly $20 billion from 1998, California spends almost twice per :apita what Arizona spends to deliver state services." Sacramento Bee, 6/12/03, Daniel Weintraub: The Public is as Befuddled as Leaders on Budget. "The good news for California's political leaders is that their collective stance on the budget pretty much reflects the sentiment of the people of this state. The bad news: That stance isn't going to solve the prob- lem." News Stories The Los Angeles Times, 6/11/03, Lawmak- ers See Slim Chance of Meeting Budget Deadline. "California lawmakers threw up their hands Tuesday and acknowledged there is little chance they will make the June 15 constitutional deadline for passing a budget that would rescue the state from its $38- billion shortfall." San Francisco Chronicle, 6/11/03, Outlook is Bleak for Budget Deal —'Big Five' and Davis Can't Agree. "Gov. Gray Davis and legislative leaders said after meeting Tuesday that they remain far apart on a budget deal, offering little hope that lawmakers will approve a spending plan by Sunday's constitutional dead- line." San Diego Union Tribune, 6/13/03, Budget Meltdown — Stop Shouting and Start Dealing. "California's unprecedented budget crisis requires responsible behavior on both sides of the aisle. Instead, both sides seem more concerned with scoring political points than in seeking consensus to close the massive deficit and, more important, achieve the structural reforms that can help prevent future fiscal crises." San Francisco Chronicle, 6/13/03, It's the Spending, Stupid. "Although you can't glean it from most news about Sacramento, the majority Democrats have clung to huge spending pro- grams and made only the barest in real cuts — $ Sacramento Bee, 6/11103, Budget Talks Break Down. A Key Democrat Walks Out Days Before the Deadline with No Plan Approved. "With a pivotal deadline fast ap- proaching, state budget talks broke down Tues- day when a top Democrat stormed out of a key meeting and others declared their frustration that the group had made no progress toward an agreement over deep cuts and tax increases." San Francisco Chronicle, 6/12/03, Budget Frustrates the Voters — Poll Measures Opposition to Taxes and Service Cuts. "Californians are frustrated with politicians and the state's $38 billion deficit but oppose most Continued on Page 7 PAGE 6/PRIORITY FOCUS Visit the League's Official Web Site-- www.cacities.org