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9.A -6 THE BUDGET CRISIS - SOME PRESS QUOTES Editorial, Columns, Opeds, Letters to the Editor The Fresno Bee, 7/10/0, Revealing Move — GOP's Answer to State Boidget Mess Says Much About Party's "Values." "Legislative Re- publicans have argued that California, which cut taxes deeply during the flush days of the stock market boom, can't restore those revenues in the face of an enormous budget deficit. Higher state taxes would hurt the economy, they say. This argument has never been particularly compelling." San Diego Union Tribune, 7/10/03, Where Do Most of Your Taxes Go? Hint: Not to Your City. "The three largest sources of funding for most cities are property tax, sales tax and vehicle license fees. These are divided and distributed in such a way that cities actually receive only a small portion of these funds." San Diego Union Tribune, 7/10/03, Fiscally Speaking, All Cities Are Not Created Equal. "Some cities have been blessed with new develop- ment opportunities resulting in increasing developer fees and property tax increment, large sales tax generators and infrastructure that is relatively new and maintenance free. Other older local cities are built -out, have aging infrastructure and limited discretionary funds to make the necessary capital investment to avoid larger outlays in the future." Sacramento Bee, 7/10/03, Losing Roadside Rest Areas is Bizarre Effect of Budget Crisis. "With the budget impasse entering its 10th day, Caltrans has abruptly closed four Northam Califor- nia rest areas. As bad as this sounds to the long - haul trucker (not to mention the long -haul vaca- tioner with whiny kids), there is another set of victims here: the homeless and disabled workers who service and maintain these four rest stops for the state." The Bakersfield Californian, 7/10/03, Budget Cuts Hurt Nonprofit Groups. "As local nonprofits struggle to figure out how they are going to make ends meet in light of looming state budget cuts, they're also aware they aren't going to get nearly as much as they'd like from United Way of Kern PAGE 6 /PRIORITY FOCUS County this fiscal year." San Diego Union Tribune, 719/03, Bargain- ing Time — Both Sides Must Talk and Deal. "Political rhetoric aside, movement seems more likely as Democrats and Republicans ponder the disastrous consequences of a protracted budget stalemate which threatens to downgrade California's credit rating to junk -bond status." Sacramento Bee, 7/9103, Budget Dumb- ness— Assembly Republicans Expose Their Values. "On Sunday night Assembly Republi- cans, the chamber's minority party, got to present their tax -lite vision of California's future. It's a debt -laden budget that would cut college, kindergarten, kibble for guide dogs to the blind and health care for kids. Their proposal won just 27 votes in the 80- member Assembly. Even five Republicans couldn't bring themselves to vote Yes." Oakland Tribune, 7/9/03, Local Income Tax Proposal Should Die Quick Death. "Allowing voters in cities and counties to impose local income taxes of up to 10 percent of a person's state income tax liability to help bail out cash - strapped city and county governments — and fire departments in particular — could also create chaos." The Contra Costa Times, 7109/03, GOP Spending Cuts. "Although the GOP Assembly budget plan called for just 4 percent in spending cuts, it ran into instant trouble because some to the programs slated for reduction would have harmed the state's poorest residents, unless counties came to their rescue." Los Angeles Times, 718/03, Deal Before the Hole Grows. "In this budget year, there will be no happy choices. The state will have to cut spending, raise taxes and trim services, at least temporarily. It's just a matter of how it's done. There's no point, then, in delaying the inevitable; it only becomes a deeper hole from which to dig out." Continued on Page 9 Visit the League's Official Web Site -- www.cacities.org