Calif. projects years of budget surpluses
By David Siders and Jim Miller, Sacramento Bee
In its most optimistic budget forecast in more than a decade, the Legislature’s fiscal analyst said Wednesday that California is poised for years of multibillion-dollar surpluses.
However, even a moderate economic downturn could throw the state back into deficit, the nonpartisan Legislative Analyst’s Office said. The analyst projected a $5.6 billion surplus by June 2015 and urged lawmakers to hold much of it in reserve.
The fiscal outlook is a prelude to annual budget negotiations at the Capitol, where the expectation of a surplus will foist pressure on Democratic lawmakers to increase spending in budget talks next year. Many social service advocates limped out of the recession desperate to restore or expand programs for California’s poorest and neediest residents, and despite modest spending increases many of their funding requests remain unfulfilled.
“There were many things cut that need to be restored,” said Anthony Wright, director of the nonprofit advocacy group Health Access California. “We had cut the safety net beyond the pale. … We started to restore this past year, but only at the margins, and more needs to be done.”
Why isn’t there any discussion about lowering the burden on taxpayers if they will have more money. You don’t have to find ways to spend tax dollars, you should adjust taxes to what is NEEDED not wanted.
They’ll never be able to give the poor enough free stuff.
Make it easier for them to find WORK, instead. But no, that would involve reducing government regulation and taxation, not raising minimum wage, and keeping the lid on illegal immigration. Things California’s socialist legislature will never do.
If this rosy budget forecast is so dependent on there not being even the slightest economic downturn, the state is surely in trouble. The lefties swear it ain’t so, but the productive Californians ARE leaving. Just as most of the people who signed up for obamacare are actually signing up for Medicaid, the people who are staying in California are the ones who are taking FROM the system, not those putting into it. That can’t stand, especially in light of the fact that the projections don’t even include the unfunded retirement benefits for all those civil servants. Only government could put out a budget that doesn’t include ALL of its expenses, and call it balanced.
Dogula,
Your relentless, mind-numbingly repetetive hate gubmint screeds are comical. The economic surplus that fiscal conservatives are always in favor of is now a bad thing because the Dems are in control, is that what you’re saying?
Please don’t let the swinging door hit your productive posterior on the way out of town. Anchors Away, I say to the teabaggers.
Hopefully these budget surplus projections, unlike the one’s of the mid-2000’s, will end up true & accurate?!
Did you actually READ the whole article, BB? Probably not, or you’d know what it said. My comment referenced information that was right there in print.
Relentless, mind numbing, comical? Do you even read what you accuse others of being? I’d say it’s the pot calling the kettle black, but then you’d probably accuse me of being a racist too.
You said it BijouBill! I am so sick of the same comments over and over and over, no matter the topic. Miss perfect and productive, should find a nice, southerly, conservative state in which to spew her your tiresome, repetitious comments.
The party of tolerance and inclusion?
Maybe not so much.
“then you’d probably accuse me of being a racist too.”
You are a proud Islamophobe
Which isn’t any better