Tough Times, Tough Choices

The state is facing an extremely tough economic time and a very difficult budget year. California’s economy is the most diverse in the nation and that diversity has kept it strong. But with the subprime mortgage crisis and the faltering national economy revenues have significantly declined. Now we are facing not only a $26 billion budget deficit and a serious cash crisis that has forced the state to issue IOU's to vendors over the last few weeks.

The Governor and the legislative leaders of both parties have reached an agreement to close the state's $26 billion budget gap.

The Governor and Republicans in the legislature stood firm to make certain that this plan does not raise taxes. And, that is good news for California's families and small businesses already struggling to make ends meet during these tough economic times.

This plan also makes significant and painful cuts to education, healthcare and public safety while at the same time bringing real and needed reforms to cut our waste, fraud and abuse in state government.  None of these choices were easy to make, but they were necessary to ensure our state lives within our means.

The next step is for the Legislature to approve this plan on a bipartisan vote later this week.

Email your legislators today, ask them to cast a “yes” vote for this budget agreement. While a tough pill to swallow, this plan is a solution that moves California beyond this paralyzing budget crisis and gets us back on the right track, without raising taxes.