Dear Fellow Californian,

Today, I presented the Legislature with a responsible budget proposal that solves the state’s long-term budget problem, fully funds education, keeps our parks open and keeps prisoners behind bars – without tax increases.

However, as everyone knows, we are facing an extremely tough budget year. California’s economy is the most diverse in the nation and that diversity has kept us strong. But with the subprime mortgage crisis and the stalled national economy our revenues have flattened out.

And, because of our dysfunctional budget system spending goes up no matter what. On top of that, we don’t have a rainy day fund to soften the blow in down years like this one. This means my budget proposal also includes some painful cuts that none of us want to make.

California does not need a tax increase, we need budget reform to make this budget work now and to fix the systemic problems that are so damaging to our state and our people.

As you know, our state does not have a revenue problem, we have a spending problem. Over the last decade revenues have increased an average of 5 percent per year. But in one of those years revenues shot up 23 percent. Then they went flat.  This roller-coaster revenue problem has a simple solution: If we save money during the above-average years we will have enough money for the below-average years.

This is where the California Lottery comes in. Under my budget plan we will modernize the Lottery. We will then use the $15 billion in revenue that will generate over the next three years to establish a rainy day fund for California to be used in years like this one.

This plan will require your approval at the ballot in November. I ask you today to join me by supporting this proposal.

I have traveled up and down the state to hear directly from you about your ideas and concerns when it comes to our state budget and there was no mistaking what I heard - you want Sacramento to live within its means and you don’t want your taxes raised. You want us to fix the budget system so we don’t have to go through this pain every time the economy cools off.

My plan will do this, but I need your help to make it a reality. Like so many of the other problems we have tackled together this is something that has plagued our state for decades and this is the year to solve it.

Take a few moments today to send your legislators an email asking them to work with me to pass budget that does not raise taxes and includes reform that will establish a rainy day fund and bring fiscal sanity to California’s budget. Click here to send a letter now.

Thank you for your for support and for your commitment to our state.

Sincerely,