This ain’t Vegas

Over in Sacramento there’s a new State Legislature with new
faces, a new governor set to take his oath and there’s new Senate
and Assembly leadership as well. There’s even a few new laws to
guide the lawmakers in their budget-making process and for setting
new election district boundaries.
What’s not so new is the same old $25 billion budget problem,
Republican Party threats to torpedo new spending or taxes and a
Capitol full of special interest lobbyists.
With so many local school funding problems, county government
woes and bankrupt local pension plans, why should we care about the
problems in Sacramento? Well, because that’s where the spigot and
funnel for all taxes and local funding are controlled.
When our local school board is forced to cut programs, shorten
the school year and increase class sizes, it’s because the governor
and the legislature cut $4 billion last year in local school and
college funds.
Unlike Las Vegas, what happens in Sacramento doesn’t stay there;
it hits us at home in our schools, courts, health programs and
teacher and public employee pensions.
This week Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger declared a “fiscal crisis”
and ordered a special session for the new legislators, almost
before their rookie orientation had ended. It turns out the
“balanced” $86.6 billion budget passed last November is already $6
billion in debt, raising the 18-month state deficit to $29 billion.
Schwarzenegger wants to cut CalWORKS and subsidized childcare, cut
$1 billion from Medi-Cal and eliminate adult home care programs,
among other social and health program cuts.
The governor wants to require local counties to take over more
mental health programs, nonviolent juvenile custody cases and
additional criminal justice costs.
The Legislative Analyst’s Office is predicting the 2011-12
budget picture to be even worse than the past two years, including
another $2 billion in cuts to local schools’ basic Prop. 98
funding.
The LAO office says “the state faces a basic choice: begin to
address today’s huge, frustrating budget problems now … or defer
the state’s budgetary and policy problems to future
Californians.” 
There is not shortage of challenges for the new governor and the
120-member legislature, but is there enough supply of conviction
and determination in these elected officials to begin to address
this fiscal crisis?
These new lawmakers include former non-profit executives, past
members of city councils, county boards of supervisors and school
boards. Some are former employees of groups that lobby the
Legislature, including the lobby voices for nurses, teachers,
police and attorneys. There are two doctors, and, in all, there are
28 totally new faces because of term limits.
The Democratic Party now controls both bodies as well as all the
top statewide offices. After voters approved Prop. 25 in November,
the lawmakers now only need a simple majority to pass future
budgets.
With the potential for real movement against the state’s fiscal
crisis, now would be an excellent time for local voters to record
the names, faces and telephone numbers of the men and women who
will be deciding next year’s school funding, pension plan reforms,
and possible new taxes and fees.
Sonoma County is represented by two senators. Noreen Evans
replaces Pat Wiggins in District 2. Her address is State Capitol,
Room 4081, Sacramento, CA. 95814. (Telephone (916) 651-4002.) Her
Santa Rosa office is located at 50 D. St. #120A, Santa Rosa, CA.
95404.
Sen. Mark Leno (D-3) serves parts of Sonoma and all of Marin
counties. His address is State Capitol, Room 4061, Sacramento, CA.
95814. (Telephone (916) 651-4003.)
The local Assembly members are: Wes Chesbro (D-1) State Capitol
P.O. Box 942849, Sacramento, CA 94249-0001; telephone (916)
319-2001. His Santa Rosa office is at 50 D Street, Suite 450, Santa
Rosa, CA. 95404.
Newly elected Michael Allen (D-7) replaced Evans. His address is
State Capitol P.O. Box 942849, Sacramento, CA. 94249-0007;
telephone(916) 319-2007.
Why not introduce yourself?
— Rollie Atkinson