EDITORIAL: Governor's cuts need quick action

OUR VIEW: Deficit, deadlines loom for Legislature

By the North County Times Opinion staff -- opinion@nctimes.com | Sunday, June 7, 2009 12:10 AM PDT ∞

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is doing two things right to curb California's spending appetite: proposing immediate cuts in services, and reviving his push to slim down state government to be leaner in the future.

Now it is time for the Legislature to do its part, as distasteful as it may be.

In a historic "earliest ever," the 2010 fiscal year budget was enacted in February. Problem is, a huge chunk of revenue to finance that blueprint was torpedoed by voters in the May special election.

As a result, the budget has a $24.3 billion (and growing) deficit that needs to be resolved by July 1 (technically, June 15) ---- the largely ignored deadline that voters enshrined in the state Constitution.

But circumstances have set an even harder deadline: July 29, when the state runs out of cash with zilch prospect of borrowing without a balanced budget.

The governor has offered solid, realistic recommendations to pare or completely eliminate certain health and social service programs (CalWorks, for one) that serve citizens throughout the state; proposals that have been greeted with howls of protest.

At the same time, he has revived his 5-year-old call to eliminate and/or consolidate some of the 500-plus state boards, commissions and agencies dominated by highly paid, termed-out lawmakers ---- a wildly popular and needed task, but one that cannot be done fast enough to resolve the immediate crisis (nor does it constitute enough spending to meet the need).

We again urge lawmakers to consider a 15 percent pay cut for all state employees making 15 percent or more above minimum wage.

And we challenge legislators to come up with immediate program cuts of their own, if they do not like the governor's proposals.

Our lawmakers must keep their eyes on curtailing spending now and not let themselves get caught up in the necessary, but long, process of shuttering dated agencies just to please angry voters.

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