Thursday, December 24, 2009

Schwarzenegger Seeks Rule Changes on Mandates and Social Programs To Ease $21 Billion Budget Gap

California is back in the hole and digging deeper. It is now $21 billion in the hole again and digging deeper every day.

In response to the growing problem, Schwarzenegger Seeks Obama’s Help for Deficit Relief http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid= ... dI2wUyyroI

California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, anticipating a $21 billion state budget deficit, plans to ask President Barack Obama to ease mandates and minimums on social programs to save as much as $8 billion.

The Republican governor plans to seek the relief, according to a California official who asked not to be identified because details haven’t been resolved. Instead of seeking one-time stimulus money or a bailout, the most-populous U.S. state wants the federal government to reduce mandates and waive rules stipulating expenditures on programs such as indigent health care, the official said.

“The problem is that there are no easy solutions left,â€