As if it has not yet leapt over enough hurdles, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger is threatening to wield his veto power over the 2009 State Budget because he says it does not include the kind of long-term reform that he was hoping for, according to today’s Los Angeles Times.
Now officially 78 days late, California legislators finally came to agreements about the budget yesterday and passed it in an early morning meeting today. A last-minute reserve fund that was attached to the budget seems to be irking the Governor most of all. From Times writers Evan Halper and Jordan Rau:
Schwarzenegger spokesman Matt David said the reserve that the plan would create is “nothing more than a slush fund that can be raided at any point and up to any amount.”
Legislative leaders expressed confidence that they had the votes to override a gubernatorial veto. But Schwarzenegger retains some leverage: He has yet to act on nearly 1,000 bills passed in the final weeks of this year’s session.
The long budget delay has hurt companies that depend on state funding in every California city – Long Beach is no exception.
Back in June, we told you the story of Comprehensive Child Development (CCD) and its fight to keep doors open and lights on while awaiting what they expected to be massive cuts in their budget that could force them to turn children away. Community Hospital has received no MediCal payments this year and is owed nearly $900,000.
So while California lawmakers make “exempting high-tech companies from some labor rules” a priority, services that are vital to our communities have been completely ignored. Now 78 days late, the 2009 California Budget is undoubtedly the worst budget blunder in state history – and if Gov. Schwarzenegger makes good on his promise to reject the proposal, the headache will not yet be over for those who need it most.
By Ryan ZumMallen, Managing Editor