Dire Outcome:
Parents, teachers, school board members, firefighters, and public safety officers joined Senate President Pro Tem John Burton (D-San Francisco) and Senate Budget Chair Wes Chesbro (D-Arcata) in a June 27 Capitol news conference to show reporters how "real people" will be terribly damaged by a late budget or a spending plan with further cuts.
"The results will be dire if the budget is not done on time, by June 30, for consumers of services - such as parents of a disabled child, or providers of services, such as teachers, police officers and fire fighters," Sen. Chesbro said.
Benee Hopson, a government teacher at Luther Burbank High, urged the speedy passage of a budget that contains no additional cuts for schools. "The budget lesson we're teaching this year is not one I want to repeat. California students are already paying the price. Two consecutive years of mid-year budget cuts have reduced school funding by more than $4.1 billion, plus another $1 billion in cuts proposed for next year."
"Our schools cannot afford any more reductions. That's why teachers across the state support a modest temporary sales tax, just one half cent. We're talking about (cuts) in real dollars to real programs, special education, child nutrition, and summer school. We can't let California become like Enron and WorldCom, broke and discredited. Lawmakers must do what's right for California children. Pass the budget and do it on time," Hopson said.
Scott Plotkin, the executive director of the California School Boards Association (CSBA), emphasized that money for categorical education programs will cease without a budget, and that would eliminate these programs for children in greatest need. "These kids will be most immediately hurt, or the rest of every district's budget will be hurt as other funding is used to subsidize these programs."
Plotkin warned that even that stop-gap effort won't last, because "the state is on our last loans. When that money runs out, there will be more cuts that would damage the real lives of people in this state."
Robert Turnage, vice chancellor for fiscal policy for the California Community Colleges, warned that unlike K-12 schools, which have some of funding protected under "continuous appropriation language," community colleges would receive no funding until a new budget is put in place.
Rick Rollens, the father of a 12-year-old autistic son, stated that services for children like his son would be cut off without a budget. "It's imperative that the Legislature act to approve a fair and equitable budget."
Bob Wolf, representing over 4,500 firefighters with the California Department of Forestry, said that his members handle more than 3,000 emergencies every year. "Failure to achieve a budget on time will have an impact on ability to handle emergencies in state.... We count on vendors to supply everything from water to some firefighting equipment and logistical support for firefighters in the field. They would not be paid, and that would have a dramatic effect on ability to field resources. We are deeply concerned about cuts in firefighter resources. The longer it takes, the harder it will be on everyone."
Iris Costa, a local registered nurse, cautioned, "If funds are not provided quickly, many more will be turned away from emergency care."
Clancy Foria, president of the Peace Officers Research Association of California (PORAC), that represents 50,000 local peace officers, said that "if other human services are not available [because of no budget or budget cuts], the burden falls back on local law enforcement. And we are losing officers because local leaders don't know what they will be receiving from Sacramento. They have reduced the number of officers primarily through attrition and with thousands of layoffs pending if the crisis continues. We are also losing the ability to train current officers and future officers. Our total ability is being reduced, and this budget impasse is the biggest obstacle to our moving ahead. The safety net is being weakened. It can only be weakened so far. ... I call upon elected officials, let's get back to moving forward."
The pleas for rapid action on a budget with no further cuts came just one day after Senate Republican Leader Jim Brulte declared that Republicans planned to introduce a host of budget amendments that would make further cuts and eliminate the tax increases included in the pending budget proposal.