"The most essential of government functions is public safety," said Sen. Tony Strickland (R-Thousand Oaks), "and we have to make sure that’s our top priority." In the current budget, UC, Cal State and the state’s Cal Grant financial aid program combined to receive about $6 billion, not including revenues from student fees. The Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation received $8.12 billion, according to the nonpartisan Legislative Analyst’s Office. Under the governor’s plan, spending on UC, Cal State and Cal Grants would have to account for at least 10% of the state’s general fund by 2014-15; prisons could receive no more than 7%. The guarantee could be suspended by a two-thirds vote of the Legislature. Changing that ratio would require the type of deep cuts in prison spending that Sacramento has long balked at making.

Read full article [here].
by Shane Goldmacher and Larry Gordon, The Los Angeles Times.

Posted: January 7th, 2010, by: admin. Categories: . Awaiting Comments.