Just when you thought the budget was safe
Did you see this piece on Sunday? While Alameda’s business community rallies anonymously around a lawsuit to undo a hugely popular four-year budget-gap-filling measure, the state is announcing that it’s going to have to re-open this years budget, which already cuts money received by AUSD, in order to look at further mid-year cuts.
State’s can of worms budget may be reopened.
California’s finances have tanked so badly that Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is considering calling an emergency session of the Legislature within the next month to reopen the very budget that lawmakers just passed – 85 days late.
According to the Sacramento Bee “Had everything gone swimmingly, the state was set to face a $6.5 billion deficit next year (not assuming passage of a $5 billion in borrowing from future lottery earnings).” But now the $6.5 Billion dollar budget hole is the optimistic projection!
Thankfully, voters didn’t buy into the “Let’s wait to do anything about school finances until it all shakes out! It still hasn’t shaken out.
Unfortunately, Measure H is still up in the air because of the lawsuits. It’s funny how in other communities, the business community can see it’s way past the inequities of California tax law, but in Alameda, it’s “fair” to tax every parcel, no matter the size at the same rate (AUSD’s Measure A) but not fair to pass an emergency tax for four years (Four measly years!) that affects a few property owners (many of whom are not contributing their share thanks to the wonders of Prop. 13). I’ve been paying the same as Towne Centre and John Beery’s luxury yacht business. I guess I should have sued years ago, cause that’s not fair!
Who knew, 2/3 of the electorate CAN be wrong.
Popularity: 6% [?]
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