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| PBS -- December 27, 2008 Economic downturn threatens California's health care system Recent economic problems have created budget shortfalls in many states, but California is worse off than most. Faced with a massive deficit, state lawmakers might have to raise taxes or cut health care services. Betty Ann Bowser reports... |
| Sacramento Bee -- December 22, 2008 California Controller issues harsh warning on cash crunch Controller John Chiang laid out a nightmare scenario today of the state's resorting to IOUs or costly and uncertain emergency loans if Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and legislators agree on steps to close the state budget deficit very quickly because the state will run out of cash in about two months. [Related item] |
| Wall Street Journal -- December 18, 2008 More California towns face bankruptcy Rio Vista, Calif. -- California may soon have more bankrupt towns on its hands. -- The city of Vallejo, Calif., gained national attention earlier this year by filing for Chapter 9 bankruptcy protection. Now, two neighbors are fighting to avoid the same fate, as the state's economic crisis spreads... |
| New York Times -- December 18, 2008 Facing budget gap, California cuts infrastructure projects In another sign of California's fiscal morass, a state board charged with backing infrastructure projects voted Wednesday to halt some $3.8 billion in financing until a yawning budget gap is addressed. -- The vote, by the three-person Pooled Money Investment Board, came even as state legislators mulled over another budget proposal in the face of a $14.8 billion deficit for the current year. |
| San Jose Mercury News Editorial -- December 18, 2008 California leaders deepen the economic disaster It's been maddening to watch the Legislature make a bigger mess of the California economy. -- Having done nothing to fix the state budget, lawmakers were largely to blame Wednesday when a state board shut down $4 billion worth of approved public works projects for lack of cash. Thousands of workers face being thrown off the job because bonds can't be issued without a budget to back up the state's credit... |
| Patrick Edaburn -- The Moderate Voice -- December 16, 2008 Time for the California budget reality check ...For both sides you need to work through this problem without all of the rhetoric. The left needs to accept that some of these people will need to be sent home and it's not racism. Legal immigrants of all races are welcome to stay, but at least some illegal [aliens] of all races need to go home... |
| Sacramento Bee -- December 12, 2008 Budget talks with Schwarzenegger dead, GOP leader says Senate Republican Leader Dave Cogdill declared legislative negotiations with Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger essentially dead after an apparently hostile meeting Thursday in the governor's office. Cogdill, of Modesto, said Schwarzenegger's criticism of GOP members and leaks from "Big 5" meetings... |
| George Skelton -- Los Angeles Times -- December 11, 2008 Legislators act like zombies as state's fiscal crisis deepens daily Reporting from Sacramento -- California's Capitol has been shrouded in fog -- literally and figuratively. The literal fog is seasonal and can smother the Central Valley for days on end this time of year. The figurative fog is year-round... |
| Sacramento Bee -- December 11, 2008 California nears 'financial Armageddon,' governor warns Saying California is "headed toward a financial Armageddon," Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger blistered lawmakers on Wednesday as administration officials said the state's two-year budget hole has grown to about $40 billion. -- With the economy reeling and revenues plummeting, previous projections of $11.2 billion in red ink during the current year have risen to $14.8 billion... [Related item] |
| Los Angeles Times -- December 11, 2008 State budget gap could reach $41.8 billion by 2010 California now faces an unprecedented $41.8-billion budget gap by July 2010, with the cascading economic crisis forcing state economists to increase the already dismal projections they made just a few weeks ago, according to documents obtained by The Times... |
| Christian Science Monitor -- December 10, 2008 California running out of money California lawmakers just got a Henry Paulson-like ultimatum from state officials: If they don't act, the state could be forced to suspend road, bridge, and other public-works projects as early as next week. Come March, California will be out of cash for even day-to-day operations... |
| London Guardian -- December 9, 2008 Grim budget briefing for full California legislature Last week the director of California's Department of Finance, Michael Genest, informed top lawmakers the state was on track to run out of cash as early as FebruaryŠ."Our financial situation is too dire to wait," he said, adding that fast action on the current gap would better position the state to balance its budget for its next fiscal year. [Related video] |
| Los Angeles Times -- December 9, 2008 California fiscal officials try 'Scared Straight' approach with Legislature In the 1970s, hardened felons tried to deter juvenile delinquents from lives of crime through "Scared Straight" presentations in which they portrayed prison life in all its brutal unpleasantness. -- On Monday, California's top fiscal officers attempted to deliver a similar jolt to state legislators who have yet to address a $28-billion projected budget gap. |
| Los Angeles Daily News -- December 6, 2008 California No. 1 in overdue mortgages Foreclosures nationwide continued to soar at a record pace in the third quarter, in large part because of the distressed properties in California, the Mortgage Bankers Association said Friday. And the worsening economy - officially in recession for a year - is exacerbating the problem, the bankers group said... |
| Bloomberg -- December 5, 2008 California may pay with IOUs for second time since Great Depression California, the world¹s eighth largest economy, may pay vendors with IOUs for only the second time since the Great Depression, State Finance Director Mike Genest said. -- "It's getting worse very quickly," Schwarzenegger, a 61- year-old Republican, told reporters... "It's like an avalanche in that it gains momentum. And that's what we're in right now, so it's a real crisis." |
| Orange County Register -- Santa Ana, Calif. -- December 4, 2008 California crushed under mountain of unemployment claims California saw unemployment claims soar during the third quarter, with initial applications for benefits skyrocketing 78 percent over the same period last year. -- “Demand is up significantly,” says Loree Levy, state Employment Development Department spokeswoman... |
| Associated Press -- December 1, 2008 Arnold declares fiscal emergency in the 'Illegal Immigration State' Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger declared a fiscal emergency Monday and called lawmakers into a special session to address California's $11.2 billion deficit. -- The state's revenue gap is expected to hit $28 billion over the next 19 months without bold action... |
| Los Angeles Times -- November 23, 2008 Foreclosures, delinquencies skyrocketing among 'prime' borrowers ..."We should be really worried," said Stephen C. Levy, director of the Center for the Continuing Study of the California Economy, a private research firm in Palo Alto. -- .And as home prices continue to fall, delinquent borrowers are more likely than ever to end up in foreclosure... |
| American Patrol Report -- November 23, 2008 L. A. Times faces grim facts An editorial in today's Los Angeles Times paints a true picture of the economic catastrophe that is California. -- "The collapse of California was inevitable and will surely lead the way to near-depression conditions for the rest of the nation," said Glenn Spencer of American Patrol. "At its heart was the importation of poverty from Mexico," he added. |
| Los Angeles Times -- November 23, 2008 Surge in unemployment puts California's Inland Empire in tailspin If the Inland Empire is one of the birthplaces of the current recession, it is also at the forefront of the nation's growing pain over joblessness -- with the highest unemployment rate of any large metropolitan area in the country. State numbers released Friday show the Riverside, San Bernardino and Ontario area is now suffering from its highest unemployment rate in 13 years... |
| San Diego Union-Tribune -- November 23, 2008 1.5 million Californians out of work With thousands of jobs disappearing in retail, finance and construction, unemployment in California last month rose to its highest point since the recession of the early 1990s. Statewide, the unemployment rate hit 8.2 percent in October, according to data released yesterday by the state's Employment Development Department... |
| Los Angeles Times -- November 22, 2008 Mayor calls for 'emergency overhaul' of illegal alien-packed L.A.'s budget L. A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa on Friday called for an "emergency overhaul" of the city's budget, saying most departments must cut 3% of their costs through the end of the fiscal year. -- One day after the city's top financial expert proposed reductions to libraries, tree trimming and other services... |
| Los Angeles Times -- November 21, 2008 Californians should expect higher taxes - not a peep about costly invaders State lawmakers began moving toward a deal this week to close California's deficit with the help of steeper car fees that would cost many drivers hundreds of dollars annually, according to people involved in budget talks. -- Under the plan, GOP lawmakers -- most of whom have signed anti-tax pledges -- would vote to triple the vehicle license fee... |
| New York Times -- November 19, 2008 California universities will cut enrollment unless state increases money Hard hit by budget cuts, the California State University system is planning to cut its enrollment by 10,000 students for the 2009-10 academic year, unless state lawmakers provide more money. -- "We can’t continue to admit more and more students without receiving adequate funding," Chancellor Charles B. Reed said Monday... |
| Los Angeles Times -- November 17, 2008 Facing deficits, states get out sharper knives Two short months ago lawmakers in California struggled to close a $15 billion hole in the state budget. It was among the biggest deficits in state history. Now the state faces an additional $11 billion shortfall and may be unable to pay its bills this spring.... |
| New York Times -- November 16, 2008 California bankruptcies jump 80% The economy's deep troubles are pushing a growing number of already struggling consumers into bankruptcy, often with far more debt than those who filed in previous downturns. Plummeting home values, dwindling incomes and the near disappearance of credit have proved a potent mixture. |
| American Patrol Report -- November 15, 2008 The coming collapse According to the Economist.com, one half of all taxes paid in California are paid by 144,000 people. That is 0.37% of the population. American Patrol pointed out this incredible imbalance so long ago we can't yet find the analysis in our files. -- "It won't be long before people realize that importing poverty wasn't such a good idea after all," said Glenn Spencer of American Patrol. |
| Associated Press -- November 11, 2008 Illegal alien-bloated California faces $28 billion deficit California's budget deficit will grow to $28 billion through June 2010 unless lawmakers take bold action, possibly including a hike in the state income tax, the Legislature's nonpartisan analyst said Tuesday. -- The Legislative Analyst's Office urged lawmakers to act immediately...  |
| Los Angeles Times -- November 11, 2008 Goldman Sachs urged bets against California bonds it helped sell Goldman, Sachs & Co. urged some of its big clients to place investment bets against California bonds this year despite having collected millions of dollars in fees to help the state sell some of those same bonds. -- The giant investment firm did not inform the office of California Treasurer Bill Lockyer that it was proposing a way for investment clients to profit from California's deepening financial misery. |
| American Patrol Feature -- November 8, 2008 Now Comes the Truth: Illegal Immigration State faces meltdown |
San Jose Mercury News -- November 6, 2008  Lying governor of 'The Illegal Immigration State' wants to jack up your taxes Reacting to a gaping $11.2 billion hole in the California state budget he signed just six weeks ago, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger today announced a proposal to raise the state sales tax by 1.5 percent. -- In addition, he proposed implementing a brand new tax on services, such as those offered by veterinary clinics... [Watch KCRA video] |
| Sacramento Bee -- October 30, 2008 Schwarzenegger sees budget 'state of emergency' Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger characterized the state's projected multibillion-dollar budget deficit Wednesday as a "state of emergency" reflecting money woes worldwide, and he warned that major public services will be affected. -- "Since everyone has to take a haircut here, it's natural that education gets hit, law enforcement gets hit, prisons are going to get hit..." |
| Los Angeles Times -- October 12, 2008 Outlook is dismal for L.A.'s future budgets Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa offered a bleak financial forecast for city government over the next two years on Saturday, warning that deep cuts to services and other belt-tightening measures would be unavoidable because of the worsening economic downturn... |
| Business Week -- October 10, 2008 States that can't pay for themselves California is going to Washington, D.C., to ask for $7 billion to cover its budget shortfall. Otherwise it won't be able to pay for its teachers, cops, firemen, and other essential services. Unfortunately, California won't be alone. A number of other states are experiencing a huge dive in tax revenue... |
| David Callaway -- MarketWatch -- October 8, 2008 Is California too big to fail? You've got to give California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger credit for being the first to stick his hand out. -- Even before the vote on the $700 billion bailout bill last week, the wily Terminator of fiscal discipline had a letter on the desk of Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson making the case for a $7 billion loan... |
| Bloomberg -- October 8, 2008 Schwarzenegger may seek emergency budget session California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger may order lawmakers into emergency session to address a mounting deficit, two weeks after a record-long impasse ended with the Legislature over the budget. -- Schwarzenegger is scheduled to meet with Assembly and Senate leadership in his capitol office in Sacramento... |
| Los Angeles Times -- October 7, 2008 Leaders may call lawmakers into emergency session as new state budget plunges into the red Sacramento -- The state budget approved only weeks ago is already falling into the red, and lawmakers may be forced to return to Sacramento this month to make emergency spending cuts and take other measures to keep California from running out of cash... |
| Los Angeles Times -- October 3, 2008 Schwarzenegger to U.S.: State may need $7-billion loan California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, alarmed by the ongoing national financial crisis, warned Treasury Secretary Henry M. Paulson on Thursday that the state might need an emergency loan of as much as $7 billion from the federal government within weeks. |
| Los Angeles Times -- September 17, 2008 Schwarzenegger vows to veto state budget Sacramento -- Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger announced Tuesday that he planned to veto the state budget passed early that morning by the Legislature, setting the stage for an unprecedented confrontation in California's Capitol. -- "When they send me the budget, I will veto it," Schwarzenegger said at a news conference here.... |
| Capitol Weekly -- Sacramento -- September 17, 2008 Labor leader Pelote joins Recall Arnold drive ...Willie Pelote, the head lobbyist for the American Federation of State County and Municipal Employees was among the 85 people who signed the recall petition submitted to the Secretary of State by the California Correctional Peace Officers Association last week. -- "We’re in worse goddamn shape than when we had Gray [Davis], so you can make of that what you will," Pelote said Monday.... |
| Sacramento Bee -- September 16, 2008 Secret budget deal borrows from taxpayers California lawmakers were headed late Monday toward approving a state budget deal that Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is likely to veto, one that borrows billions from taxpayers and fails to prevent future financial trouble... |
| Los Angeles Times -- September 1, 2008 California enters uncharted territory with no budget As the Legislature lurched to its close Sunday with no budget in place, California toppled its own record for fiscal dysfunction. -- Never in recent memory has August ended without a spending plan, so the state is now thrust into uncharted territory. |
| Los Angeles Times -- September 1, 2008 California's doldrums sending some "immigrant workers" home For more than two years, Otoniel Lopez Cortez arrived at the Westlake day labor center before 6:30 a.m. to wait for jobs painting houses. Some weeks he earned a few hundred dollars, enough to pay his rent and bills and send money home to Guatemala... |
| Los Angeles Times -- September 1, 2008 Deficit looms for California's unemployment benefit fund With joblessness at a 12-year high and expected to head higher, California's fund for paying unemployment benefits is about to go broke. -- The fund, sustained mainly by taxes on employers, is projected to be deeply in the red as soon as March... |
| Los Angeles Times -- August 15, 2008 California's unemployment rate rises to 7.3% California's unemployment rate in July continued its upward flight, rising to 7.3%, a four-tenths of a percentage point jump from its June level, the U.S. Department of Labor reported Friday. -- It was the worst unemployment showing since July 1996 when the Golden State was still recovering from a deep recession that began in the early 1990s. |
| Los Angeles Times -- August 12, 2008 Schwarzenegger sues state controller over pay-cut order The Schwarzenegger administration Monday sued state Controller John Chiang in an effort to force him to comply with the governor's order that the pay of most state workers be dropped to the federal minimum wage until a state budget is enacted.... |
| Ventura County Star Editorial -- August 11, 2008 To hear California's Republican governor and Democratic Legislature tell it, the Golden State's revenues are in such dire straits that the state government must raise taxes to make ends meet. -- The facts tell a different story. -- Just four years ago, California taxpayers filled the state's coffers with more than $74 billion... [See American Patrol Report Feature -- August 12, 2008] |
| London Guardian -- August 10, 2008 How Arnie's California dreaming turned sour As the repo men come calling in the Golden State, and whole streets of homes lie empty, the property crisis gripping the US's economic powerhouse may spell disaster for the nation, writes James Doran... |
| American Patrol Report Feature -- July 29, 2008 Bankrupt California's Spending on Illegals Challenged Kris Kobach on Lou Dobbs Tonicht -- CNN: ...the state of California is in conflict with federal law. Federal law tells the alien, go home, you're not supposed to be in the country. But the state of California is telling the alien, hey, stay here, we'll give you a subsidy worth about $60,000, we want you in our state. So it's undermining federal law... |
| L. A. Daily News -- July 26, 2008 Most in California feel a financial strain Struggling with a lengthy economic downturn, a growing number of Californians believe the state is in the grips of an economic nightmare unlike any they could have imagined. -- Almost two-thirds of Californians say they are worse off financially than they were a year ago - the grimmest outlook in a half-century of polling... [See this feature] |
| Sacramento Bee -- June 30, 2008 Without a California budget, some bills won't be paid The state's new fiscal year begins Tuesday, and once again California will not have a state spending plan in place as lawmakers try to bridge a $15.2 billion deficit. -- Lawmakers and Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger remain far apart on any solution... |
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