Schwarzenegger paints bleak picture if budget measures fail

[Xithras]

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger painted a bleak picture today of what’s to come should budget-related state ballot measures fail next week.

Fire stations will close, prisons will be forced to release inmates, schools will lay off more than 50,000 teachers, schools will be shut down for several weeks, and the state will have to borrow from local governments, Schwarzenegger warned.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2009/05/arnold-schwarzenegger.html

[Xithras]

1. Also...

Wanted to mention that the California Teachers Association has endorsed all of the measures, and has largely acknowledged the truth in what Gropenfurher is saying about the schools. If the props fail, the Legislature will declare a budget emergency (because funds don't exist to finish the current fiscal year otherwise) and suspend Prop 98.

[bemildred]

2. "Fire stations will close, prisons will be forced to release inmates, schools will lay off ..."

and every one of those useless parasites in the legislature will get rightly thrown out of office in the next election. I would say Ahnuld, but he is gone anyway.

[bemildred]

3. Gov: State deficit $21 billion if measures fail

(05-11) 18:21 PDT SACRAMENTO -- California's budget deficit in the coming year will balloon to $21.3 billion if voters reject key ballot measures in the May 19 special election, while the shortfall will be $15.4 billion if voters approve them, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said today in a letter to legislative leaders.

All but one of the six ballot measures trailing in polls and Schwarzenegger has warned in recent days that if the measures fail the state would have to make devastating cuts that could undermine public safety, schools and local government.

Today, Schwarzenegger upped the ante by informing legislative leaders that he intends to release a revised version of his budget on Thursday, five days before the election, that will spell out solutions to fiscal crisis.

"In order to avert both a budget shortfall and a cash crisis, it is imperative that we begin work immediately to address these challenges," Schwarzenegger wrote in the letter.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/05/11/BAUD17IKN0.DTL&tsp=1

Damn, and I thought that we HAD been working to avert these crises. Now I find out we need to begin work immediately.

[bemildred]

4. What happens when they fail?

I was thinking about it. The reddest parts of California are rural, which means that generally they are most dependent on government jobs and services, schools and roads, etc. So how are they going to react when all that goes on the chopping block? I mean damn if I know, but it sounds like it could ugly. Could some more Republicans in Sacramento lose their jobs over this? Could some Democrats?

[cboy4]

5. Since when was I hired to do the job lawmakers are paid

to do?

Lock up the legislature and make them figure things out like they were elected to do.

[slackmaster]

6. Your house is going to burn down, your kid won't learn to read, and felons will roam the streets

Undeterred because there won't be any police to keep them in check.

Mmmmmmmmmmmmmkay.

[Kajsa]

7. Exactly!

This extreme reaction has stirred my suspicions, also.

Chicken Little, is that you?

[Joe Bacon]

8. Recall Arnold

Debra Bowen has been notified that a formal recall petition is out on Arnold. Sign it and can his sorry ass, since the legislature is too chicken to impeach him!

[roody]

9. I like the part about less people in prisons.

I'm voting no to move the revolution forward.