Commentary
By Riverside Mayor Ron Loveridge
Special to InstantRiverside.com
Whether the California electorate passes Propositions 1A-1F tomorrow or not, California continues to grapple with its worst fiscal crisis in decades. Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC), a respected non-partisan research organization, has released its latest poll, showing:
1A — YES 35%; NO 52%; Don’t Know 13%
1B — YES 40%; NO 47%; Don’t Know 13%
1C — YES 32%; NO 58%; Don’t Know 10%
1D — YES 43%; NO 45%; Don’t Know 12%
1E — YES 41%; NO 48%; Don’t Know 11%
If the measures fail – and there is every reason to expect that they will – California’s cities will experience greater fiscal pressure than they have experienced under the economic downturn. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger released a “Doomsday” budget alternative last week that calls for state borrowing of approximately $2 billion in local government revenues, a financial raid that will leave City of Riverside coffers slightly more than $6.6 million poorer.
Cities will be opposing state raids on local government funds vigorously. Residents depend on the police, fire, library, parks, and other services that are currently at risk. This election could very well have an impact upon our local quality of life for years to come.
The ballot measures can be described this way:
Propositions 1A-1F
Prop. 1A: Caps spending, increases rainy-day fund and extends sales tax increase by 2 years.
Prop. 1B: Provides school funding if Prop. 1A also passes. 1A must pass for 1B to take effect.
Prop. 1C: Modernizes the state lottery and allows the state to borrow $5 billion against future lottery revenue.
Prop. 1D: Immediately moves $600 million from Prop. 10 tobacco tax account to the state’s general fund. Ultimately will transfer $1.6 billion.
Prop. 1E: Moves $450 million over two years from Prop. 63 mental health account to the general fund.
Prop. 1F: Prohibits raises for legislators in any year the state has a deficit.
Monday, May 18, 2009
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