Legislative Analyst Mac Taylor says lawmakers should reject Governor Schwarzenegger’s proposal to eliminate the state’s welfare to work program and state-supported child care. He says that would cost the state billions in federal matching money and hurt the lowest-income Californians. Taylor prefers cuts to the programs. And he recommends suspending the voter-approved minimum funding guarantee for schools – known as prop. 98.
“The people voted on it. They must have had in mind some situations where it would need to be done. If this isn’t one where you’d want to consider it, I don’t know what is.”
Schools get the biggest chunk of the state’s budget and Taylor says suspending the guarantee would give lawmakers more flexibility. However, it’s a political minefield. Taylor says lawmakers should consider hiking the alcohol tax, increasing community college fees and delaying some business tax cuts. He also recommends funding cuts for trial courts and universities.