California uber alles

29 July 2010 By Martin Hutchinson

The California governor has declared a financial state of emergency and put government worker furloughs in his crosshairs. That should usefully focus the minds of lawmakers still twiddling thumbs while the Golden State approaches a Greeklike tragedy.

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Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger declared a California state of emergency July 28 under which government offices from Aug. 1 will be closed on the second, third and fourth Fridays of each month. The California state budget for the fiscal year to June 2011 has a $19 billion shortfall in an $85 billion state budget.

The 22 percent shortfall in the 20102011 budget is the thirteenth worst among the fifty states, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities; the two worst are Nevada at 54 percent and Illinois at 42 percent.

State and local government spending in California has increased from 18.2 percent of GDP in fiscal year 2000 to 25.5 percent of GDP in the current fiscal year 2011.

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