Advertise Here

Deliver your message to thousands of readers every day.

Our readers are influential opinion makers - politicians, journalists and activists.

Our latest headlines

Attorney General Brown Announces Largest Predatory Lending Settlement in History: $8.68 Billion in Home Loans and Foreclosures Relief Nationally—Up to $3.5 Billion to Californians—From Countrywide Financial Corporation
Hannah-Beth Jackson Has the Goods on Tony Strickland in Pivotal California Senate Seat Race
Proposition 5: We Need to Fix the Drug Court System
Turning a Red California District Blue: Is the Third Time a Charm for Ferial Masry and the Sixth Seat for Democrats to Gain Two-Thirds in the Assembly?
The Heller Gun Decision Week 14 – The U.S. Senate Holds H.R. 6842 and California Holds SB 327
Cavala: Competitive Legislative Seats Do Not Produce “Moderate” Lawmakers
In California’s 5th Senate District Race Democrat Wolk Should Win

About Us

The California Progress Report is published by Frank D. Russo, a longtime observer of and participant in California politics.

About Frank Russo.
About California Progress Report.

Got a news tip? Want to write a guest column? Contact Frank here.

Books

Schwarzenegger Director of Finance, Former Senate Republican Staffer, Says Budget Should Have Been Passed Weeks Ago

Hi, this is Mike Genest, filling in for Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger with this week's California Report.

I'm the Governor's Director of Finance and he asked me to talk about the strong Republican values that we are supporting in the state budget.

The budget is nearly seven weeks late, but we are still one vote short of getting it passed. All but one of the Senate Republicans have voted to hold up the budget, even though it reflects their priorities and gives them exactly what they asked for when the budget process started.

The budget does not raise taxes.

It pays down $2.5 billion in debt.

It fully funds education and public safety.

And with the spending vetoes that the Governor has promised, it gives us as a reserve of $4.1 billion and reduces our operating deficit to zero, which means we will not be spending more than we take in this year.

The Republicans in the Senate called for a zero operating deficit and we are giving it to them.

Not only that, but we've kept spending growth to only six-tenths of one percent in this budget. That, my friends, is fiscally conservative.

So far, Senator Abel Maldonado is the only Republican who has voted to pass this budget. We need one more vote.

State services are being disrupted and hard-working families are going without paychecks.

The stalemate is threatening our hospitals, nursing homes and community colleges. The longer this is drawn out, the more money we lose.

More than $4 billion in savings are written into the budget, but they can't be realized until it is passed.

This has already cost California taxpayers $20 million.

In this case, time is literally money and it is makes no financial sense to hold up the budget any longer.

If the delay in the Senate continues until the Assembly reconvenes August 20th, we risk losing the cost savings we achieved in that version of the budget.

Before I came to work for Governor Schwarzenegger, I worked for the Senate Republican Caucus.

I admire and respect them and I know they have fought hard to get spending under control and move us away from our well-known fiscal problems.

But this budget does that. It should have been passed weeks ago.

Our state needs it and our people deserve it.

We need that one more vote.

On behalf of Governor Schwarzenegger, I'm Mike Genest.

Thank you for listening.

Posted on August 11, 2007

Comments

What he says is irrelevent. Budget will be passed, if and when Democrats give Republicans exactly what they want. It can be passed in a week or in a year it all depends on Democrats

Posted by: Dmitriy at August 11, 2007 08:19 AM

Thanks for illustrating the psychosis fostered by the Internet, "Dmitriy."

In "a year," there would not be any Republican Party in CaIifornia.

Posted by: Bill Bradley at August 11, 2007 08:26 AM

Well said but how else will it pass (other than, of course for Dmitry's brilliant idea)? If the budget is well satisfied by the demands of both parties - setting aside their personal interest, how else can we convince at least one more to vote for it. E-mailing them and calling them about the worries and woes of the people affected does not bother them at all. What else do they need to be convince? You think this will pass before the Assembly? You think the governor can pull this off. Can other big wig help influence these republicans?

Posted by: ria at August 11, 2007 11:20 AM

I wonder what Dimitry will say when the budget finally passes without the Democrats "giving the Republicans exactly what they want"? How sad!

Posted by: Nozz at August 13, 2007 09:58 AM

My god I am so tired of bullies disguised as politicians, this kind of bluster and intimidation went out in the 4th grade...meanwhile public services and and infrastructure items get put on hold all for the sake of a Republican power trip! I really hope it backfires on them.

Posted by: kevbar at August 16, 2007 09:25 PM

Get Email Updates

Want the California Progress Report by email? Once a week, we'll send you the latest and greatest headlines.

Stat tracker