What Role Should Cities Play in the GROWING STATE BUDGET CRISIS?

摘要

Whether California's budget deficit will be $21 billion, $24 billion or even higher, few people doubt the profoundly troubling condition of the state general fund. For the 2002―03 fiscal year, state policy-makers traded funds, borrowed against anticipated tobacco revenues and squeezed every possible solution out of an already severely strained state budget. Few stones were left unturned in the effort to finalize the budget. No one ― absolutely no one ―involved in the process thought the budget represented sound public policy. They just knew the pain had to end, and they needed to get on with their re-election campaigns.