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Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger talks with his staff about potential line-item veto's on Monday (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli)
Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger finally signed California's budget today, making additional cuts to fill a $1.1 billion gap left by legislators in their approved package. An additional $6.2 million was cut from state parks after an $8 million cut was proposed last week. That makes a total of $14.2 million, a number the Schwarzenegger's office predicts "will result in the closure of probably more than 100 parks."
"We pretty stunned by this news. This is incredibly disappointing," said Traci Verardo-Torres, Vice President of Government Affairs at the California Parks Foundation. "I think, for most Californians, this will take the place they most love and respect and want to visit off the table."
Explaining his decision in the budget package document (.pdf), Schwarzenegger said "I know this reduction will likely lead to closure of additional parks but we are facing unprecedented budget challenges and we have limited choices. I am directing the Department to do everything it can to work with local governments, the federal government, community based organizations, and other interested parties who can partner with the state to help mitigate any state park closures."
Yesterday, a state park official told LAist they are looking at all options to save parks including partnering with local governments to keep parks open during these economically turbulent times. "I don't think there is a safety net for more than 100 parks," warned Verardo-Torres who said that California is truly looking at real closures of many parks.
The state has not released a list of parks set to close. Major cuts were also made to child welfare services and AIDS prevention and treatment.
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Do we live in the worst state, or what?
All these cuts, simply to avoid raising our vehicle license fee. We have no morals.
and if I remember correctly, the vehicle license fees were higher in the late 80's.. then after the recession of the 90's, they were lowered b/c the state was (temporarily) flush with cash. the governor got to win political points for cutting taxes while not actually doing anything. I thought it was even presented as a temporary fee cut. then when it was said we needed to reinstate that fee, people went crazy (or were too new to california to know otherwise) and out went Gray Davis
Yep, the Gray Davis "increase" wasn't actually an increase.
But I guess if you go galavanting around California with a wrecking ball and a few junkers and saY; "I'm going to TERMINATE this tax increase!" people believe you.
Not that I liked the guy that much, but I miss Gray Davis compared to Schwarzenegger.
Sort of like how Obama's tax on the wealthy is actually just rolling back the Bush tax cuts.
"just rolling back the Bush tax cuts."
hey those are my talking points. ; ]
how the hell do so many people not see this though?
So incredibly shortsighted. I'd pay $15 more a year for state park access. Hell, I'd pay $50 a year for access as a long-term investment in this state. California is iconic in large measure due to the incredible landscape here and it brings in huge tourism revenues. Additionally, in recessionary times, we need easy vacations like camping (of which I just partook this weekend.) NPR had a report this morning that most campsites are seeing huge surges in attendance.
Raise the damn vehicle tax. Figure out the property tax situation. We are bankrupt because we allow an uninformed electorate to make budgetary decisions and we then elect politicians who pander to the lowest common denominator in political sloganeering.
Guess all my letter writing to Democrats didn't exactly pay off.
Your letter writing did pay off. The legislature passed a budget that would have probably kept all the parks open. However, they still left behind a deficit of ~$1 billion.
The cuts to the Parks were entirely the work of the governor, who used a line-item veto to cut the budget after it was passed.
Sorry, but we simply have to make cuts. We have some of the highest taxes in the nation already (highest income, sales, gas and property, etc) and the state is STILL broke. High taxes are destroying this state. Those of you who are calling for more taxes are blind to how bad things really are here.
We got into this situation by trying to use government to right every wrong - a disastrous way to run things.
To make matters worse, businesses are leaving California to escape our ridiculous taxes - this is one of the reasons Hollywood movies are no longer made in Hollywood. Instead productions are lured to places like Canada and Australia where tax breaks are given instead, attracting business and creating jobs.
When a state is drastically over spent, the answer isn't to feed it more of the people's money! The only correct (and moral) answer is to fix problem and cut spending.
It seems that, even though the majority of Californians disagree with you, the minority is able to exert complete control over the budget and demand that the state bankrupt itself to appease the anti-tax/anti-government extremists.
Also, re: the entertainment production tax credits, CA finally passed a comparable measure in February that went into effect on July 1. So far, in under a month, it's kept 25 productions (and associated jobs) local.
Other places also have to give specific tax BREAKS for film and TV production and other niche industries. ie - they also have higher general taxes. Sacto was certainly slow in responding to the entertainment exodus crisis, but it's not a question only of higher taxes. We also have a much higher cost of living in CA (housing, food, required to own cars) but we benefit too, at least until recently, from better public education, health programs and quality of life.
Our 1% property tax rate is actually one of the lowest in the nation, and that was enacted by voters.
Cutting funding for state parks wouldn't be necessary if the parks were allowed to raise their parking fee (Something Arnold helped shoot down), which could have made the agency entirely self sufficient. Raising user fees, and raising taxes are not the same thing. What is preferable, parks that cost a little more to visit, or parks that are closed to everyone. Plus state parks in addition to their direct revenue potential, boost local economies of the regions as people visit. This is dumbest dumb dumb fuck fuck dumb mother fucking fuck logic ever. Arnold hates California, it's that simple.
i seriously think, as i've said before
it's a setup for a landgrab.
time for a ballot initiative about the state parks.
cuz if they put a fucking condos at leo carillo. it's proof that the devil lives in Sacramento.
"...at least until recently...'
I thought that needed to be repeated.