Many Riverside County Legislators Critical Of State's $122.5 Billion Budget For 2016-17

RIVERSIDE COUNTY, CA -- A $122.5 billion spending plan for the 2016-17 fiscal year was approved Wednesday by the California Legislature amid criticism from several Riverside County lawmakers that it's rife with excesses and short on fiscal discipline.

"Like a broken record, the Democrat majority has proposed another record-setting budget that fails to address fundamental issues plaguing our state," said Assemblywoman Melissa Melendez, R-Lake Elsinore. "Roads are falling apart, crime rates are skyrocketing, wells are drying up and people are waiting months, if not years, to have access to justice."

Melendez complained that the budget -- which includes a number of trailer bills that have yet to be approved and sent to the governor -- gifts "raises to state employees and substantially (expands) the welfare state."
She noted a Department of Finance report showing the state will be in a $4 billion hole by 2019 at the current level of spending -- and that doesn't factor in the effects of another potential recession, which some market analysts believe is likely.

State Sen. Richard Roth, D-Riverside, took a more sanguine view, lauding his colleagues for incorporating his proposal to boost spending in support of medical residencies by $100 million in the next fiscal year. Roth's plan seeks to address the physician shortage that has plagued the Inland Empire and is predicted to worsen.
"In addition, I am very pleased the final version of the budget includes funding I again fought to include for the California Military Department's 'Work for Warriors' program, a highly successful program connecting California veterans with jobs," Roth said.

He expressed disappointment that his proposal to fund new judicial positions in Riverside and San Bernardino counties didn't make the cut but vowed to keep "fighting" for the judgeships.

Assemblyman Chad Mayes, R-Palm Desert, denounced the budget as a bloated spending plan that defies "fiscal responsibility."

"While supposedly balanced, the budget passed today sets the state on a clear path to future deficits," Mayes said. "This is nothing to celebrate. Gov. Jerry Brown has warned that California will soon experience a recession and face large budget deficits ... We can't make this mistake again. Rather than overspend in the face of a recession, Republicans want a responsible budget that is balanced today and built with an eye on tomorrow."

Republican lawmakers were galled by the majority's spending priorities on family aid, child care providers and similar welfare programs.

A cap on family grants was eliminated, opening up state aid to an additional 130,000 children and 95,000 families throughout California, according to state Sen. Kevin De Leon, D-Los Angeles. The Senate president said the budget "makes key investments to fight poverty and homelessness (and) bolster education from pre-school to college."

De Leon touted the fact that the spending plan seeks $3 billion to pay off debt. But Sen. Jeff Stone, R-Temecula, characterized that as a drop in the bucket.

"California now has debts and obligations estimated at $330 billion," Stone said. "That's over $8,000 for every man, woman and child in California."

"This budget paves the way for future deficit, and pays for new office buildings for state workers in Sacramento, while roads and bridges across the state crumble," he said. "It hikes car registration and other fees on people who already dig deeper in their pockets than most Americans to pay their taxes."
The proposed budget is nearly $7 billion larger than last year's.

The deadline for submitting a budget plan to the governor was Wednesday night. Although the general blueprint is in place, additional legislation is expected to be passed over the next couple of weeks to fulfill budgetary commitments.

Brown has indicated he will sign the submitted budget.

--City News Service