CalMatters
By Lynn La, Cal Matters
After Gov. Gavin Newsom unveiled his initial budget proposal last week, advocacy and interest groups decried many of his proposed cuts or delays in funding — including for climate change programs and healthcare wages. The governor deems these cuts necessary to plug the state’s $38 billion budget hole (or $58 billion if you go by the Legislative Analyst’s Office numbers), and says his plan protects key investments in education, public safety, mental health care reform and other priorities.
Still, intense lobbying will continue for months as legislators and these interest groups attempt to wrangle money for their causes. The governor has until May to revise the budget for the 2024-25 fiscal year, and the entire process lasts at least through June, when legislators must sign off on a budget deal lest they don’t get paid. Until then, some more winners and losers from Newsom’s January proposal are becoming clearer:
State park goers: About 68 million people visit California state parks every year, but getting in for free might get harder for California residents as Newsom proposes to eliminate funding for two park access programs. One is the California State Park Adventure Pass, which allows fourth graders and their families free entry to 54 state parks. The other is the California State Library Parks Pass, which allows Californians with a library card to get a day-use vehicle pass to 200 state parks for free (typically saving $10-$15 per vehicle.) These programs are part of Newsom’s Outdoors for All initiative, which received $9.1 million for three years starting in 2021-22.
- Rachel Norton, California State Parks Foundation executive director, in a statement: “The cost of entry can deter people from experiencing the natural wonders within these parks, thereby excluding them from the numerous physical and mental health benefits, educational opportunities, and recreational activities that these spaces offer.”
Foster kids: The governor proposed slashing $30 million from the California Family Urgent Response System, which includes a 24/7 hotline, for foster care youth and their caregivers, reports the Los Angeles Times. Newsom also proposed delaying $80 million in funding for the Bringing Families Home Program, which seeks to reduce homelessness for families in the child welfare system.
- Ted Lempert, Children Now president, in a statement: “While we recognize the large deficit affecting the Administration’s budget proposal, we can’t continue down this path of deprioritizing kids that has led to alarmingly poor outcomes.”
The city of Fresno: Long regarded as an anchor to Central Valley’s economy and vital to the state’s future (especially in relation to California’s high speed rail project), Fresno and its downtown have been undergoing a revitalization, fueled in part by a $250 million investment by the state. But Newsom plans to delay about $200 million, which would fund infrastructure improvements, green spaces and upgrading sewer systems, according to The Fresno Bee. In a statement, Fresno Mayor Jerry Dyer said the governor let him know that “he is not backing away from his commitment to downtown Fresno.”
- Dyer: “We will continue to be relentless in the pursuit of these dollars and to ensure Fresno receives what was previously committed by the governor and the Legislature.”
Newsom vows to veto football bill: Speaking of the governor, he quickly sought Tuesday to put the kibosh on a contentious measure to ban tackle football for California children under 12. In a statement, first reported by Politico, he said that an “outright ban is not the answer.” But he pledged to work with legislators “to strengthen safety in youth football — while ensuring parents have the freedom to decide which sports are most appropriate for their children.”
As CalMatters Digital Democracy reporter Ryan Sabalow explained on Tuesday, the bill has riled up parental rights supporters and Republicans, who plan an opposition rally today at the state Capitol.
Over $6.5 billion to insure the undocumented, $3.3 billion to the unhoused, raising taxes year after year…
Something is up. I wonder what Gavin’s bank account looks like right now.
There is plenty of money out there in CA, and yet Gavin says no to 4th graders getting into state parks? That’s where you balance your budget? Wow. And it looks like the train to nowhere is coming to roost as well. What a joke. All the while CA is losing it big time in educating the next generation. #LoseGavin.
And yet some idiot on another thread said “It seems to me an unproductive use of one’s time to complain about how bad the candidates are.”
His hypocrisy and complete lack of self awareness knows no bounds
Gruesome at it again.
Cutting the Foster Care program budget. Gotta make sure the illegals are well taken care of. Outrageous.
Supplying money for illegal healthcare when our legal residents are having difficult times getting healthcare paid for. Taking away money from foster children is absolutely ridiculous. And come on the fourth graders. Get to go to the parks to play once in a while that’s going to help his budget. I’m sure he’ll raise our taxes. and I think they were actually thinking of running him for President of the United States. Could you imagine what he would do to our country? Lol just a thought.
Why can’t our “Butthead look-a-like” governor just end programs for the ILLEGAL immigrants and use that money for those of us who are LEGAL residents?
Because they are human beings, they live here whether you like it or not, they pay taxes and good people don’t treat others like dirt.
Because the state of California can’t afford it that’s why
Nah, that’s not why.
Many, many LEGAL Americans believe that good people don’t…
illegally enter our country.
bring illegal drugs into our country.
buy fake ID cards and SS numbers from places like Alvarado St in Los Angeles.
complain that our country they illegally entered into isn’t doing enough for them.
drag their children hundreds, if not thousands, of miles to a place they’re not welcome.
earn money under the table, and then wire transfer money back to their home country.
disrespect any LEGAL immigrant here who’s entered our country legally.
and so on.
Good people don’t treat others like dirt. To many, many LEGAL Americans it sure feels like the ILLEGAL immigrants are treating our country as toilet paper.
@bft4me, and many, many LEGAL Americans also believe the rhetoric you espouse is not only based on xenophobic propaganda from one political party, but is largely false and only used to anger people with deep-seated racist beliefs who hate change and feel like their inherit privilege will be taken from them if we all succeed.
“When Californians are asked whether immigration is good or a bad for the US, 69% say it is a good thing. Four in ten say immigration should be kept at its present level; 36% say it should be decreased and about 24% say it should be increased.
An even larger share (80%) favor providing a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants who meet certain requirements (e.g., waiting periods, fines and back taxes, and criminal background checks).”
“Immigration flows increased in the past year, but remain low by historic standards.”
“The vast majority of immigrants in California are documented residents.”
Source: https://www.ppic.org/publication/immigrants-in-california/