GOP Budget Cuts: Environment, Parks, Dentists and Welfare

There is no real change in the political situation on the budget in the past day. The Republicans are still pledging to stick together on their $842 million in deep cuts to the budget and the Democrats are united against it. Perata is now calling the Republican's actions "fiscal terrorism". Meanwhile, more details on what exactly the Republicans have proposed to slash emerged.

One of the biggest is their end around attempt to try and stop Attorney General Jerry Brown from going after polluters. It is something they can't accomplish in the normal legislative process, so they are trying to do it through the budget. They want to restrict his ability to enforce the landmark greenhouse gas bill AB 32. All of the major environmental groups issued a joint statement titled "Senate Republicans Declare Open Season on the Environment". LAT:

The coalition warned that a demand by the lawmakers to restrict enforcement of a landmark law passed last year to curb greenhouse gases "is a radical departure from established state policy." Business interests "want a moratorium now while they delay and obstruct regulation in the future."

The Republicans also want to slash another $15 million from our state park's maintenance fund. State Parks is already woefully behind on maintenance and this will only further degrade our parks.

Some of the other cuts the Republicans have proposed would take away federal matching funds, doubling the loss and others could run afoul of legal rulings. The CPB has been speaking out against the welfare cuts.

Staff at the nonprofit California Budget Project said such a cut could leave the state out of compliance with federal rules, resulting in the loss of hundreds of millions of dollars in matching funds. Republican budget staff disputed that finding.

Despite pledges not to reduce spending on public safety, the GOP plan would cut $49 million from the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. Some of the proposals could violate court settlements reached between the department and inmate attorneys or hinder the department's efforts to upgrade its technology, experts said.

The lawmakers are proposing to cut an increase in the number of prison dentists, as well as a boost in their pay, that was ordered by a federal court. The proposal comes as the state's inability to comply with the orders of federal judges leaves the prison system vulnerable to being taken over by the courts."

It's probably not the best idea to start messing with court settlements when the courts are moving towards taking over the prison system.

Arnold, for his part, was sounding more productive, though absent yesterday. Chron:

Meanwhile, Schwarzenegger -- who has a cool relationship with most Republican lawmakers after spending the last two years courting Democrats -- said he is growing concerned that the late budget will create hardships for some employees and vendors who are not getting paid.

"The time has come to solve this," he said Wednesday an event in South Lake Tahoe. "I would hope that we will have an agreement by tomorrow."

That would be more likely if he was in Sacramento giving that statement, not hours to the East in Tahoe.