Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Bloat Don't Float

In the 1950-51 fiscal year, California had 10.6 million residents and the state general fund budget was $587 million. $55.40 per capita. Adjusted for inflation; $442.51 in 2010 dollars.

FY 2010-11 37 million residents and $83 billion. $2,243.24 per capita.

8 comments:

Winston said...

A big portion of the increase in per capita spending comes from federally mandated programs. Specifically, Medicaid (MediCal) and Welfare to work (CalWorks). These alone account for about $560 of the $1240 increase. The rest of the increase comes from education, which was effectively shifted from a local to a state program by props 13 and 98. So the question becomes: do you want to eliminate health care for the poor and let the needy starve or do you want to slash education?

Unknown said...

Neither. We want a big fence.

TJandTheBear said...

It burns (my eyes), though!

Property Flopper said...

Wow... after months of no update, we get that instead of cheesecake.

Please pass the mind bleach when you're done with it...

CA seriously needs to look at cuts. The idea that we can balance the budget without cuts is silly. CA is definitely bloated.

CA -ALSO- needs to look at raising taxes... we shouldn't, but at the point we're at, we're not going to be able to get there just by cuts.

We could have a constitutional convention and get rid of all the mandated crap currently sitting out there - that would help. Gut the prison guard union, that would also help... short of some drastic steps, cuts alone won't do it. I'd personally love to see drastic steps taken though...

Son of Brock Landers said...

Plenty of cuts to be found, but Property Flopper has a point. Maybe not raise taxes but user fees. UCLA, Berekely and the like offer an education on par with overpriced Ivies and little Ivies charging 52K/year. They could fairly ask for 3K extra a year as they will not get union concessions, and still offer a great deal.

CalPERS could change the definition of the disability payments for disabled union members to regular occupation so people can't get 'disabled' from their specific job and then find another job but still get the disability payment from PERS for the 1st.

wagga said...

Dawg has been out of circulation for so long, I've forgotten my password.

asphaltjesus said...

Winston's about right, the number may be bigger, but there are basically more services and infrastructure now than then.

Wailing and moaning about a bigger number doesn't pass for insightful anything.

Rob Dawg, what gets cut first, second and third?
Would you like the 101 to turn into little more than a service road?

How about getting rid of public education dollars? Those kids can hang out together while both parents work. Maybe put them in jail where they can learn to be criminals?

How about getting rid of public medical services. Send everyone to urgent care. You'll spend **far** more than what was spent on public care services, but whatever.

Forget making higher education as a way to build the middle class too. That's gone already. But let's just rip the bandage off the hairy limb and take the UC's private. CSU's can just die.

Now what? Man up and lay out a plan.

Akubi said...

Yeah, but apparently Californians are so clueless they didn't vote yes on 19.
Thank you Mexico!