HHS Network Urges Support for Gov’s Rev Package — Cautions Against Specific Cuts
On Tuesday (Feb. 1st), the HHS Network of California issued the following response to Governor Brown’s “State of the State” address, urging support for the Governor’s modest revenue package and cautioning against specific threats that would cost jobs & threaten lives.
Sacramento, CA – On Monday, Governor Jerry Brown issued his “State of the State” address before a joint session of the California State Legislature, promoting his proposed state budget plan combining a mixture of revenue solutions and steep spending cuts to balance the state’s $25.4 billion deficit.
The HHS Network of California, a statewide coalition of advocates, consumers, and allies working together for strong health care and human services in California, issued the following statement in response to the Governor’s address:
First and foremost, we’re encouraged to see Governor Brown push forth a serious budget proposal that acknowledges the overwhelming need to balance the budget with at least some form of revenues. Ensuring that the Governor’s revenue package (which merely extends current sales tax, income tax and vehicle license fee revenue figures) makes it to the ballot in June’s special election and subsequently passes is a top priority of the Network.
Nonetheless, the proposed $12.5 billion in spending cuts represent a very real harm to California’s economic and family recovery. Not only do these cuts put countless California seniors, people with disabilities, and low-income families at risk; but, they will also cost the state thousands of public and private sector jobs, while at the same time forcing California to forego billions of dollars in Federal matching funds for affected programs such as Medi-Cal and CalWORKS.
Despite the challenges that lie ahead, we are optimistic about the possibility that our state can produce a budget that reflects our collective priorities. This optimism is fueled by recent evidence from the Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC)’s public opinion survey, which shows that “very strong” majorities of Californians now understand that the state cannot close its budgetary deficit through cuts alone.
The Governor has taken a great first step in bringing revenues to the table as part of a broader discussion. But there are several billions of dollars of additional revenues available through revenues that voters say they support, such as the oil severance tax, that should be added to the package in order to avert the worse of these devastating cuts.
Expert Availability:
The following experts from the HHS Network of California are available for commentary at the phone numbers listed below:
- Mike Herald, Western Center on Law & Poverty, 916-844-6263
- Nancy Berlin, California Partnership, 415-314-8013
- Reshma Shamasunder, California Immigrant Policy Center, 213-241-0273
- Anthony Wright, Health Access California, 916-870-4782
For additional assistance or information, please contact Brian Rice at 510-271-0640 x 106 or e-mail at brian@fcpcommunications.com or visit us online at www.hhsnetworkca.org
