Posted on Sat, Jan. 11, 2003 - A Repost maybe ??????
A snapshot of Gov. Gray Davis' 2003-04 budget plan
Associated Press
SACRAMENTO - Here are highlights from the $96.4 billion 2003-04 budget plan unveiled Friday by Gov. Gray Davis. The budget plan includes new proposals he announced Friday and midyear cuts he pitched in December.
TAXES:
_ A 1-cent on the dollar sales tax increase that would raise about $4.6 billion and would cost the typical family about $200 to $250 a year. For a $15,000 car, the increase would tack on an extra $150.
_ Increasing the two top rates in California income tax to raise $2.6 billion. Individuals would pay 10 percent on any income more than $133,000 and couples on income more than $260,000. Currently the highest income bracket earner pays 9.3 percent.
_A $1.10-per-pack cigarette tax hike to raise $1.2 billion. That would increase the price of a pack of Winston's at a Sacramento-area grocery store from $5.29 to $6.39.
STATE GOVERNMENT REALIGNMENT:
_Calls for a shift of several state government services to local governments. They include mental health and substance abuse, child care, healthy communities, long-term care and court security programs totaling more than $8 billion. Money raised by the proposed tax increases would go to local governments to pay for them handling the services.
FEES:
_Increases the base vehicle registration fee by $3 and raising vehicle registration surcharges by $4 for highway patrol funding, to raise $95 million.
_Doubles the cost of a noncommercial drivers license to $24.
_Proposes increases on admission to state parks and for fishing and hunting license fees.
_Increases a variety of pollution regulatory fees to pay for pollution enforcement.
K-12 EDUCATION:
_Cuts about $5.4 billion from schools spending over the next 18 months. Slates $44 billion in schools spending next fiscal year.
_Proposes more flexibility for schools in spending on 64 "categorical" programs - mandated programs that include adult education, school safety, high-risk youth programs and library and instructional materials.
HIGHER EDUCATION:
_Calls for tuition increases at the state's universities and for more than doubling community college fees from $11 per credit to $24 per credit.
HEALTH CARE:
_Provides health care coverage for another 500,000 low-income children despite cutbacks in several other areas.
_Proposes a total 15 percent cut in payments to doctors and medical facilities that treat Medi-Cal patients.
_Cuts 18 optional benefits provided to Medi-Cal recipients, including adult dental, hospice, chiropractic, acupuncture and prosthetics.
_Starts a requirement that Medi-Cal recipients submit eligibility status reports four times a year, which the administration estimates will reduce the number of adults in the program by 193,000 in 2003-04.
VEHICLE LICENSE FEES:
_Eliminates $4.2 billion over the next 18 months in funding to reimburse cities and counties for lost money from a past reduction of the vehicle license fee for drivers. Local governments would have to make up for the lost money. Davis is not calling for an increase to drivers but some lawmakers have said they will propose a hike.
STATE WORKERS:
_Proposes program eliminations that would cut 1,900 state jobs, about 1,500 of which are filled and would result in layoffs. Also directs the personnel department to reopen workers contracts to cut $570 million from the state payroll through pay cuts or layoffs.
_Suspends payments by one year to state teacher pension fund and defers payments to the state worker's retirement fund.
INDIAN GAMBLING:
_Calls for renegotiation of existing tribal-state compacts that regulate gambling and the inclusion in new agreements to share revenues with the state, which officials estimate will raise about $1.5 billion.
CORRECTIONS:
_Contains various reductions including $10.2 million by closing of the Northern California Women's Facility in Stockton. |
