Now Caleefornya as another GREAT LIER!!!!
AHNIE PROMISED no cuts for EDUCATION....no cuts for POLICE.....no cuts for FIRE PROTECTION.....
and now HE"S CUTTING THEM ALL TO THE BONE.....
Governor's About-Face on Budget Immoral, Hahn Says
By Jessica Garrison, Patrick McGreevy and Sue Fox, Times Staff Writers
His voice quivering with rage, Los Angeles Mayor James K. Hahn
condemned Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and state lawmakers as "immoral"
for contemplating a budget deal that shortchanges cities.
Los Angeles County Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky suggested retaliating by
withholding $1.8 billion in property taxes each year from the state — a step
that he acknowledged is illegal.
On Wednesday — the
day the state would have
sent an additional $254
million to local
governments if
Schwarzenegger had not
repealed an increase in
the car tax — officials
responded with unusual
ferocity. They invoked
not only the dire
projections that typically
accompany budget cuts,
but outrage that they
said stemmed from broken promises on a
personal level.
The governor campaigned on a platform that included reversing former Gov. Gray Davis' tripling of the
vehicle license fee, which flows to local coffers. But Schwarzenegger repeatedly pledged that he would
make up the lost funds to cities and counties from somewhere else. He repeated that promise to Hahn
two weeks ago, the mayor said.
In an interview this week with CNN, however, Schwarzenegger distanced himself from that guarantee,
and suggested that local officials should look to the Legislature to fill the gap of about $4 billion a year.
The statement outraged local officials. Dozens of mayors and other officials converged on the Capitol
and warned of decimated fire and police departments.
In Los Angeles, the normally low-key Hahn held a morning news conference with City Council
members and county supervisors and tore into state leaders in moral tones.
"This is just wrong," Hahn said. "This is not only illegal, but I think it's immoral for people to break their
word, to go back on pledges."
The mayor then ripped a page from Schwarzenegger's playbook, saying that he would take his case
"directly to the people."
"We now have a governor who made a personal pledge to me, made a personal pledge to the people
of California that cities and counties would not be harmed by the repeal of the car tax," he said.
"We have to let the folks in Sacramento know that we aren't going to take it anymore…. If they don't
keep their word this time, it's over."
Hahn said Los Angeles stands to lose $105 million between now and June, about $19 million a month.
Though that is a fraction of Los Angeles' $5.1-billion budget for this year, Hahn said, it would mean
"cuts in services in programs that people depend on." It also would kill any hope Los Angeles has of
expanding its overburdened Police Department, he said.
Yaroslavsky, the county supervisor, suggested a more unorthodox move: Withhold the $1.8 billion in
property taxes that the county collects each year on the state's behalf. He said he has asked the county
counsel to look at it as an option and would "propose it … in a heartbeat" if he gets a favorable
answer.
"The state has broken the law," Yaroslavsky said. "They are no more in the right in withholding what is
rightfully ours than we would be in the right if we" withhold property taxes, he said.
Los Angeles County, by far the state's largest jurisdiction, stands to lose $575 million through June —
out of an annual budget of $17.1 billion — if the car-tax money is not restored.
David Janssen, the county's chief administrative officer, characterized the loss as a massive blow to the
county's general fund that would hurt programs across the board.
The Sheriff's Department alone could lose $114 million, the equivalent of 1,000 deputies, Janssen said.
Among the county facilities that could be cut back, he said, are hospitals, health clinics, libraries, parks,
jails and probation camps. In the worst-case scenario, about 5,000 employees could lose their jobs.
But so far, Janssen has yet to recommend specific cuts and does not plan to do so until January.
"It is a very difficult decision to pull the trigger and recommend service reductions," he said. "If you do it
and then you find there's money available, there's nothing worse. But if you wait too long, the cuts will
be deeper. There is no science as to when you cross that line."
Hahn announced Wednesday that he had ordered a halt to all new programs in the city, set a
moratorium on new contracts and told department managers to reduce overtime expenses and devise
other cost-cutting plans.
The mayor's directive could mean that the city won't buy new police cars, reorganize the Police
Department or upgrade a computer program for the city's 311 telephone system for public services,
Deputy Mayor Doane Liu said.
Liu said the city has enough in its emergency reserves to last a few months before further program cuts
would have to be considered. He could not offer specific service cuts that are being discussed, saying
that the mayor hopes to avoid that action.
"We are talking about a devastating impact not only to our city," Hahn said, "but on the county of Los
Angeles and cities around California."
Hahn said he would be particularly disappointed with Schwarzenegger.
"He gave me his word," Hahn said. "He said that he would not hurt cities and counties. I don't think it's
a question of naivete. It's a question of whether or not somebody is going to keep their word. If it
doesn't happen, yes, I would feel a personal insult and betrayal, but more important, the people of
California would feel they were betrayed."
Joining the finger-pointing and angry rhetoric that has characterized state politics for months, local
officials also warned legislators of political fallout.
"The governor and the Legislature better start talking, or the revolt will take them all out of office," said
Los Angeles City Councilman Greig Smith.
Councilman Antonio Villaraigosa, a former speaker of the state Assembly, called for "rallies and getting
seniors and children up to Sacramento to put the pressure on the Legislature."
Council members called for a special meeting Friday at which Councilman Jack Weiss wants to
consider filing a lawsuit against the state to force officials to replace the car-tax money.
The California League of Cities and some local governments also have discussed a lawsuit.
A spokesman for Schwarzenegger said that the governor has sympathy for city officials, but that they
should take their complaints to the Legislature.
"The governor cannot unilaterally provide these funds. The governor doesn't write checks," Vince
Sollitto said. "The governor understands the very real concerns the cities and counties have about
needing these funds."
Even as they painted doomsday scenarios, officials conceded that in many cities and counties, layoffs
and unanswered 911 calls are not imminent.
And some cities, including Los Angeles, may be able to absorb many of the cuts this year by dipping
into their emergency reserves.
But officials also stressed that the potential for cuts is serious and would be felt by millions of people.
The pain may be especially intense in the Bay Area, where the technology bust has wrung local budgets
dry.
In Monterey County, lawmakers may lay off or furlough employees to try to stabilize the county's
budget. Contra Costa County, which has weathered a 10% across-the-board budget cut this year, is
facing potential reductions in law enforcement and health services.
Oakland, Berkeley and Santa Cruz all plan to ask voters to approve tax increases to help offset their
losses.
"I frankly don't have an answer at this point," said Mike Swigart, city manager of Twentynine Palms,
which is contemplating cutting up to "30% or more of our services."
"I'm just dumbfounded that the state is being so stupid," he said. "Cities and counties are what people
rely on…. The city managers of California could balance the budget in about 15 minutes." |
