Roundtable on Budgeting in the Western States: California.

The governor’s budget proposal called for expenditures to increase by a projected 6.3 percent overall. The biggest gainers were K-12 and higher education, with increases of 10.6 and 9.6 percent respectively. Business, transportation and housing; corrections and rehabilitation; and health and human services also were slotted for significant increases. In her overview, the legislative analyst argued that the Governor’s Budget “moves the state in the wrong direction.” Noting that “unexpected revenue increases” have come from “volatile revenue sources,” she suggested that budget “should focus more on paying down existing debt [incurred during the budget crisis of a few years ago] before making expansive new commitments.” ..PAT.-Conference Proceeding [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]