On Tuesday, December 14, 2010, Governor-elect Jerry Brown hosted a second Budget Summit at UCLA, this one primarily for state and local education officials. Superintendent-elect Tom Torlakson sat with Governor-elect Brown, Brown's Director of the Department of Finance Ana Matosantos, State Treasurer Bill Lockyer, and State Controller John Chiang, as they presented much of the same information they'd shared in the first Summit to quantify California's Budget problem. Brown reiterated that the goal is to get a common understanding of the facts of the situation.
Governor-elect Brown described the situation as unprecedented in his lifetime, and suggested that the Budget problem might be worse than it was in the Depression when Government played a smaller role than it does today. Brown said he has taken 20% out of the Governor's office budget already, and will take more; he wants to lead by example.
Brown gave some clues regarding what to expect in his January Budget. He indicated that there will be more cuts to public education, but said he would do his best to minimize them. When asked about midyear cuts, he deferred to his Director of Finance, who said that their focus will be on how to close the 2011-12 Budget gap, and noted that Governor Schwarzenegger's Special Session Budget proposal maintained Proposition 98 funding at the Budget level. Brown suggested that people sit down when they read stories regarding his January Budget, and said he wants a Budget agreement done within 60 days.
About half of the Summit was devoted to questions and comments from audience members. Many individuals focused on the magnitude of cuts that K-14 education has already taken--half or more of the real cuts over the last three years. Suggestions from superintendents included supporting a lower threshold to pass parcel taxes (Senator Simitian [D-Palo Alto] has again introduced a measure, Senate Constitutional Amendment [SCA] 5, which would amend the State Constitution to reduce the vote requirement for the imposition, extension, or increase of a parcel tax by a school district, community college district, or county office of education from two-thirds of its voters to upon the approval of 55%, if the proposition meets specified requirements). Several individuals emphasized the need to extend current categorical flexibility and expand flexibility to all categoricals. Many in the audience suggested that the approach must be balanced or said that revenues must be part of the solution, but Brown did not indicate when or if he would seek tax increases. While most of the audience questions came from individuals in K-12, Brown asked about community college fees, and Chancellor Jack Scott told him that if fees must go up, the increases should be gradual and moderate, and that the community colleges should keep the additional funds.
Stay tuned . . .
--Deborah Harmon