Put Welfare and EDD Recipients to Work in Sacramento Parks

I guess the parents better make sure that little Sally and little Johnny have gone potty before going to their local park.  Otherwise, they are gonna have a problem come next week.

Starting next week, finding a bathroom to use at a Sacramento park will be a lot tougher.  Budget cuts are forcing city leaders to close the restrooms at all Sacramento parks except for those at McKinley Park and William Land Park. The city is also closing five city pools to recreational swimming and several community centers will only be open by reservation. … Continue Reading

Breaking News: California State Capitol Building Evacuated – UPDATE

 Bomb experts from the California Highway Patrol detonated a mysterious package on the north side of the state Capitol shortly after noon today, after the presence of two mysterious packages disrupted an Assembly floor session and caused the evacuation of about 100 people from the building.

CHP officer Jarrod Lassila said no explosives were in the bag that was detonated, but the exact contents had not been determined. Offices on the north side of the Capitol were reopened about 12:30 p.m.

The detonation, which could be heard for several blocks surrounding the Capitol and filled the air with the smell of smoke, occurred after CHP officers used a robot to move one of the packages, a leather satchel with a piece of metal protruding from it, about 30 yards away from the L Street side of the building, to the base of a large redwood tree in Capitol Park. The satchel had been hanging from a statue about 20 feet from the entrance, according to CHP spokesperson Jaime Coffee. A passerby reported the packages to Capitol security shortly after 9 a.m.

From the Sac Bee

The presence of two mysterious packages on the north steps of the state Capitol disrupted an Assembly floor session today and caused the evacuation of about 100 people from the building.

Bomb disposal experts from the California Highway Patrol were using a robot to move one of the packages, a leather satchel with a piece of metal protruding from it, away from the building so it could be examined. The satchel was hanging from a statue about 20 feet from the entrance, according to CHP spokesperson Jaime Coffee. A passerby reported the packages to Capitol security shortly after 9 a.m.

Coffee said the other package had been determined to be just a plastic bag full of clothes.

Ron Pane, chief sergeant of arms for the Assembly, said offices on the north side of the building were evacuated as a precautionary measure. The Assembly chamber was also ordered closed. Pane said that in addition to the Assembly members, who were meeting at the time, about 100 people, mostly employees in the Department of Finance, were moved out.

“It’s better to have folks move and be safe,” Pane said.

California Controller to Delay Certain Payments for 30 Days

From the State Controllers Office:

As State Controller, John Chiang is responsible for ensuring the State has sufficient funds to meet its financial obligations.

With no signs of an economic recovery in sight, it is critical that the Governor and the Legislature enact a sound budget solution that provides much-needed cash by February 1. If not, the State will be $346 million in the red at the end of February, and $5.2 billion in the red in April.

In order to preserve cash for education, debt service and other payments that are deemed by the State Constitution, federal law or court rulings as having first claim to available General Fund cash, the Controller announced he will begin delaying, for 30 days, payments to all other programs that are funded out of the State’s depleted General Fund.

Those payments that will be delayed include thousands of payments to businesses for services and products they provide to the State; to assistance for more than a million aged, blind and disabled Californians that goes to pay their rent, utilities, or put food on their tables; to State agencies that use the payments to fund critical public services, ranging from public safety to health and welfare.

The delay in payments also will apply to tax refunds that millions of individuals and businesses have earned, expect and deserve. Not only will the 30-day delay in refund payments cause significant financial harm to California families, it will delay the economic stimulus expected from consumer spending. Postponing the payment of tax refunds also will ultimately cost the state tens of millions of dollars in interest payments if those payments are postponed beyond the date prescribed by law.

If the Governor and Legislature fail to provide real and adequate solutions by late February, the Controller said he will be forced to postpone those payments for another 30 days.

Below is information regarding which legally protected payments will continue to be paid, what payments will be delayed, frequently asked questions, and the text of a letter from the Controller to Legislators.

Back to Delayed Payments Menu

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California State Offices to Shut Down First and Third Fridays Each Month

By Kevin Yamamura 
kyamamura@sacbee.com

Published: Friday, Jan. 09, 2009

If The California Budget Is So Bad, Then Why Pass It???

Apparently I am a simpleton. I look at all of the reports and news stories indicating that the state budget has more holes than swiss cheese. So my question, why pass it?

I’m sure that balancing a $145 billion budget is no easy task. However, isn’t is just mathematics 101? You do not allow your expenses to exceed your income. Bottom line, stop being fiscally irresponsible!

Governor Schwarzenegger will sign this budget early next week.

Schwarzenegger demanded that the state solve its structural budget problems for good this summer, in Arnold-speak repeating he no longer wanted to “kick that can down the alley.”

The governor and legislative leaders called for reforms to prevent future deadlocks. But they have significantly different views about the kind of reform needed.

If the Governator isn’t happy with the budget, then why should we be?

“I don’t see that much of a signing ceremony, because there’s nothing to really celebrate that much,” Schwarzenegger said at an afternoon news conference

Republicans are balking at this budget as well…

“There certainly have been get-out-of-town budgets before, but I have never seen a budget as awful as this one,” said Republican adviser Steve Merksamer, former chief of staff to Gov. George Deukmeijian. “Legislators are here to make tough decisions, provide leadership, and one of the reasons why their ratings are so low is because they play these kinds of games.”

So just how bad is this budget you ask? Wanna get a copy and see for yourself? Well I do and I am !

Get your copy here.