The Wall Street Journal says

"California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and the state's chief accountant Tuesday warned lawmakers that they have until June 15 to close the state's crippling budget deficit.

If they miss the deadline, the state will run out of cash by the end of July, said state Controller John Chiang. That means Californians could see a repeat of this past winter, when officials delayed payments to welfare recipients, private contractors and local governments to keep the state solvent amid a budget impasse."

 

At San Jose Mercury News, Thomas D. Elias calls the state to "dump state programs." He says that the heavy burden of state programs is dragging California behind.

"Some basic items are now on the chopping block. One proposal would eliminate the Healthy Families program that covers 942,000 children in families barely above the official poverty line. Do this and the state risks epidemics of diseases like measles and mumps, onetime scourges now kept in check by vaccinations. Do this and emergency rooms — which by federal law cannot turnmost patients away — could be swamped. It's uncertain who would pay them for their work. Don't pay them and widespread hospital closures may ensue. "No analysis (of this) has been done," conceded state finance director Mike Genest."

 

Most Americans, at this point in a recession can offer a very valuable suggestion to California government and politicians — don't spend if you can't afford it. As simple as that.

Bhumika Ghimire