Across the country, states face painful decisions as budget deficits cut into core services

Judy Lin and Shannon Mccaffrey, Associated Press
Saturday January 15, 2011, 7:55 pm EST

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — If 2011 is hinting at a national recovery, there is little sign of it in statehouses across the country.

States that already have raided their reserve funds, relied on borrowing or accounting gimmicks, and imposed deep cuts on schools, parks and public transit systems no longer can protect key services in the face of another round of multibillion dollar deficits.

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By James Politi
Published: January 13 2011 22:15 | Last updated: January 13 2011 22:15

It was the most startling of warnings. If the US does not get its finances in order “we will have a European situation on our hands, and possibly worse”, claimed Paul Ryan, the new Republican chairman of the House of Representatives budget committee.

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Ryan Hagen, Staff Writer
Posted: 01/15/2011 03:17:35 PM PST

COLTON – Students need every one of these programs, school board members said as they studied a list of popular services set to have their funding reduced or eliminated.

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Special session focuses on 2011 goals
Wendy Leung, Staff Writer
Created: 01/15/2011 07:06:35 AM PST

RANCHO CUCAMONGA – The City Council, with a new mayor and two new councilmen, kicked off 2011 with a team-building session last week that got the five leaders talking about their goals for a financially and politically difficult year.

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By Dan Walters
dwalters@sacbee.com The Sacramento Bee
Published: Sunday, Jan. 16, 2011 – 12:00 am | Page 3A

Ever since California’s economy cratered, the Capitol’s politicians have rationalized their corrosively expedient decisions on the state budget – refusing either to permanently raise taxes or cut spending – by hoping that economic recovery was just around the corner.

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Debra J. Saunders
San Francisco Chronicle
Sunday, January 16, 2011

Can Jerry Brown do it?

When he unveiled his budget, the California governor boasted that he was delivering a spending plan without “gimmicks, tricks and unrealistic expectations.”

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Harris

Newly sworn-in Atty. Gen. Kamala Harris says her office will look into the lawsuit filed by her predecessor against eight current and former Bell city officials accused of misappropriating public funds.

By Victoria Kim, Los Angeles Times
January 16, 2011

Newly elected state Atty. Gen. Kamala Harris said Saturday that reviewing the civil case against current and former city officials of Bell was one of her priorities, but that she had yet to determine how her office would proceed.

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