State Budgets

Major environmental groups hope this year's park closures, caused by the California budget crisis, will inspire support for parks at the ballot box next year.

The Los Angeles Times has created an interactive game where you can make the hard choices in where to cut the State's expenditures.

Proposition 13 has long been associated with California's budget woes and "fiscalization of land use" policies. Meant to apply primarily to residential property, commercial property owners have benefited more. 'Split role' could correct the problem.

Former New York Governor Eliot Spitzer says that as a result of outmoded industrial and funding models, state governments are facing grave financial problems.

At 3 AM, Feb. 19, the state Senate secured its third Republican vote necessary to pass a budget and fill the $42 billion budget deficit. This article looks at one of many environmental rollbacks demanded by Republicans.

Republicans are using the budgetary process to roll-back environmental protections, claim environmentalists in California. The state is due to run out of funds in Feb and issue I.O.U.s unless the $18 billion gap is filled for the current fiscal year

Gov. Schwarzenegger wants the California Environmental Quality Act- a requirement for major transportation projects- waived if he is to sign the $18 billion Democratic package that balances the budget and is crafted to circumvent Republican approval.

Infrastructure funding in California is grinding to a halt as two crises hit simultaneously: a political impasse unable to resolve a budget gap of $42 billion and a credit crisis leaving the state unable to sell its bonds.