The real news in Gov. Jerry Brown's recent budget announcement was not $1 billion in mid-year cuts to higher education, school transportation and other programs.
It was Brown's declaration that billions more in cuts are coming next year -- whether voters approve tax increases or not.
"We will have a number of more cuts -- far more than $1 billion -- and they'll be to the same kind of state services," Brown told reporters.
So what good are the $7 billion tax increases that Brown is seeking via ballot initiative next November?
The answer is: the tax increases will prevent next year's cuts from being worse.
Here's the math. The state's projected "shortfall" next year is expected to be more than $12 billion. So if voters approve the approximately $7 billion in tax increases, that money will take care of more of that shortfall -- but not all of it. More cuts will be necessary.
And if voters don't approve the taxes?
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Billions more in cuts to make up for the unapproved tax increases.
There are only two options in California's broken budget system:
Very bad.
And worse.
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