Call it the battle between the colleges and Hollywood.
Gov. Jerry Brown and the legislature assure us this is a time of austerity. So they have cut higher education by more than $1 billion. Social services are on the chopping block.
But there is a category of budget untouchables: tax breaks for wealthy businesses.
This week, the legislature moved to protect a tax break for Hollywood film production.
Gov. Brown also dropped an earlier proposal to end enterprise zones -- even though there is scant evidence that such zones make a net positive impact on jobs.
A big corporate tax break that had been slated for rollback now appears likely to survive. And the legislature is considering a new tax credit for some manufacturers.
There's a case to be made for supporting California's most important industries, from movies to technology to tourism and aerospace.
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But are such subsidies more important than the state's universities, given the close connection between college graduation rates and economic prosperity?
Is it right to give a tax break to companies at the same time the governor and the majority party wants voters to pay higher taxes on their income and purchases?
"Bridesmaids" catches a tax break bouquet.