BudgetCalls to Action: Legislators

Immediate Disclosure Required

In January, the 2022-23 Governor’s Budget will be made public, after which public hearings will commence, followed by public distribution of the May Revision to the Governor’s Budget and public enactment of the budget by June 30. Guess what’s not public during that period? Political donations from beneficiaries of budget spending.

David Crane

BudgetCalls to Action: Legislators

Assembly and Senate 2022-23 Budget Blueprints

Dear Legislators,

We enjoyed reading the Senate Budget Plan and Assembly Budget Blueprint for 2022-23. These items stood out to us:

David Crane

Calls to Action: Citizens

Private Equity Executive Meets Public Reality

When a private equity executive filed papers to run for governor of Illinois in 2013, I wondered if he had done due diligence. That’s because Illinois governors can do little without the consent of a majority of legislators whose terms of office, unlike the governor’s term of office, are not term-limited. To me, being governor of Illinois would be like being CEO of a business with 177 board members the consent of a majority of whom I would need to do virtually anything but unlike me with no deadline to act.

David Crane

HealthcareK-12 EducationOPEB

SFUSD Ignores Millions In Federal Funds

San Francisco Unified School District spends up to 250% more than the average CA school district on OPEB, which are insurance subsidies for retired employees.

David Crane

BudgetCalls to Action: Legislators

Stress Testing In Sacramento

Dear Legislators,

In January the Department Of Finance will issue the Governor’s Budget for 2022-23. No section will be more important than the Stress Test, which forecasts revenue losses in the event of a stock market decline such as in 2001-3 and 2008-9.

David Crane

BudgetCalls to Action: LegislatorsK-12 Education

LAO’s Impossible Task

Dear Legislators,

The Legislative Analyst’s Office is filled with talented people who occasionally take on impossible tasks. Take LAO’s recent Fiscal Outlook for Schools in which it boldly predicts that “capital gains revenue [will be] strong in 2022‑23.” I can’t predict the stock market next week much less next year but unlike the state I’m not depending on it to finance schools that require stable annual funding. If I did, I’d keep loads of cash on hand. That’s because the annual performance of stock markets looks like this:

David Crane

BudgetCalls to Action: Legislators

CA Needs $100 Billion In Reserves

California needs at least $100 billion of reserves. Don’t take our word for it. See page 245 of the Governor’s Budget:

David Crane

Calls to Action: LegislatorsHealthcare

Covered California Stands Out Again

November 1 marked the commencement of the Open Enrollment period during which residents can purchase health insurance for the upcoming year and another opportunity to praise Covered California, the state’s healthcare exchange that’s an exemplar of government services well provided. At a time when even the New York Times is cynical about blue state performance, Covered CA is a reminder that California’s government can do its job well.

David Crane

Calls to Action: CitizensCalls to Action: LegislatorsHealthcare

Democracy In California

If ever you needed a reminder that our nation has always been a confederation of diverse states united only when facing a common enemy, re-read Democracy In America, Alexis de Tocqueville’s 1835 masterpiece.

David Crane

Calls to Action: LegislatorsK-12 Education

Scapegoating And Suppression At SFUSD

When it reported a deficit last year, San Francisco Unified School District blamed Special Education. This year, SFUSD is blaming declining enrollment. Not being blamed is the real culprit.

David Crane

Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco, California

Mission

To counter special interest influence and to support like-minded organizations.