Back to the Future in California

California is facing a $28.5 billion budget shortfall over the next 18 months.  Our state enjoys the lowest credit rating in the country.  Most of us, including myself, cannot really comprehend a number that big ... that is until it means that we take furlough days, have a cut in salary, pay more to see the doctor...  You get the picture.  Our state is bankrupt and  even Jerry Brown cannot save us from our current economic reality.  He couldn't in 1975 and and he can't in 2011.  The only long term hope we have is the return of jobs to our state.  Bitter medicine is coming down the pike--there is no doubt about it.  I hear Julie Andrews singing in my ear ... "A Spoonful of Sugar Helps the Medicine Go Down ... "   I think the spoonful of sugar for many of us is that we still have a job and a source of income.  However, in the Antelope Valley 17% of us cannot even claim this solace.

Governor Brown (I like the last name by the way) has indicated that we need to protect education in this state which has been subjected to cut after cut during the past several years.  I appreciate the sentiment, but education consumes half of California's budget.  I look forward to seeing how our budget crisis can be addressed without affecting education yet again.  Many of us don't even realize that cuts made in previous years have not yet even trickled all the way down and affected us as deeply as they will.  To be sure they have already had an effect, but the full measure of the cuts was able to be somewhat cushioned through local school districts tapping into reserves.  Reduced levels of funding carry forward and will likely continue to impact students and employees in some shape or form--this does not take into account any future cuts that the state may send our direction.  

I'm confident that Governor Brown, will be friendlier to education and to the children of California than we have experienced in recent years.  However, the enormity of our budget woes will require many more bitter pills.     If the prescription label says:  "Take 2 pills a day for 14 days" I think we may only be on day 4 or 5.  We have a long way to go.   The cure won't kill us but it will be painful.  Many of us and our family members already know that.

Welcome Back Jerry and Good Luck!