FCL ACTION ALERTS
June 4, 2009

Proposed Budget Cuts

Dear FCL Supporter,

As you know, the governor is proposing draconian cuts to California's social safety net and educational system in his revision to the state's budget.  

Governor Schwarzenegger has proposed a "cuts only" budget that will completely eliminate CalWORKS and the Healthy Families Program and cause deep cutbacks in education, health care, drug treatment, mental health, child care, in-home health and foster care, at a time when demand for these services is increasing.  

We face an urgent situation as the Legislature scrambles to save the state from running out of money. Continued economic decline means the state's revenues are falling, and the State Controller's office has warned that the state will not be able to pay many of its bills beginning in July.  

As a result of the urgency, the normal budget process has been condensed, with the Governor's proposed budget cuts going straight to the Conference Committee of the Assembly and Senate.
 
Meanwhile, the lawmakers and media are characterizing the Special Election results as a "referendum against new taxes," despite polling to the contrary. New revenues must be on the table!

FCL and its allies testified before the Conference Committee on Tuesday urging cuts to corrections spending, no new prisons, and the conversion of all death sentences to life without parole (this alone would save the state over $1 billion a year.)

How else can we respond in the face of this crisis?

ACT NOW

• Contact your Assembly member, State Senator and Governor Schwarzenegger. Let them know that you support a balanced solution that would include new revenues, including closing corporate tax loopholes and raising the personal income tax rate on the wealthiest Californians, raising the tax on alcohol, and assessing an oil severance tax.  Tell them that you want to preserve core social programs and cut corrections spending.  Find your state representatives here.
  

• Learn more about the budget issues and proposed cuts here.

• Write a letter to the editor of your local paper dispelling the myth that all those who voted against the Special Election Propositions were voting against new taxes.
  

• Join FCL and California Church Impact for a rally at the Capitol on Tuesday, June 16 - see here.

Contact: 
 Kevan Insko, Director of Development and Outreach
Kevan@fclca.org
Jim Lindburg, Legislative Director
JimL@fclca.org
 
(916) 443-3734