Fixing California: Illegal immigrants, mountain dwellers and Prop. 13

Taxing people who live in brush fire zones. Targeting illegal immigrants. Adding a 1% income tax. We asked you how to fix California, and readers have offered many different ideas. Below is a sampling of responses to Times columnist Michael Hiltzik's call for budget solutions (Michael will have some more thoughts on the subject soon). In the meantime, The Times has a new way to look at California's budget crisis. It's an interactive tool that allows users to balance the budget in a few key strokes. Cut spending, raise taxes and/or borrow to get the state out of the red. For each choice -- drawn from proposals from across the political spectrum -- we’ve tried to give some sense of the effects. As you craft your proposal, the Deficit Meter will show your progress. Check out The Times' Budget Balancer here. 

Taxing people who use more services: "There are thousands of people who want to live in the forest and then call for fire protection, tax them! People who cause traffic accidents which clearly are caused by their ignoring driving conditions and laws, tax them! The time has come when bad people -- aka  irresponsible and plain thought to all other people around -- should be charged for their bad behavior. The time has when good people should stand up and say enough is enough, we no longer want to foot the bill." -- Thomas

Repeal Proposition 13: "It subsidizes people who have owned property for a long time at the expense of newer/often younger property owners, distorts commercial and residential land uses (i.e. crummy commercial uses on nice streets that sit there forever), and most of all starves the state of much needed cash." -- Stefan

Focus on illegal Immigrants: "I think that we need to take a real close look at illegals who may be accessing social service programs with fraudulent documentation verifying their citizenship. I think the number, especially in cities like L.A., is potentially huge. It's like peeling away layers of an onion. You start with the easiest and outermost layer first." -- Praetorian

Cut spending: "Absolutely a spending problem. Economic downturns bring lower revenue for governments, I am surprised our elected officials seem to miss these basic facts. Tax increases never net increased revenue in times like this. Duh. We have done this before, how quickly we forget?" -- Joe

1% tax: "Here's a solution: tax everyone in CA 1% of their worth. The state would be out of this jam in a jiffy. And still have a lot of money to spend, spend, spend...." -- Richard

Read more responses here. And what do you think? We want to hear from you.

-- Shelby Grad

Here are recent articles about California's budget problems:

California has a golden opportunity to return to local control (June 4, 2009)

If it's good for baseball, maybe it's good for the budget debate (June 1, 2009)

Wanted: Profiles in Courage (June 1, 2009)

California's problem is spending? That's a myth (May 28, 2009)

A state trapped by fiscal inertia (May 24, 2009)

Schwarzenegger missed his golden opportunity to give Californians the truth (May 21, 2009)

Opinion: State of denial (March 3, 2009)

Comments

[Ellee]

I got it down to $8B. What is missing for me is the amounts that the state spends on supporting all of the 'districts' - air, health, fire, water, etc. These districts overlap and do NOT share overhead. Let's remove all state monies and force them to consolidate the districts; share overhead and administrative systems and rely only on monies raised from parcel taxes and property bond measures. I do not know how much this would save - it would definitely help.

[Rachel Ayoroa]

Legalizing and taxing weed with the amount of money we'd save from no longer putting people in jail that smoke weed + the amount of money we'd gain from taxing the sale of weed would be interesting to see.

[David]

All this talk about cuts to HARD WORKING TAX PAYERS.

Has ANYONE thought about cutting services to prisoners, like theirs cable and so on....

Instead of taxing us how about raising the cost of anyone who breaks the law such as these fools that are on the news running from the law. Make THEM pay for all the officers time, gas, helicopter time and gas and so on....

Also instead of charging taggers $20 how about $20,000 who cares if it takes them 20 years to pay. Next time they will think twice (Unlike Bucket) and maybe share the pain with their friends......

Or most important how about getting the death roll back on roll. Empty these cells or murders like C. Manson and R. Ramirez, they cost us millions and NEVER should be allowed on the streets any way.

[Tax]

Tax the high earners a little more. Ensure that its not so easy to exploit the tax systems. When the budget is back on track, the high earners are the first to get any tax deductions.

[justin]

This is a great exercise because it puts directly in front of the public who difficult it is to makes thes types of choices.

[savvydude]

The public is outraged at our legislature, as evidence by the special election. Here's a great idea: instead of repealing the 2/3 threshold for raising taxes, as some have suggested, let's require a 2/3 threshold for ALL spending.

It's time to take our state back.

[Brian]

Eliminate the ability to write new Props, and allow the legislature to revise any previously passed props. Much of the state spending is voted in with dedicated funding for limited groups (special interest groups). Then no one can touch that money without another special election which wastes more money. Limit general elections to one per year.

[joe s]

so , the solution is to kill education, i dont think so, now is the time for education to be upgraded from the failure of NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND! it is the right of taxpayers dollars to demand the best education posible k-12, after that let the chips fall were they may fall! .

[Mike Gregory]

Cut 25% of all State employess. Renegotiate the pensions of all government employees. Make the retirement age 70. Cut state taxes and property taxes by 50%. Let all of the state employees get a real job starting with the legislature and the Govenor. Make all Supreme court judges an elected position.

[Ruby Jackson]

I was able to get it into a surplus without cutting vital services. I noticed that the biggest effects occurred when I raised the taxes on the wealthiest of Californians and reduced the freebies to the ILLEGALS (not legal aliens and poor).

[Christopher]

This survey is inadequate. It proposes a few high visibility changes but does not even approach the myriad of ways we could be saving costs.

Welfare, do away with it entirely. No government cheese, healthcare, anything.
Prison for minor offenses such as posession of week; cut that stuff out.
Prison, cut out all nice benefits and make prison hell on earth, but reduce sentence dramatically. A 1 year sentence should feel like 30 years. Make the prisoners grow their own food or die.
Gov Pension; eliminate all future pension benefits entirely.Anyone that is currently enrolled can retain their benefits, any new hires get none.
Free emergency rooms; cut that stuff out. Have one free county hospital and let all of the private hospitals run their own business. Make the county hospital so crappy that people would rather die.
Fair Housing, cut that out. If you can't afford to live here then go somewhere else. Higher taxes result.
Assitance to private enterprises. Example, subsidies to sporting stadiums (don't know of a good state example). If a private entity can not stand on its own two feet then let it fall.
Residential permits and oversight; cut that crap out. Let me build a death trap of a house if I want to.

California attempts to help people and treat life as though it is sacred. California does this by taking 1/3rd of my income and giving it to them. I have no interest in paying a single cent for someone that can't make their own way. I claw and fight my way through life to make my meager living, you can't have any of it. I do support the idea of helping people though; just not with money. Help people by establishing public lands where people can grow a garden; teach them to grow a garden; make it sustainable by harvesting and sharing seeds. Help people by teaching them to stay healthy and vital, and to treat their ailments with remedies that they produce on their own (herbal, simple first aid, etc). Establish portions of our state where we are not required to build a perfect little house in a perfect little neighborhood in order to reside there; let us go live in a tent if we want to.

I want to pay taxes in order to have the state maintain infrastructure, and ensure my rights are retained. I'm happy to pay taxes for that stuff. I don't want the government doing ANYTHING else. People do not have a RIGHT to live in Los Angeles verses Arizona. People do not have a RIGHT to "fair" anything (healthcare, wages, etc). The only right that I want my government supporting is the right to make my own way in a peaceful society.

If the government would pull out of all of the crap that they're spending my money on, non-profit entities would fill the gaps. Let the churches provide welfare. Let people establish their own cooperatives and support each other. The only position that I want our government to taks is to ensure that we are all able to do whatever we want without messing it up for other people.

[T]

Interesting that none of their selections include cutting those legislature stipends that keep going up... nice way of getting around keeping a raise in my opinion... at the same time in my small home town here in CA the police force is volunteering to give up their raises this year. In a somewhat related train of thought, I also wonder why these so-called 'legislators' need as many aids as they have... they don't do any work of their own, thus there is little accountability for their reputations and subsequently the poltical fallout of their action/inaction. The aids do the reading and brief those making the actual vote-- why not cut out these fake law makers and let the aids just do their jobs, they're doing it anyway. Just another two ways to cut in spending in times of rough economy.

[Lu]

To: Praetorian
"Illega" is a adjective, not a noun. Human beings cannot be "illegal."

[Peter Annabel]

I sadly was unable to hit a surplus.

I cut spending on illegal immigrants (but kept it on legal noncitizen immigrants.) I did not cut education spending, I released non-violent offenders early, increased taxes on the rich, raised taxes on alcohol but not cigerettes or gas.

I did not cut health services, emergency services, parks, and I did not shift the deficit to the counties.

I brought it down from a 24 billion deficit to 2 billion. Still bad, but IMO manageable.

I am unsure of issuing bonds, since I personally hate debt and credit. But it is a viable option for the short term.

[mrincomestrem]

Funny...I was able to come up with a 3 Billion dollar surplus using that tool without touching education...or the state parks...wonder why the the state can't do the same thing..the only really hard cut really was the medi-cal in-home care...everything else was a no-brainer...wonder why the politicians are having such a hard time...time to get some commonsense folks to lead...

[Lew Glendenning]

Cut, cut, cut, cut.

No new taxes.

[Jim]

I have 3 suggestions:
Add a 30% (or so) tax on all political/campaign donations.

Have a 10% to 20% pay cut for every elected official at every level. If someone's in office for the money then you elected the wrong person.

[dontmatta]

The solution isn't to raise taxes of any kind. We already have amongst the highest taxes in the country.
The real solution is to go inside each of these "sections" and manage what goes on inside each, rather than just cutting the entire thing. For example, if we cut spending on education, why does it only hurt the kids, yet the teachers remain amongst the highest paid in the nation???

[Richard]

I got down to $380 million with a mix. Some of the proposed cuts are not surgical enough, e.g., eliminating payments to in-home care workers that are relatives of the disabled and seniors. There's other ideas out there too, e.g., the Davis Administration conducted a study that showed how to save $400M from the CalWorks childcare program by reducing the eligible age to 12 y.o. and setting reimbursement rates based on regional rather than local rates.

[Steve]

It is about time the Legislature cuts spending...They got their new taxes in April...revenue down...they expected it to be up? HAHA in a down economy..what do these morons think?

Govt jobs are not net revenue generators...the people they hire over the years do not produce revenue to offset even their wages or their salaries and benefits on annual basis.
Very few government jobs are funded from the budget..that is why they borrow money...Now there is noone willing to loan the State money...why? revenue does not equal expenses

Like a Private Employers...layoffs occur to the point where revenue at least equals expenses...when their business stop producing and their revenue decreases they consider BK too when things are real bad! Mervyns, Gottchalks need I say more...

No gravy train now....

Get on on board legisature CUT SPENDING till you make revenue..take your tax increases and payoff your debt...

[Sayda]

Insist that the Federal government control the boarder. Let the honest hard working people in and keep the criminals and terrorists out. Make those that are let in legal tax paying productive citizens who will help pay for the government services. Yes---make LEGAL immigration more assessable and penalize corruption. Yes, I am asking for the government to work for the people and not for their kickbacks that they are receiving from these crooked greedy, deregulated corporations that have destroyed this countries economy. Initiate a flat tax so that the rich are not afforded the opportunity to dodge their taxes using loopholes. Everyone should pay the same percentage of their income. I was a hard working citizen for years. With the downturn in the economy, I have been forced to go back to school,to retrain myself for a different field. I am going around without medical. Our country should have medical. for all. It will make our corporations more competitive with coiutries where the businesses do not have to pay for it. Perhaps it is cheaper for them to pay it here since they can keep the wages down by not patrolling the borders and exploiting the immigrants coming in with wages that are not even enough to live off of. That brings me to my final point. Let's all put our foot down to globalization and unite with workers throughout the world to demand a living wage. These multinational corporations are cashing in by taking jobs from one country and sending to another where the wages are cheaper. The only problem is that those people do not benefit either. if anything, they are exploited more. The rich get richer and the poor get poorer. OK so you want globalization. How about global unionization. Look at what Enron did to the state of California. They are just an example of a company that got caught. Let's start holding these people accountable and why not start in the state of California. Who wants to give anymore of their money to deregulated mortgage companies and corrupt companies in the stock market. Not me! it will be a long time before I ever put a dime in the stock market again. If I was one of those people who still had a 401k, I would be protesting so that I would not be financially penalized to get my money out of it. Those people got took! Now even the government of California is in trouble. If you want to get California out of it's deficit, then make it possible for every legal Californian and legal immigrant to earn a living wage, pay taxes, own a home, have an education system to educate and retrain them, have medical and save their money to retire. If someone is unable to work due to a disability, find something that they CAN do or provide for them. There will always be some people in society who really need need help. For those who do not want to be productive and participate, fine, just leave them be (but don't help them). FINALLY IF CALIFORNIA HAS LEGALIZED MARIJUANA THEN TAX THE HELL OUT OF IT!!! THIS IS ALL THE MORE REASON TO CLOSE THE BORDERS. KEEP THE MONEY IN CALIFORNIA. It doesn't take a lot of brains to figure that one out.

[MaryJ]

The illegals and their anchor babies costs us 10 billion dollars a year. Passing Prop. 187 as the voters wanted 15 years ago would cut the budget deficit in half. Increasing taxes to pay for more freebies for illegals will just encourage more illegals to settle here and also encourage more native-born taxpayers to flee the state, eroding tax base. Get the native-born tax base (currently fleeing California at the rate of 300K per year) to come back by improving quality of life in California. Sending the illegals back home would go a long way toward making that improvement.

[D Sr.]

Every one of these so called “Balance the Budget” games sucks because they won’t let you cut State Employee jobs! Only the stuff thats really important like Teachers and schools. Example; California has an estimated 335,000 employees at an estimated 1.5 BILLION Dollar cost EVERY MONTH! I would cut 150,000 employees from the state payroll from the start!! But none of these stupid games allow that to happen… Maybe that’s the problem with our government it’s gotten so big they think their jobs shouldn’t be cut! EVERYTHING ELSE FIRST! And 150,000 state jobs would only amount to a drop in the bucket compared to the 4,000,000 people that lost their jobs in the private sector in this state.
….crazy

[Dan]

1. Legalize & tax pot.
2. Release all non-violent offenders into vocational rehabilitation programs.
3. Fix the frozen property taxes issue.

[Dan]

1. Legalize & tax pot.
2. Release all non-violent offenders into vocational rehabilitation programs.
3. Fix the frozen property taxes issue.

Problem solved.

[John Poshepny]

I don't live in CA but I follow Politics in other state and the state I live in wants to jack up taxes BIG TIME WITHOUT CUTS!!!! What CA should do is cut cut cut, does anyone remember The "Blow Up The Boxes" Days with $32 Billion in Cuts over 5 Years???? Then we cut services to Illegal Immigrants, Cut around 30,000 State workers, Seek Wage and Benefit Concessions e.g. Pension etc.

[p toni]

before prop 13 passed, my prop taxes nearly doubled three years in succession. Same for all neighbors on the block. If not for 13, we would have lost our homes. Leave prop 13 alone.

[Philip Hollenbach]

The problem is this excercise only considers making cuts and increasing tax rates. It needs to consider the increased tax revenue if you cut taxes! Let's cut corporate taxes and keep business in CA! Cut state income taxes and increase the amount of money people have to spend in CA. Cut sales taxes on capital goods, such as autos, and get people buying large ticket items again... We need cuts, but not just spending; we need to cut taxes.

[Philip Hollenbach]

I'd bet if you offered early retirement to every state, county and city employee that can prove that their job was not needed, redundant or could be done by less than one person, that would have a list of easy cuts in spending.

[Jeff]

Eliminate Prop 13, legalize and tax cannabis, release all non-violent drug offenders, consider additional tax increases for the highest tax brackets, or additional 'vice taxes' to supplement the budget.

[Utah resident]

I cut and slashed some budgets in California State Budget Balancer.

The only things I kept are K-12 funds and numerous others while raising corporate and commercial property tax along with oil extraction and severance tax.

It appears I did a good job balancing the budget with a surplus.

Deficit: $-2,554,000,000

Cuts: 16,229,000,000

New taxes: 10,325,000,000

However, there are absent programs and scenarios in the balancer flash game.

My solution to solve the deficit:

Freeze the unions.

Freeze or reduce public employee pensions.

Allocate the fund towards IRONCLAD sealing of the Mexico-California border by asserting Tenth Amendment.

Allocate the fund to order the detaining, temporary imprisonment, and incremental deportation of illegal immigrants and violators by the hundreds of thousands or millions.

Accelerate capital punishment to execute the death row convicts on case by case basis on the nature of the heinous crimes of rape, murder and homicides to reduce the annual cost of death penalty administration, etc.

Repeal most or all propositions, including Prop. 13 and 184 (Three Strikes). 184 cause the prison overcrowding with absurd cases of misdemeanors upgraded to felony for life term sentence and bloated penal system budget.

Reduce or eliminate welfare programs for the able-bodied bums and queens (leeches). If they don't like not getting free money to live in expensive CA, move to another state.

Overhaul state constitution to repeal bad laws and regressive tax codes to free the heavy tax burden and let free market produce more revenues with 10% or 11% corporate state tax intake.

Again, repeal Prop. 13 to eliminate unfair and inequity taxes for residential and commercial properties. May make exception to retired homeowners in specially discounted property tax after age 62 but they must petition on ground of economic hardship living on savings or pension. Eliminate 2/3 majority vote on legislature bills.

Prosecution and removal of provenly corrupt lawmakers, Democratic or Republican, at the legislature and administration, so they cannot be beholden to special interest at expense of California constituency.

Legalize hemp for industrial, unrestricted medical and recreational purpose and impose high tax. Let the licensed farmers cultivate hemp in high quality THC cannibis to "sell" to the county and state government division of hemp regulation and split the revenue three-way in totally legit share. There can be "hemp cafes" with proportionate tax special business license. Hemp cafe/smoking joint/recreational ground business should be located outside the vicinity of major cities for recreational safety reason.

Loosen gun control laws and impose proportionate tax on application for concealed carry licenses for good candidates. If California needs to make more revenue, abolish draconian gun control laws so more American emigrants from other states will be happy to move to California to live and work and contribute fairly apportioned tax to municipal, county and state budget.

Allocate funds to repair and overhaul education system by eliminating "urban decay" and "blight". Aggressive law enforcement to enforce the law to obliterate gangs and other negative social problems.

[Mark Godfrey]

Legalize cannabis. And do so in a way that maximize it's economic effect, like any shops would have to be new, couldn't be existing liquor stores, etc.

[Mike]

I cut all medical care, education and human services programs.

[DougR]

I got it down way past $24B. Just cut state spending (sorry) and reduce benefits for state workers (oh well) and make state freebies like parks, pay for themselves.
.
Dump all drug and alcohol programs as well. AA which is self-supporting works just as well. People just have to want to recover.
.
More taxes won't mean more revenue. They will just chase more high-income people out of the State.

[Michael G]

Will you make it possible for us balancers to record our options? Will you tally the results?
Will you make it possible for us to send our choices to our State representatives?

[lvtfan]

California could fund its spending quite adequately if it simply got rid of Proposition 13 and shifted its taxes OFF wages, OFF sales and OFF buildings.

Taxing in proportion to land value is a logical, fair, just, wise, efficient, and equitable.

And that's why California isn't using it. Those who benefit the most from Prop 13 like the current system just fine, and don't realize that even they would ultimately benefit from a shift to LVT -- land value taxation. California's economy would come alive.

[KC Fuerstenberger]

Why do we only get a few choices to cut here?? There are 181 useless departments within the California system. How about showing all of them to us so we can make an intelligent decision? You guys need to stop bullying around the people by threatening safety, education and health care cuts.

The government of this state and the nation SUCKS, along with the media that seems unable to get themselves out of the gutter and provide the truth to the people.

[Thomas Malthus]

I wonder how much we could save if we didn't have to have Spanish language documentation on every piece of paper the state prints?

[ed]

Roll back CA government to 1999 based on population and inflation. Boom, problem solved.

Are your state services any better?

Schools any better?

Roads any better?

No. But still, the state thinks it can spend your money better than you.

[RM3 Frisker FTN]

Your simulation is biased: Why not allow reduction of the state retiree benefits rather than state ceasing contributions? Why not allow raising the state pension retirement age? Why not have a special 100% tax on any state/local employee collecting a pension while living in an out-of-state location (e.g. Florida with no income tax)? Why not allow for more crowded prisons (e.g. no convicted criminal serving time in a prison shall have more living space than a US Military member serving on board a submarine). Why not allow for with-holding the pension payment of any public safety officer 'double-dipping' being both retired (haa-haa-haa) and working in a public safety position?

[Mark James]

What a rigged "tool". It assumes no drastic changes or shake ups. Leaving the government as is, will result in more people leaving the state, more businesses relocating, and a bankrupt government in a few years. Major changes are required.

California could drop sales taxes, eliminate the income tax and make this the most prosperous state in the union in a few years. Make the economy more of a 'free market". If you can't make it, leave should be the motto.

1. Lease off shelf oil, would raise billions/year. Make all lease based on revenue sharing. All oil drilled within 6 months of releasing the lease is a 35% split, after that, it is 50-50.
2. Put a ballot up that freezes pensions, eliminates pensions for all state government workers, puts the legislature on part time basis, and cut beuracracy/staffing by 80%.
3. Cut school system beaurocracy by 75% in every school system. Mandate fewer regulations, and non teaching employees. Mandate performance based teaching, with mandatory 10% of worst performing teachers released each year. Mandate competition with charter schools in funding and education. Get rid of state pensions for ALL non teaching employees, make it a full self-financed 401k plan for each employee. Gradually change the teachers to a similar 401k based system.
Reduce university system non-teachers by 80%.
4. Eliminate 90% of employees for environmental agencies such as Smog2, and the Air Resources Board for 2 years. Repeal expensive to oversee environmental laws. Eliminate "global warming" laws.
etc etc etc.
5. Mandate expiration of ALL agency spending commitments after 3 years, forcing the legislature to re-enact any law that commits the state to spend money.

We could cut the budget by 50% easily, by reducing government, making government employees compete with private companies for benefits, and by greatly reducing the impact of absurd regulations, make California attractive for business, and the wealthy, both of whom have just up and left the state rather than deal with this crap.

[something for nothing]

People want the services of a state but do not want to pay for it. Prop 13 has been a bad idea from the beginning and helped fuel the real estate bubble. Increase state income tax on those who can affort it. The working poor did not get the state in this mess. All of us benefit from an educated and trained population who are ready to take and create the jobs this state needs. Hurting the disabled, elderly and children never helped anyone.

[hadenuf]

a flat SALES tax would get everyone.
why is it fair that a person who makes $250,000 a year must pay more than a person who makes $50,000. you both "enjoy" the SAME level of government!
why is it fair that an illegal or legal person can make their living "under the table" and escape income taxs?
a flat sales tax is the answer for EVERYONE to responsibly pay for their fair share of government services!

i live in north carolina and will be damned if i will support a "bailout" for the state of california. STOP voting thease idiots into office that continually spend YOUR state money.

[peter007]

The article doesn't address the number 1 cause of the problem. Every department in the state is filled with middle management people making over $100,000 / year. The state is bloted with these people and their benefits. Also, the courts and prisons are filled with petty drug offenders that costs the state about $50,000/ year per offender. Stop locking up drug offenders and cut the salaries of all state workers making over $100,000/ year and the budget crisis is fixed.

[PD Quig]

I'm $2 billion in surplus without raising taxes and stealing from local governments. That was a piece of cake. Get rid of everything that can be found in the Yellow Pages and the surplus would grow. Slash state agencies by 60-70 percent and the surplus would grow even further. Slash regulations and the associated bureaucracies--more savings and greater tax receipts as the business environment would improve and unemployment would be reduced.

Government in California is ludicrously large, inefficient and is destroying the private sector. Dial it back to the structure it had when Pat Brown was governor and watch this state re-emerge as a world beater.

[Bryce Rhambo]

If you don't owe your political seat to special interests, the choices are tough but doable. Because of the cost of running for office, unions and special interests control local, state and federal policy. Eliminate current campaign finance laws and make it taxpayer based ONLY and you may get better decisions. I added more tax increases after balancing the budget to create a surplus, which could be used in 5-10 years to restore some of the cuts and to address the issues of an increase in the population (services).

[Something for nothing]

I am a third generation Califorian and I love my state. I love the beauty, the weather, the freedom, andthe quirkiness. I rememberwhen we had the best education system in the US and the most beautiful parks. I think it is time to we payfor all the benefits of living here. I am willing to pay. Those who do not want to pay, well there are 49 other states.

[Lou]

I did it!
Even got approximately $2b surplus !
Can be done

[Corinne]

If you think the budget could be balanced by cutting union members' salaries and pension - it won't work. A contract is a contract.

Now, how about you look at all of the NON-union employees, especially UPPER management that are making $150,000 and up with crazy benefits. They're worse than AIG Executives - and they're the ones that are not doing the work, but rely heavily on labor from others. AND - they give themselves raises without legislatures' approval - because they don't have to.

Yes - it's dirty secret!

[The Viceroy]

Every dollar spent on illegal immigrants is a dollar stolen from taxpaying citizens. Talk about waste, that's the most aggregeous gov't waste of all. Issue a date certian to curtail taxpayer funded services to illegal aliens and their children, say October 1st. Don't expect citizens to tightene their belts any further until their hard-earned money stops being stolen and handed to foreign nationals who broke the law.

[Peter]

Cut out all services and benefits to illegal aliens and CA will cut it's budget deficit in half. The decline of CA since the 80's from a formerly model state to a 3rd world hellhole is directly attrbutable to the swarms of illeglals who have turned such areas as LA into gigantic third world ghettish slumzones.

Heres what illegal aliens cost CA:

' While these annual costs for illegal immigration have been steadily draining California’s budget year after year, the costs have risen and are placing an even greater strain on the state’s resources in 2009. The original 2004 cost estimate was based on an illegal alien population estimated at 2,900,000. Today, FAIR estimates California’s illegal alien population has grown to 3,200,000, a 10.3 percent increase. As a result of both the continued growth in the illegal alien population and the higher cost of governmental services, the current fiscal cost outlays for the illegal alien population in California are now approaching $13.1 billion annually more than half the projected shortfall for next year.'

[David Dolsen]

Why only increase the tax on alcohol by a nickel? Increase it by fifty cents, and increase the tax on cigarettes by two dollars instead of $1.50, and see what that does. I don't think people will stop drinking or smoking; but if they do well that's an added bonus. Alcohol and tobacco, contrary to the beliefs of some, are not necessities in life, and cause huge burdens through increased healthcare, policing, rehabilitation, social work etc etc. I am not suggesting prohibition, because that did not work; just "user pay".

[SFK]

Lots that this simulation won't allow, but I got a cool 18.5 billion surplus, no one-time fixes, no shifting costs to local governments. Boom, piece of cake.

[Rand follower]

This is missing the best option - more furlough days for all non-emergency govt. workers. Send them home for 1-2 weeks every month, and all of Cali's problems are solved. Services wouldn't suffer one bit. Freeze all their pensions, too. They can 401k it like the rest of us.

[Kris]

A few things that can be done that aren't on there now....

Comply with federal welfare standards and programs and stop letting people run rampant on it.

Speed up the process to kill the guys on death row. They aren't worth keeping around anyway so why waste money on them?

Take out the unnecessary positions in state government and make all of the workers work. Too much of our education funds go to administrators and districts getting things like remodels of the office and not enough to the schools. One job at UC San Diego is the sustainability coordinator. Its a nice idea and all but really that salary can be used a ton of other places and be way more useful.

Find some way to get our prisoners that aren't in the pen for violent crimes to give back by working for the state for free. Use them in fire situations to build breaks or with farmers picking harvest. That way we get free labor and don't have to spend money on the costs of them lounging in the pen.

Tell the unions to shove it. Too many of them run the state and run up deficits because of what they have to have and too many people buy into their propaganda.

What ever happens we cant tax businesses anymore! Enough have already left and we need them to stay. If there was a tax cut to go through I would hope it would be to them or to new businesses that want to start here.

[Cory]

Privatize the prison system! Problem solved!

[Sethers]

I created a $50,000,000 surplus with mine, but I did so by initiating 9/9 new taxes. The one I really had a hard time with was the gas tax, but once I did the math it was only going to cost me about $175 extra a year to fill up and that seemed okay. The nice thing was that I hardly had to cut human services at all. Although, if there had been more detail to those cuts on this scenario I would have made some internal strauctural changes that would have cut spending in human services, but not the services themselves. I also used only 1 or 2 of the one time "fixes".

[David Murton]

We may not feel rich but we are. Create one time tax of $1000 per family. If that is too hard to swallow make it proportional in income and assets. If we stopped whining and pitched in we would all be much happier.

[Gilbert Ortega]

It’s time everyone to grow up and be adults... We need to raise sales tax to 27 cents, .08 cents going to local government, .08 cents going to county, .03 cents going to districts government, .08 cents going to state governments.

Start raising taxes across the board, with California population growing 500,000 people each year, we all need the money.

When you have a large amount illegal’s using and abusing the food stamps, GR, and section 8, when a U.S. born male Hispanic like myself, can't even get food stamps because I'm getting unemployment checks, the unemployment checks only pays for my rent., it don’t pay for food.

Fine all employers 50,000 per illegal they employ so that they pay for all the welfare. Fine all the Slum Land Lords for monopolizing and price fixing.

Start giving back more control to local governments by stopping the state from taking away any amount of funds from local, county, districts governments.

Require that the local government take over control of local teacher pay, teacher pay should be decided by local government and not by the state.

The state should turn over more control to the county and local governments.

[Scott]

I think it is funny and ridiculous that people come on here and post things like just cut this or fire so many people it's easy. I can see why you are not an elected official. I got a surplus from cuts and taxes. You have to do both.

Secondly, I am a state worker. I have received a 10% pay cut and I have no problem with it. By the way that 10% helps with .01% of the problem. The people who come on here and scream to cut more of my pay or benefits are not really thinking. Look I am already 18% underpaid com paired to other city and county employees with the same job classification. So if you add the 10% cut that is now 28% and thats fine, I have to do my part. I will not except more. I am working longer and harder for less pay. Oh and by the way I provide a SERVICE to YOU and the STATE. I do not work for a profit company. I could work private for more money but I like working for the people. So please enough with the whole lazy state employee or cut their salary's. I am doing my part!

[Kevin D. Hamilton]

As I moved the budget "tool" provided by the times I found that by ignoring fat cat union contracts, not being afraid to tax those who can afford it including myself. I was able to come up with almost a 4 billion dollar surplus without cutting education, health care or human services. How about that.
Since the Democrats don't have the guts to take on the unions and the Republicans don't have the charecter and integrity to recognize that taxes to support the poor and need or educate our children are as American as apple pie and the christian thing to do. I don't see any of this as other than wishful thinking.

[Alex Jones]

What needs to be done is the state needs to have a overhaul of costs, by cooperating with surrounding counties to negotiate on everything from medical supplies to copies to paper, massive cuts can be made. Furthermore, the state needs to enact a law that allows people capable of working from home to do so. California employs millions of people who need not commute to work, and can work from home on their computers multiple days a week, with the amount they save they will have money to make purchases and stimulate the state economy, furthermore business costs will go down and profits will rise, thereby increasing the taxable income.
Beyond that, offshore drilling should be opened up instantly allowing infrastructure and more future tax base. In the long run, the legislator in California must learn to stop frivolous spending and ridiculous laws. They need to enact laws restraining their own spending to within an additional percent every five years. Without these measures the state of california will enact dangerous and risky laws and taxes that question the stability of their state in the future without intense federal aid

[Timothy]

I say just fully tax alcohol and tobacco. Society is always complaining that these vices are corrupting the youth of America, blah blah blah. Tax it so they won't want to buy it!

[hipriestess4u]

If you legalize pot, and create a license to grow and tax
marijuana, you would be creating an incredible revenue.
Pot is less harmful then tobacco and Alcohol, it's time
to stop being billigerant and start being smart.

The solution is simple. Legalize marijuana and tax the hell
out of it. Make people pay a premium on a license to grow,
and then tax what is sold.

It's a 40 billion a year industry. The last true bastion of
capitalism, make it work. Or stop your whining.

[Carrie]

Well, I balanced the budget with money to spare. Everyone took a hit, which is only fair. I did not balance it soley on the backs of the poor and disabled. Maybe I should go to Sacramento huh?

[Melody Arneil]

$1.50 increase for a pack of cigarettes is NOT enough. Raise it to $2.50.

Also raise the age to drive from 16 to 18 and incorporate a first time driver's registration fee. Driving is a privilege, its NOT a right.
Raising the age to drive would not only prevent accidents, it would alleviate some of the pressure of the DMV offices.

Do NOT kill the community colleges.

[Susan Parks]

Prop 13 makes me and my family pay 5 times more for services our neighbors enjoy. Their homes were give to them by their parents. They pay 1/5 of the property taxes that we pay for schools etc. Prop 13 is a loophole for families at this point. There is much concern about keeping home care for elderly. I believe the most concerned about this is the future occupants of the prop 13 home- their children. The elderly have not paid their share of taxes for years. Why should they be rewarded by home care.

[JP Sherry]

The budget can be balanced with a combination of cuts and revenue. It's time to stop talking and just do it!!! Many of those choices present an either/or choice. The world is not that black and white and some short term and lesser cutts can fill in the holes just as some short term taxes can.

[Jennifer]

Funny how when you tax the rich, and gasoline, you almost solved half the problem, I didn't know balancing the budget was that easy! Getting a surplus was a piece of cake and I didn't even have to borrow! Why tax gasoline? So that we will defer away from it to better things like compressed air, yeah cars that run on air, it actually cleans the air and it's cheap, better than electric people, it's out there and we need to bring it to the US!!!

[Tim]

in short and not complete, here is what we need to do.

raise the gas tax, the cig and booz tax, the oil, high earners, and income tax; do away with the illegals, and other non citizen programs; early release, less jail for parole violations and low level offenders;
in addition: legalize and tax marijuana. charge a large fee for single passenger occupied vehicles to use the carpool lane. a fast food tax. cut the electricity bill to all government buildings by use of alternative energy. eliminate the printing of documents that are not in English.

OR!

we could have a jog-a-thon and a bake sale

[Liz from Seattle]

Hello CA ... let's just say it -- your tax system sucks. Where do you think the money that funds your public goods comes from? Thin air? Raising taxes are the quickest, and least painful way of getting out of a budget deficit. It distributes the effort of raising taxes evenly across the state, and has the potential of decreasing income inequalities -- you should definitely be taxing your rich more than you should be taxing the poor. Stop complaining about how you don't want to support the bum on the street with your hard earned money ... get over it and suck it up.

Having said that, cutting funds to your education programs is the worst thing you could do. What do you think is going to happen ten years from now when you're poorly educated elementary school students are ready to take over your jobs? It's going to bite you in the ass. Don't sacrifice education -- if anything, cut legislative and state salaries. At UW, our piss-poor excuse of a President owns a condo AND gets a house. His bitch of a wife is using state money to renovate the condo -- don't let this happen to you.

Sincerely,
A Northern Neighbor

[Paleta Fresca]

Slash all "free" government services and offer to sell them off to private for-profit companies. Services would improve and if they can't make a buck off it, it needs to disappear.

[Jason]

a. Adding a "sin tax" for alcohol and tobacco would be a good start. These are luxuries, and aren't required for people to survive.
b. Furthermore, we should deport illegals and deny them any public services except in life or death emergencies.
c. Repealing prop 13 would increase tax revenues and possibly prevent wild spikes in the housing market like the one that occured in 2005.
d. Cut back on the environmental bureacracy that makes sustainable growth too expensive. Why do we need an Air Pollution Control District for each county when the EPA already covers this type of regulation?
d. An overall spending cut is called for in times of recession.

[Susan Forrest]

1. legalize & tax marijuana
2. universal single-payer health care
3. windfall profit cap (especially for gas companies) will reduce gas prices, than tax gas so if prices go up the profits don't go to the corporations, but to the state yet prices don't become unaffordable again
4. higher income people/corporations pay higher, not lower, taxes
5. stop governing by ballot initiative.
6. repeal prop 13

[Greg]

An option missing from this cute interactive form is complete repeal of Prop 13. That prop has to go! Make an exception for senior citizens at best, slash the rest. Everyone needs to pay their fair share of property taxes. This is killing the state in so many ways, and contributing to the foreclosure crisis.

Last spring I filed for a tax basis adjustment on my home, and the County of San Diego actually RAISED my property taxes!

[hipriestess4u]

Cocaine cowboys. The bad guys did all the work, had a major shoot out with the cia and fbi and the us took control of all
the cocaine and the money, and took the US out of a
recession, they called that Reganomics. He was from
California. The money taken from the Cocaine Busts rebuilt
Miami, and the cocaine was sold overseas. the Gov. did
pretty good with all the Coke.

It's California's turn. The answer is staring you in the face,
time to stop treating the plant like it's the tree of the knowledge
of good and evil, and start seeing it as the tree of life.

It's that simple. It would create jobs, keep the migrant workers very happy, the growers happier, the state would
run on a surplus......what's not to like??

It's rediculous that it's not even an option. Because....
people will continue to grow it, sell it, and smoke it....
you need advisors on this....just ask Cheech and Chong.

[Wil]

SAVE PROP 13 at all costs. everyone seems to be thinking about prop 13 as just protecting the homeowners that got in before 1978 not having to pay full tax on their houses. most of the people that are in a prop 13 house are Seniors and removing those houses from being exempt would be a very small increase in taxes but..

prop 13 requires 2/3 vote to raise a tax. repealing it to collect the property tax opens us all up on increased taxes on everything else. we are in this huge mess primarily due to wasteful spending and mandated spending. last night on Jon Stewart they did a skit which actually would be a great idea.
http://www.thedailyshow.com/video/index.jhtml?videoId=230057&title=youre-welcome-california-budget&byDate=true

[confucius]

Prop 13 must be repealed for a serious consideration of balancing the CA budget. Make exception for some of the oldest seniors, but I believe that if you can't afford the tax, you should move to a smaller house or condo.

[confucius]

Add more gasoline tax. $0.75 or higher. Seriously, just for a year. It will clear up the freeway and fix the budget at the same time, not to mention the improved air quality. Use extra money to make more freeways or fix existing freeway. Remember we used to pay $4.50? We are at $3.00 now. People may not like it, but they will pay.

[Hereford]

1. The only people who are in favor of new taxes are those who won't be affected by them.

2. Stop with the 'legalize pot' angle already. No, it won't solve any budget problems and no, nobody really believes you want anything other than to get high.

[Jackie]

1. Let's build the Air Car and Solar fans.

2. No summer school and 3 day school days.
2 day homework package to keep them off the streets.

3. No Community Programs. including food programs.

4. Tax Cigarettes , Alchiol, and all Freeways become Toll-roads.

5. No Government Official to receive a pay over 80K including Judges and state Doctors.

8. NO STREET SWEEPERS

9. Close all Libraries in the summer. Open only 2 days regular year.

10. Charge a fee to cross any State line. More for Mexico.

11. Legalize Marijuana

12. cities with population under 80K work 20 days a week. No one has pay over 30K.

13. Cut Policemen hours and use United States Reserves.
(Never cut medical or disability and always support our elderly.)

[patrick]

what we need is a fresh start, recall all of them ! we hired them, we can fire them. really we are in charge, we proved it with grey
davis !

[OakRaidFan]

The bipartisan LAO (Legislative Analyst's Office) said that, if Arnold had obeyed the law and raised the VLF (Vehicle License Fee - what you pay DMV for your registration tags) back up to the state Constitutionally-mandated 3.5% (after Gray Davis had temporarily lowered it), we would now have a SURPLUS! Instead, we have a Nazi union-buster. Raising the VLF back to where it belongs is the short-term fix. The long-term fix is to repeal the commercial (not the residential) side of Prop. 13. Now when companies pass on their firms to their kids the kids are exempt from property tax reassessment

[GetCaliOnRightTrack]

for starter, they should increase taxes on tobacco, alcohol, and oil drilling and on the riches. That should be number 1 on their list, mainly tobacco, cuz that'll stop people from smoking and polluting MY AIR!!! we shouldn't cut much from education and health because those are important for the future as well as now. By raising taxes on non-essentials, i got it so that California is out of dept and have a little extra!

[Sniffle Dog!!!]

i am biased in my suggestion to legalize, regulate, and tax properly documented and accurately labeled marijuana. i am biased as an American citizen who wants the principles of our Constitution upheld and our freedom to choose marijuana given back to us. i know it won't solve California's budget issues but it will help and if the state gov actually grew and distributed it themselves (i know i know, yeah right) it would produce much more revenue for the state then just taxing it and would give the state gov more control over its production and distribution.

i don't advocate driving under the influence of marijuana but i don't consider having THC in your system being under the influence either. do some research and figure out an acceptable level of THC that isn't too low or too high and then require anyone who fails a roadside test to submit to a blood test. if we can be trusted with something proved to be as dangerous as alcohol then why the hell can't we be trusted with marijuana which is statistically and scientifically being proved again again to not be nearly as dangerous as alcohol? more evidence is coming out of actual benefits to the properties of the cannabinoids found in marijuana.

California can be the first American state to prove to the world that actually legalizing and regulating properly documented and accurately labeled marijuana will in fact benefit our society. marijuana will be legalized, now is the time, do it correctly and allow room to adjust the laws as needed and then finally reap the benefits.

as far as the rest of the budget, well i can't say i know much about budget balancing or state spending reform, i just know i want marijuana, i want the freedom to use it responsibly, and California is the best place to start, especially now. i also like most of Schwarzenegger's movies, i can't really think of any that i don't like but there is probably one out there i'm forgetting.

"give these people air" ~Arnold Schwarzenegger, Total Recall, 1990

[lahabra1955]

I would really like a solar car and solar roof fan for my home.

Let's create jobs!

[John T]

Some of the cuts are good, but almost 1/3 of budget goes to social services, why is there not more there to cut? And versus taxes, how about some new revenue sources? For example legalize casino gambling everywhere -sorry Indians. Just the applications from that would go a long way towards balancing the budget. Then also how aobut legalizing prostitution? Charge a brothel licesnsing fee, an admission tax/ Both of these would actually make it safer for both players and providers, and Billions of dolars of income that aren't taxed now would be. Asian tourism alone for legal prostitution woudl probably balance the budget.

[steve lopuck]

If you are going to give us a chance at balancing the budget here in California put up all the realistic areas and their funding. The four choices available in your survey are biased. Let us have a crack at cleaning up the whole mess. Ken and John at KFI should join in too! In ten minutes on their radio show they had it all done.

[Marshall]

Is anyone else amazed that the LA Times would make a stupid "simulator" that allows you to cut every program and still have a deficit? How rigged is that? Everyone here that mentions unlisted options has things correct: they don't want us to realize just HOW MUCH waste there really is. The fact that illegal immigrants are considered a non-factor (other than turning over those in the penal system), should be an eye opener.

Furthermore, those of you who advocate for different kinds of taxes - you are SO short sighted. Gas taxes add to the costs of other goods and services: businesses have to pay those taxes, and it takes away from their bottom line. Income taxes - reduces the buying power of ALL CONSUMERS (will destroy jobs and send businesses out of state or overseas). Property taxes will create a defacto decrease in property values - get ready for the REAL decline in home values. Alcohol and tobacco taxes are a tax on the poor - the increases have a greater effect on their salaries than it does the upper middle class (the same goes for gasoline).

I know we need government - but this little simulator would have you believe that you can never cut government to shore up a deficit. Absolute malarky.

[The Concerned]

I like how most of the things people have mentioned as solutions to the California Budget Crisis has already been blocked by the Federal Government. That or they aren't willing just to eliminate problems by death. Nothing is ever free.

Education is one of the biggest drains. Yet at the same time we don't have any factories because no one wants to work in them. Face it, how many people here make jeans? It all got outsourced because people didn't like the wages. People want more and more. Time to start cutting back.

I'm sadden that people have to cut some charitable cause. But hey, this is government and not individuals. They have to prioritize. Now or future. The governor has taken What I believe is the right choice and attempt to save the future with present pains. Sure the problem can arise again, but it would be a result from more poor spending. Only government touched agencies can run into budget problems and exist for extended periods of time. Sooner or later, the piper must be paid or everyone will get it in spades.

[Hereford]

Only people who own nothing want to kill Prop 13. Usually seems to be the same ones who to legalize pot.

Is there a correlation there?

[Luiz Cruz]

I arrived at a decent Budget Balance using the options available, but I would exchange the "Teacher Retirement" with equivalent "State Employees Cuts" (not available) for the least productive employees, including policemen and detectives (absolutely needed).

Take a look: Deficit: -$25Mil, Cuts: $9.435Mil, Taxes: $14.59Mil

CUTS:
CalGrants, K-14 Funds, In Home Workers, In Home Service Fraud, Healthy Families, Medical Eligibility, Medical Fraud, Illegal Immigrants, Early Release, Lower-level offenders, Parole, Transportation Funds, Teacher Retirement, Health Benefits, Legislature, Offshore Drilling, Eliminate Boards, Furloughs (3rd)

NEW TAXES (There is no way to balance without them):
High Earners, Cigarettes, Broaden Sales Tax, Alcohol, Gasoline, Oil Severance

This would of course increase the cost of living and generate inflation, but that's what naturally happens in a recession, and would allow the State to keep going while the economy heals itself.

We should also enforece the borders to keep illegals from coming in. Even though they in fact pay for some taxes, they usually do not pay for Federal and State Taxes, and force us to spend on healthcare assistance. Humanitarian emergency healthcare services MUST be rendered though.

[Marie L.]

I was able to cut the budget down to approx. $5 Billion.

Its a tough time and we really need
to cut back as much as possible in this state, even if it means sacrificing certain programs. For now at least, things may change in the future, but if we don't make drastic cuts now
our beautiful state could be permanently damaged.
People need to tighten the belt, and conserve/ration for
our future, the legislation especially.
The most important government services we need at this time are public safety, "emergency" health care and education. we can do away with welfare -to-work, paying women to sit home and have kids has cost this state for many many years. I do not support welfare to work. They need to have tougher qualifications and not be so "relaxed" in dishing out food stamps, money and care to people who are able to work but do not want to because its too easy to sit home and collect a check... its time to stop! Only the elderly, the disabled and very poor should be given welfare....and the very poor should only receive for a limited time. Instead of handing out money to these people, the Government should put them to work building our roads and infrastructures.

[Leila]

Why can't we repeal prop 13 the whole way?

[Dr. Richard Morgan]

SEMPER FI...

They brag how they will rip you off in: THE PROTOCOLS...so, if you have not read THE PROTOCOLS...you deserve to be ripped off....

In THE PROTOCOLS...they also tell you how to protect yourself [and] your property/wealth....

We can tell you how NOT to be ripped off in this well planned collapse - you need to act fast, or you will be ripped off....

SEMPER FI.

[Chukar]

Options not offered on the Budget Fix Quiz:
1) Raise the gas tax to at least 50 cents if not higher.
2) Higher taxes & more tax brackets on highest income.
3) Eliminate capital gains tax breaks.
4) I also like a suggestion made elsewhere to close most of the DMV offices, making people wait far longer at the remaining offices, the point being to cause to everyone.
5) Charge more for water to the factory farms which use most of the water in Calif. We're in a drought!
6) Increase port fees.
7) Increase alcohol tax more.
8) If the quiz could allow for input of variable amounts on appropriate categories (gas tax, sales tax, cigs & alcohol) it might be more real-world.

[Cali Peet]

Should have all programs, departments, commissions. That way citizens can see everything we are paying for. We also need to be able to be more creative about fees to cut / add.
I was able to get to a $3B surplus - I think almost everyone in california can except for the legislature because they won't accept a viable mix of cuts and revenue.

[Debbie]

Eliminate all services including education to illegal aliens and their kids. We are a sovereign state and the Federal government cannot force us to provide for people who have invaded our country. End all benefits to legal immigrants who are not citizens. Current immigration laws state these people must have a sponsor who will be responsible for them should they not be able to afford what they need such as medical care. These are good laws put in place to protect American citizens and keep the burden of supporting immigrants from falling on the shoulders of tax paying citizens. That saves $5 billion a year at the very least. Many say the cost is closer to $11 billion a year which is probably true. The government has no idea what it spends, where the money goes, who gets it or how many illegal invaders are in this country so I don't trust their numbers. Then move to general welfare. There's so much fraud here that most of the benefits should be stopped. Also, let parents feed their own kids and stop free school breakfast, lunch and school snacks. Cut all the extras in schools and get back to giving a quality education to OUR children, not illegal aliens! We either get serious about protecting our State and nation and saving our hard earned money or it will soon be far too late.

[Stater of the Obvious]

Um, there won't be ANY new taxes. The legislature won't pass them, the public doesn't want them and the Governor won't sign them.

NO NEW TAXES.

[Boraxo]

I had no trouble balancing the budget without personal income or sales tax increases, though it certainly will be tough to do without raising sin taxes, gas taxes and corporate taxes. But those are the types of taxes that also have positive behavioral effects that will reduce medical and environmental costs.

What is wholly lacking in the options are deep cuts to state government - elimination of entire departments, 10% across-the-board employee cuts, shut down of certain agencies for 1/2 year (i.e. DMV), immediate parole of all non-violent drug offenders, etc. Puzzling why these aren't included - maybe it would eliminate the tax hikes supported by this paper.