blog post Will the Governor’s Budget Reduce the Heat on School Districts? By Patrick Murphy, Julien Lafortune, Radhika Mehlotra Jan 28, 2019 Governor Newsom's proposed budget calls for a one-time $3 billion payment to the main teacher retirement system, but is it enough to relieve financial pressure on California's schools?
blog post Record Growth Puts Money in the Bank for California By Patrick Murphy, Jennifer Paluch, Radhika Mehlotra Jul 17, 2019 More than 120 straight months of job growth has provided a major boost to state revenues, allowing for increased spending as well as record reserves.
Report Fiscal Realities: Budget Tradeoffs in California Government By Jon Sonstelie, Tracy Gordon, Patrick Murphy, Ping Zhang Jan 31, 2007 The authors of Fiscal Realities: Budget Tradeoffs in California Government examine California’s entire revenue and spending picture in a way different from traditional, program-based analyses. Through a broad budgetary lens, and by looking at years of public opinion surveys, they evaluate what it would take to make Californians’ stated desires for their state a reality. In many cases, doing so would be extremely expensive. Reducing class size so that teacher-student ratios match ratios in other states would cost California governments an additional $15 billion per year. What services would Californians be willing to forego to pay for this? The report should help spark a broad public conversation about the tradeoffs Californians make now and those they might have to make to attain the kind of California they want.
blog post UC and CSU Face Budget Challenges By Kevin Cook Jul 10, 2020 The University of California and California State University face significant revenue loss this year and may see further cuts in the coming years.
Statewide Survey PPIC Statewide Survey: Special Survey on the California State Budget By Mark Baldassare Jan 26, 2006 Some findings of the current survey: A large majority (68%) of Californians support the central proposal of Gov. Schwarzenegger’s recent State of the State speech—a $222 billion program for rebuilding the state’s infrastructure, financed with bonds. Education facilities (48%) are the most popular infrastructure priority, followed by transportation projects (25%), water systems (17%), jails and prisons (3%) and courts (2%). 60% of residents approve of the governor’s proposed 2006-2007 budget. But 61% also say the imbalance between state spending and revenue remains a big problem for California. Although Californians typically reject raising taxes on themselves, they find it more acceptable to raise taxes on specific subgroups, such as the richest Californians (65%) and cigarette smokers (71%). The governor’s overall approval rating improved to 40%, but approval for his handling of specific issues such as jobs and the economy (39%) and the state budget and taxes (35%) lag. This is the 63rd PPIC Statewide Survey and the sixth in a series of special surveys focusing on the California budget and fiscal system, funded by The James Irvine Foundation.
blog post The Vanishing Line-Item Veto By Eric McGhee, Paul Warren Jun 26, 2014 Many governors have gone light on line-item vetoes, but Brown’s veto numbers are low even in historical context.
Occasional Paper, Report The State Budget and Local Health Services in California: Surveys of Local Health Officials By Mark Baldassare, Matthew Newman Sep 22, 2005 This report is the second comprehensive analysis of how local health programs in California have fared in the context of the state’s ongoing budget deficits. The findings are based on a survey of local government health officials conducted during February and March 2005 by the Public Policy Institute of California.
Occasional Paper, Report The State Budget and Local Health Services in California: Surveys of County Officials By Paul Lewis, Mark Baldassare, Mina Yaroslavsky May 6, 2004 This report represents the first comprehensive analysis of how health programs in California have fared in the context of the state’s budget situation in fiscal year 2003-2004. The findings are based on a mail survey of county officials conducted from late December 2003 through March 2004.
Statewide Survey PPIC Statewide Survey: Special Survey on the California State Budget By Mark Baldassare May 25, 2006 Some findings of the current survey Angelides and Westly are locked in a statistical dead heat among Democratic primary likely voters (35% to 32%). Thirty-three percent are still undecided. The November race is a toss-up in hypothetical contests between Schwarzenegger and Angelides (38% each) and Schwarzenegger and Westly (36% each). Strong majorities back the governor’s plans to increase spending on K-12 education (77%), reduce state debt and reserve cash (76%), and fund levee repairs (67%). But a majority of Californians (52%) disapprove of Schwarzenegger’s handling of the state budget and taxes. This is the 67th PPIC Statewide Survey and the seventh in a series about issues related to the California state budget and underlying fiscal system, made possible by a grant from The James Irvine Foundation.
