GOVERNOR JERRY BROWN'S MAY BUDGET REVISION TO CLOSE A NOW $16 BILLION DEFICIT............

The current shortfall in the California Budget which was projected in January to be $9 billion, turns out to actually be $16 billion, and in his May Budget Revision released today Governor Brown proposed cuts, taxes, transfers, and deferments.  Proposed cuts in State services of $8.3 billion; including $3 billion from the Department of Health and Human Services, primary cuts in assistance to the poor, elderly; and the disabled. take the brunt of today's revised budget plan.  The Governor also proposes an additional $5.9 billion in tax increases and $2.5 billion in budget transfers and deferments in budgeted expenditures to close the $16 billion deficit.  State workers also are being asked to take a 5% pay cut, a savings of $402 million.  Governor Brown also vehemently asserted that the failure of his Tax Initiative on the November ballot, will mean mean even more drastic cuts to Education in California, that will adversely impact the University of California and California State University campuses, as well as school districts statewide.  It is a tragedy that the economic well being of the most vulnerable of our citizens, the impoverished, senior citizens, and the disabled,  be caused to bear half the burden of this deficit dilemma, like they have before in recent years,  The acuteness and immediacy of responding to this fiscal crisis requires a plan.  The Governor has offered his revised budget plan and it is up to the Legislature to negotiate in good faith the enactment of this plan, or provide an acceptable and sufficient alternative.  It is the right and responsibility of California's citizens to hold our elected representatives accountable for getting the job done and holding them to serving the common good not the special interests in addressing the resolution of this budgetary challenge............Fr.  Troy