Every May, The Governor delivers an updated budget to the Legislature with revised figures for next fiscal year. This year the updated budget, which is also known as the May Revise, will allocate $103 billion from the State’s general fund.

While the Governor’s revised budget proposal for the 2007-2008 fiscal year has commendable aspects which includes a commitment to fully fund K-12 education—there are still many concerns.

The Governor’s revised budget makes cuts to the blind, the elderly and disabled, the public transportation system, CalWORKS programs and high-speed trains.
The following cuts include:

• Reducing the living adjustment assistance to needy disabled and elderly Californians which in effect raises taxes for this vulnerable population by an annualized amount of $300 for individuals and $600 for couples.
• Cutting $1.3 billion from the California public transportation fund, which would mean a $146 million hit to Bay Area transit service.
• Eliminating $431 million from CalWORKS, including suspending the 2007 cost of living adjustment and eliminating all assistance to as many as 190,000 underprivileged California children.
• Only proposing $1.2 million for the California High-Speed Rail Authority, an amount barely enough to keep its doors open and falls short of the millions of dollars needed to complete necessary environmental and engineering work.

During the month of June, legislative committees will meet to hash out these details and deliver a new budget to the Governor’s desk. I am hopeful that the final product will be a budget that keeps California moving forward and our economy strong, while maintaining vital services to those who are the most vulnerable.

To keep California strong, my top transportation priority this year is to ensure that high speed trains become a reality in California. I am happy to report that the legislative budget subcommittees have proposed a huge increase to the Governor’s proposed allocation for the Authority. The Assembly proposed a $51 million budget for the Authority and the Senate, under the leadership of Senator Dean Florez (D-Shafter), proposed a $40 million budget to continue engineering and environmental study work already in progress.

I am optimistic that the Legislature is on the right track and look forward to the day that San Francisco residents are able to hop on a train at the Transbay Terminal for a 2 ½ hour trip to downtown Los Angeles.