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The governor also announced about $700 million in cuts to the budget, which he said was necessary to keep the budget balanced and build a “prudent reserve.”
North Coast Sen. Patricia Wiggins (D-Santa Rosa) said the budget was fiscally responsible; includes no new taxes, fees or special programs; has a $3.4 billion reserve; pays debt early and lowers the operating deficit.
“This budget, while not a great one, is a decent one, and it was the best one we could accomplish in 2007,” she said.
Wiggins said the budget maintains a cost of living increase for Supplementary Security Income and State Supplementary Payment recipients.
The state budget shows that expenditures for the Supplemental Security Income/State Supplementary Payment Program are $3.7 billion for 2007-08, up $118.7 million from the revised 2006 budget. That's due in part to an estimated increase in the average monthly caseload by 1.3 million recipients, a 1.8-percent increase over the 2006-07 projected level.
Schwarzenegger's 42 pages of revisions and budget cuts will affect many programs. One of the hardest hit state departments is Health and Human Services, which will suffer hundreds of millions in fiscal decreases.
Among the reductions are $34.6 million for the county grants portion of the Children's Outreach initiative in Medi-Cal and the Healthy Families Program, and $54.9 million for the Integrated Services for Homeless Adults with Serious Mental Illness Program.
Regarding the program for homeless, mentally ill adults, Schwarzenegger suggests that the program “can be restructured to meet the needs of each county’s homeless population using other county funding sources,” including federal funds.
Said Wiggins, “It is unfortunate that the governor chose to veto funding for things like funding for Medi-Cal and housing for mentally ill homeless people, from a budget which includes a $45 million tax break for people who own yachts.”
One item preserved in the budget was the Williamson Act, which gives farmers and ranchers a tax break for keeping farmland in production, and reimburses counties for lost tax revenue.
Schwarzenegger's May budget revision had targeted the $39 million planned for supporting the program this year, but the California Farm Bureau and other agriculturalists around the state kept up the pressure. Assemblyman Mike Villines (R-Fresno), the Republican Assembly leader, helped hammer out an agreement with Schwarzenegger to leave the Williamson Act funding in tax.
The new budget also includes $1.6 billion for In-Home Supportive Services, an amount that is up $97.1 million from last year. The budget summary explains that the average monthly caseload in this program is estimated to increase to 389,100 recipients, a 5.1-percent increase over the 2006-07 projected level.
The documents also state that, effective July 1, state participation in IHSS provider wages and health benefits increased from $11.10 per hour to $12.10 per hour, based on the projected growth of General Fund revenues.
The state's Military Department will receive $1.8 million and 22 positions to meet the increased demand for military funeral honors ceremonies around the state.
The increased funds will provide an additional 300 funeral honors per month which would include California National Guard members folding the United States flag and presenting it to the next of kin during the funeral ceremony. The California National Guard is required by federal law to serve as the primary provider of those services to veterans and their families who request funeral services with military honors, according to the budget summary.
The newly signed budget also includes $11.4 million General Fund and 26.4 positions to assist in implementing a statewide Veterans Home Information System, according to the budget report. That system will be based on the federal veterans health care information, and will be used to improve health care tracking and the care provided to veterans.
Wiggins said she is looking forward to getting started on next year's budget as soon as possible. She said she supports Senate Leader Don Perata’s call for a bipartisan budget revision panel to develop a multiyear plan in order to get budgets back on time.
“I agree with Sen. Perata that the state’s budget is ‘fatally broken’ because it is controlled by conflicting ballot-box mandates, dedicated funding streams and other constraints that limit what lawmakers can do,” Wiggins said.
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A report from the Mendocino County Sheriff's Sgt. Derek Scott Thursday reported that deputies had arrested Jeremy R. Jeffers, 19, of Lakeport, in Ukiah on Monday night.
At 8:30 p.m. Monday, Scott reported that deputies were dispatched to Jeffers Pool and Spa at 123 Lake Mendocino Drive for a welfare check on Jeffers, who was reported to possibly be in possession of a firearm.
Deputy Andrew Whiteaker arrived at the scene, where he observed Jeffers' right arm inside the bed of a truck and an unidentified male relative standing to the rear of the truck, Scott reported. When Whiteaker asked about the firearm the relative told him that Jeffers had it in his hand.
Scott's report said Whiteaker then pulled out his firearm and immediately ordered Jeffers to put the gun down. Jeffers reportedly told Whiteaker to shoot him as he was going to jail.
Whiteaker then took out a Taser and used it to try to subdue Jeffers, but failed, Scott's eport stated.
Shortly afterward Sgt. Scott arrived at the scene and helped take Jeffers to the ground, where he was arrested.
Once Jeffers was subdued, his relative told Whiteaker that Jeffers had held him at gunpoint for about an hour prior to the authorities arriving, according to Scott's report.
While Jeffers had allegedly held the other man at gunpoint, he allegedly made criminal threats to the relative, causing him to believe that he would be killed if he tried to leave the scene.
Authorities transported Jeffers to the Mendocino County Jail on charges of robbery, terrorist threats, false imprisonment, resisting an officer and carrying a loaded firearm in a public place.
Lt. Rusty Noe of the Mendocino County Sheriff's Office told Lake County News that Jeffers was in possession of an unspecified type of handgun. Noe had no information about previous contacts between Jeffers and law enforcement.
A Mendocino County Jail official confirmed that Jeffers remains in jail on $125,000 bail.
E-mail Elizabeth Larson at
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Candidates have filed to run for seats on nearly two dozen boards and districts throughout Lake County.
The November ballot will feature only those districts where candidates outnumber vacancies, according to Registrar of Voters Diane Fridley's office.
Below is a list of candidates for the various education boards and special districts.
EDUCATION
Kelseyville Unified School District Board (three vacancies):
– Don Boyd, appointed incumbent, educator.
– John R. DeChaine, criminal prosecutor for the Lake County District Attorney's Office, parent.
– Andy Dobusch, incumbent.
– Chris Irwin, sales manager.
– Philip Murphy pear and walnut grower.
– Gary Olson, real estate broker.
– Valerie A. Ramirez, incumbent.
– Mireya Gehring Turner, county supervisors' assistant.
Lakeport Unified School District Board (three vacancies):
– Craig Kinser, incumbent.
– Philip T. Kirby, school administrator.
– Robyn K. Stevenson, incumbent.
– Patricia Jonas Voulgaris, retail business owner.
– Bob Weiss, incumbent.
Lucerne Elementary School District Board (one vacancy):
– Kay Hancock, retired teacher.
– Bruce Higgins, incumbent.
Upper Lake Union Elementary School District (two vacancies):
– Walt Christensen, incumbent.
– Valerie Petz, appointed incumbent.
Upper Lake Union High School District Board (two vacancies):
– Colleen Alexander, incumbent, Nice.
– Annie Barnes, administrator, grant writer, Upper Lake.
– Dawn R. Binns, business owner, Upper Lake.
– Howard Chavez, deputy director of education, Lucerne.
– Gary L. Lewis, sales/marketing director, Upper Lake.
Lake County Board of Education, Trustee Area 1 (one vacancy):
– George H. Rider, incumbent, Lower Lake.
Lake County Board of Education, Trustee Area 2 (one vacancy):
– Mark A. Cooper, incumbent, Clearlake.
Lake County Board of Education, Trustee Area 4 (one vacancy):
– David Browning, appointed incumbent, Lakeport.
– Larry A. Juchert, retired business owner, Lakeport.
Mendocino-Lake Community College District, Trustee Area 1 (one vacancy):
– Paul B. Ubelhart, incumbent, Willits.
Mendocino-Lake Community College District, Trustee Area 3 (one vacancy):
– Joan M. Eriksen, incumbent, Ukiah.
– Larry MacLeitch, retired professor and trustee, Ukiah.
Mendocino-Lake Community College District, Trustee Area 4 (one vacancy):
– Wade Koeninger, incumbent, Hopland.
Mendocino-Lake Community College District, Trustee Area 7 (one vacancy):
– Jerry DeChaine, professor of chemistry, Kelseyville.
– Gary Taylor, incumbent, Kelseyville.
SPECIAL DISTRICTS
Anderson Springs Community Services District (two vacancies):
– Penelope D. Falduto, appointed incumbent.
– Beatrice A. Moulton, retired law professor.
– Daniel L. Wood, custodian.
Anderson Springs Community Services District (one vacancy for an unexpired term):
– John Engels, appointed incumbent.
Butler-Keys Community Services District (three vacancies):
– James Evans, incumbent.
– Frank Gillespie, incumbent.
– Jeanne Renli Schiele, incumbent.
Hidden Valley Lake Community Services District (three vacancies):
– Robert W. Barton, incumbent.
– Frances Bunce, appointed incumbent.
– Lyle W. LaFaver, incumbent.
Kelseyville Fire Protection District (two vacancies):
– Donald R. Carter, incumbent.
– William H. H. Wolfe, appointed incumbent.
Lake County Fire Protection District (three vacancies):
– William W. Llewellyn, incumbent, Lower Lake.
– Rozie Cheek, incumbent, Clearlake Park.
– Thomas W. Walker, incumbent, Clearlake.
South Lake County Fire Protection District (three vacancies):
– Rob Bostock, appointed incumbent, Cobb.
– Madelyn Martinelli, incumbent, Middletown.
– Danny L. McCabe, incumbent, Cobb.
Adams Springs Water District (two vacancies):
– Kathy DeMartini, appointed incumbent.
– Evan Robert Willig, incumbent.
Adams Springs Water District (one vacancy for an unexpired term):
– Gloria Poulsen, appointed incumbent.
Buckingham Park Water District (two vacancies):
– George Hawley, incumbent.
– James Horne, appointed incumbent.
– Michael B. Meese, appointed incumbent.
Callayomi County Water District (two vacancies):
– Linda Olhiser, retired controller.
Clearlake Oaks County Water District (three vacancies):
– Mike Anisman, retired law enforcement.
– June A. Greene, incumbent.
– Helen G. Locke, retired telecom manager.
– Glenn R. Rowe, incumbent.
– Frank Toney, highway maintenance worker.
– Bob White, incumbent.
Cobb Area County Water District (two vacancies):
– Renada Breeden, incumbent.
– Kees Winkelman, appointed incumbent.
Cobb Area County Water District (one vacancy for an unexpired term):
– Robert Paul Trautwein, appointed incumbent.
Konocti County Water District (two vacancies):
– Donnie Bachman, appointed incumbent.
– Darin M. McCosker, incumbent.
Scotts Valley Water Conservation District, Division 1 (one vacancy):
No candidates filed.
Scotts Valley Water Conservation District, Division 2 (one vacancy):
No candidates filed.
Upper Lake County Water District (three vacancies):
– Wilda C. Beavers, incumbent.
– Henry Ward Beecher, incumbent.
– Allen E. Merriman, incumbent.
Villa Blue Estates Water District (two vacancies):
– Mark Fetzer, satellite technician.
– Dennis John Knudsen, incumbent.
– Clara Summerfield, incumbent.
E-mail Elizabeth Larson at
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The Senate voted 27-12 Tuesday afternoon to accept the $145 billion budget, which includes $103 billion in general fund spending, according to David Miller, spokesman for North Coast Sen. Patricia Wiggins.
In a statement after the vote, Wiggins noted that the Senate's version of the budget was very similar to that passed July 20 by the Assembly and to a budget the Senate almost approved three weeks ago. Wiggins said the Senate should have arrived at a final budget “much, much earlier.”
“But I am glad that we are putting this impasse behind us, because it will allow us to resume payments to child care facilities, to nursing homes, to health clinics and other providers who receive reimbursements through Medi-Cal, to those who offer care and services to the developmentally disabled, and to anyone else who has been negatively affected by the delay,” said Wiggins.
This budget fully funds education and law enforcement, allows the state to pay off $2.5 billion of its overall bind debt earlier than scheduled and keeps a record $3.4 billion in reserve – all without raising taxes, Wiggins reported.
“It is my hope that we can move quickly now on other major outstanding issues, especially health care reform, and that we can reach early agreement on the next round of budget talks in 2008,” said Wiggins.
There was one part of the budget package Wiggins didn't agree with, according to her office. Senate Republicans demanded the elimination of an existing requirement that all state-owned buildings be “green,” which Senate Democrats agreed to honor. Wiggins, however, voted against the change.
Assemblywoman Patty Berg's office offered no comment on the budget's passing. However, in July, when the Assembly passed a $103 billion budget version, Berg said it would protect children, the elderly and the poor.
As chair of the Assembly's Budget Subcommittee on Health and Human Services, she worked to add $12 million to the state’s Adult Protective Services program in order to give every county in the state at least one watchdog to protect seniors from elder abuse.
The Assembly budget also preserved the Williamson Act, increased funding for the California Methamphetamine Initiative, prevented a wage freeze for In-Home Supportive Services workers, maintained Rural law enforcement grant program, kept intact the homeless program for mentally ill, fully funded K-12 education and created a $3.4 billion reserve.
However, just how close the two budgets are in their specifics wasn't clear Tuesday evening, although it's reported that they are very similar.
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger issued a statement Tuesday afternoon that lauded the Senate's responsible budget,” which he said protects the state's priorities and keeps its economy strong.
“It was a challenging process but in the end our legislative leaders came together to deliver a spending plan that does not raise taxes, creates the largest reserve in history, and reduces our operating deficit after the spending vetoes that I have promised,” Schwarzenegger said in the statement.
Schwarzenegger said the budget also limits spending growth to less than one percent, pays down $2.5 billion in debt, fully funds education and public safety, and allows the state to move forward with the infrastructure bond measures that voters approved last year.
“We now will move forward together on the issues we've been elected to address such as health care, a comprehensive water plan, and redistricting reform,” Schwarzenegger said.
The budget comes none too soon.
Late last month, State Controller John Chiang reported that the budget impasse forced him to withhold $1.1 billion in state payments to hospitals, nursing homes, child care centers, community colleges and other programs. Chiang estimated at that time that he would not be able to pay another $2.1 billion in state payments in August.
E-mail Elizabeth Larson at
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