Assembly Republican Leader Marie Waldron and other California leaders formally requested $1 trillion in federal aid today to assist states and local governments with looming budget crises as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak.
Waldron, as part of a coalition of western state officials led by Gov. Gavin Newsom, is requesting emergency funding to stave off deep cuts to essential services like hospitals, education, fire and police.
“This is when we need the federal government the most,” Waldron said. “Our state is facing an unprecedented spike in unemployment and our economy is in shambles—deep budget cuts to essential services will only make our problems worse. Our schools, hospitals and public safety are under serious threat.”
Budgets for government services throughout the country are deeply threatened by the prolonged stay-at-home orders that have shut down economies and jeopardize the livelihoods of countless Americans.
In California, the state budget deficit is projected to be as deep as $54 billion by 2021, which translates to approximately a quarter of the last budget over two fiscal years. Education funding could be slashed by as much as a third. Many hospitals are in danger of bankruptcy. And the state’s official unemployment rate is nearing 15 percent.
“Without federal support, states and cities will be forced to make impossible decisions – like whether to fund critical public healthcare that will help us recover, or prevent layoffs of teachers, police officers, firefighters and other first responders,” according to the letter.
LOL the highest tax state in the country wants the Feds to give $trillion. Poor roads, prisoners let loose because not enough money to build prisons, 47th ranked school system, water rationing because no new reservoirs, few CHP to enforce speed laws yet state employees can retire with almost full pay! Where does all the money go? Too bad Ms.
Waldron isn’t a true conservative Republican who
Would fight for stopping the big spending. People beware, this money will have to be paid back!
Mrs. Waldron where do you think the “Federal” money is going to come from? I thought you were a conservative. Maybe just maybe the state could think on cutting spending, something it has NEVER done. I am so sick of the out of control spending and now one of the few people that I THOUGHT was a conservative with their hand out, truly disgusting. I am now fully convinced the leaving the state is the only option.
You’re right, and of course specifics don’t exist for where the $1T would go. Money from this proposed stimulus package for CA, Illinois, New York, and other large states (as well as the USPS,)will initially be “said to” be allocated to salaries, etc., but it is most assuredly seen as the unspoken solution for massively underfunded pension liabilities. The states especially have somehow been allowed to kick this can down the road, but now the pols privately see a golden opportunity to grab the money from the fed to finally address it. By draping themselves in the flag and citing “we have to do this in order to look out for our first responders”, they play on peoples’ emotions to press to get this done. Unfortunately, we know how that turns out: state and city governments will be facing the same problems 10-15 years down the road, because the money will have actually been spent somewhere else.