From Senator Bill Emerson – July 13, 2011

[dropcap]L[/dropcap]ast month legislative Democrats and Governor Brown enacted a budget that did not include any of the meaningful reforms that are necessary to get California back on track, but instead chose to rely on more accounting gimmicks and optimistic revenue projections. In fact, according to the State Controller’s Office, California only took in $849 million out of the $1.2 billion in extra revenue that the state expected to receive during the months of May and June, resulting in $351 million less in expected tax revenues.

The Democrat budget also chose to raid essential funding from local governments. As a result, redevelopment agencies, a successful tool to help cities revitalize our economy and provide permanent jobs for local residents, have been eliminated. Additionally, essential vehicle license fee revenue has been diverted from city budgets, threatening the survival of the newly incorporated cities of Eastvale, Jurupa, Menifee, and Wildomar. Without these funds, these cities may be forced to disincorporate and will no longer be able to fund vital city services, such as fire and emergency services, library, parks and transportation. It’s unfortunate that our local cities have to suffer for the Democrats inability to pass a responsible, honest budget.

As you can see, California can no longer afford more gimmick-filled budgets that do nothing to address our ongoing structural budget deficit. That’s why I worked with a group of Republican Senators to develop structural reforms to limit state spending and pay down debt, fix our unsustainable pension system, and provide regulatory relief so people can get back to work. Restoring California’s fiscal house will continue to be my top priority and these reforms are key to addressing our state’s immediate and long-term fiscal problems.

To learn more about my thoughts on the state budget, please read my editorials that were published in The Press-Enterprise and The Desert Sun. You can also read what others saying about the state budget in The Press-Enterprise and The San Francisco Chronicle.

Whooping Cough and California’s New Immunization Law

[dropcap]B[/dropcap]eginning in the 2011-2012 school year, 7th through 12th grade students in California will be required before starting school to be immunized with the pertussis (whooping cough) vaccine booster, known as Tdap. This requirement applies to both public and private schools. Whooping cough is a highly contagious upper respiratory infection that causes uncontrollable, violent coughing and can occur at any age. For more information about whooping cough and the new immunization law, please visit www.shotsforschool.org.

Senior Scam Stopper: Protect Yourself Against Scams

[dropcap]Y[/dropcap]ou’re invited to attend a free Senior Scam Stopper on Friday, August 5th at the Banning Senior Center located at 769 N. San Gorgonio Avenue in Banning. The event begins at 10 a.m. and concludes at noon. A panel of experts from the Banning Police Department, Riverside County District Attorney’s Office, California Department of Consumer Affairs, and others will arm you with information so you can avoid becoming a victim of identity theft or other type of scam. For more information, please contact my District Office at (951) 680-6750.