There is no surplus. The surplus is a joke. Brown's budget is nothing but smoke and mirrors that requires money taken from cites and counties to balance. There are deferred payments to schools, deferred payments to CalWorks, and to CalPers, the public employee union. In addition, some of the increased revenue is the result of actions taken in preparation for the massive tax increase Brown pushed through, resulting in one time gains.
Follow this link. While it's an opinion piece, spend some time on google to confirm the facts in the article.
What taxpayers should know about Gov. Brown's budget: Opinion - Press-Telegram
First, the 2013-14 proposed budget would spend more than any other budget in California history. This is true even as it relates to the general fund portion of the budget which doesn't include special funds or federal revenues. In fact, the general fund budget at $97.7 billion is actually $104 billion if previous realignment dollars are included. (The "realignment funds" are simply general fund dollars sent to local governments for the purpose of paying for programs - like corrections - that were previously the responsibility of the state.) The general fund budget is once again above 2007-2008 levels - the highest ever in state
Revised California Budget Surplus May Not Last Long – Money Talks
Deferred payments to California schools are also taking up a substantial portion of the added revenues, which exceeded expectations around tax day. Analysts have parsed the one-time revenues to uncertainty at the federal level, which prompted many high income earners to shift realization of assets, including capital gains into 2012.
Bottom line? You think what you want to think. Leave facts to those who are actually involved in dealing with them where the impact is personal.
