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Key Issues
2010 Budget Revision
California is in an economic crisis. Unemployment, home foreclosures and bankruptcies have skyrocketed. Yet Governor Schwarzenegger chose to cause even more misery in the May Revision to the 2010-11 budget. Program spending reductions make up two-thirds of the solutions proposed by the Governor. This budget cuts state programs, agencies and services to the bone, yet the three corporate tax breaks from the 2008 and 2009 budget remain untouched.
Help For Jobless Workers Losing Unemployment Benefits
The State of California and partner organizations provide a wide range of services to help people who have exhausted, or may soon exhaust, their unemployment insurance. Unemployed individuals may be eligible for assistance to meet basic needs as well as other services such as health care, counseling, employment and training assistance.
Middle Class Bill of Rights
Even though we are paying out fair share in taxes, working families are getting less in return and bearing the brunt of the state’s drastic budget cuts. The Middle Class Bill of Rights clearly defines our demands as the people of this state to protect and promote responsible stewardship of our public dollars so that we can return California to a first-class place to live, work and raise a family.
Corporate Transparency and Accountability
California gives tax subsidies to corporations as an incentive for them to do business and create jobs in the state. Under existing law, it is nearly impossible to track how much of California’s budget is lost to corporate tax subsidies, what companies are getting the subsidies, and if those subsidies are creating jobs. Many of these tax expenditures are permanent and never reviewed. Companies are permitted to take taxpayer money and run – relocating jobs in other states or countries.
Repairing the Safety Net
Laid off workers stay awake at night worried about their lost income and health care. Experienced workers who are unemployed can’t put their skills to work rebuilding our economy. Families and the state suffer. By providing necessary support to the vulnerable and those most impacted by the economic crisis, we not only provide a lifeline to families and neighborhoods in need, but also create vital economic stimulus to put our state on the road to recovery.
Attracting Good Jobs to California
Now is the time for California to invest in attracting businesses in growth industries, like clean-tech and green manufacturing, that provide stable jobs with good wages and benefits. California can attract new businesses without wasting taxpayers’ dollars through innovative financing and economic development tools; creating a one-stop-shop for business; and manufacturing, rather than importing, the goods necessary to rebuild this state.
Building California’s High Speed Rail
On January 28th, the Obama Administration announced that California will receive $2.25 billion in federal stimulus funds to jump-start high-speed rail construction. With work on high-speed rail shovel-ready, this project stands to serve as an immediate catalyst to good job creation and sustained economic growth.