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4,639 Publications Found
May 24, 2011 - Presented to Senate Budget and Fiscal Review Subcommittee No. 1 on Education Finance
May 23, 2011 - Presented to Assembly Budget Subcommittee No. 2 on Education Finance
May 23, 2011 - Presented to Assembly Budget Subcommittee No. 2 on Education Finance
May 23, 2011 - Presented to Assembly Budget Subcommittee No. 2 on Education Finance and Assembly Budget Subcommittee No. 1 on Health and Human Services
May 23, 2011 - Presented to Assembly Budget Subcommittee No. 2 on Education Finance
May 19, 2011 - Mac Taylor speaks to the media about the LAO report "The 2011-12 Budget: Overview of the May Revision."
May 19, 2011 - Significantly improved General Fund revenue trends since January and over $13 billion of budget actions already approved by the Legislature have reduced the size of the budget gap still to be addressed by California’s elected leaders. The administration identifies a $9.6 billion remaining budget problem based on generally reasonable 2010-11 and 2011-12 revenue and expenditure assumptions. The Governor’s plan to address this shortfall and leave the state with a $1.2 billion reserve at the end of 2011-12 has many positive aspects. It would help bring annual spending and resources much closer in line for the next five years, and its focus on reducing budgetary debt obligations is laudable. On the other hand, the Legislature has other options to address the reduced budget shortfall, including adoption of alternative tax proposals, additional program reductions, and selected fund transfers and internal borrowing. The improved economic and revenue situation, along with significant budgetary solutions already adopted, mean that California now is in a position to dramatically shrink its budget problem with a focus on ongoing budget solutions.
May 11, 2011 - Senate Budget and Fiscal Review Subcommittee No. 5 on Corrections, Public Safety, and the Judiciary
May 10, 2011 - In 2010-11, several County Offices of Education (COEs) reported difficulties balancing their court school budgets. Partly due to the concerns they raised, the Supplemental Report of the 2010-11 Budget Act directed our office to (1) assess whether county court schools have access to an appropriate array of categorical funds and (2) compare court school funding with funding rates for other alternative programs. Our review indicates that COEs, which allot funding to county court schools, generally have access to an appropriate array of categorical funds. Although access to categorical funds does not appear to be a problem, we did identify local cost pressures that could explain why some COEs are having difficulty balancing their court school budgets. While the state’s options for affecting these local decisions are limited, the state could take actions to reduce cost pressures on court schools. We also recommend the state standardize per-pupil funding rates across its alternative education funding system, which could also help COEs manage their court school budgets.
May 10, 2011 - Presented to: Senate Committee on Human Services Hon. Carol Liu, Chair
May 10, 2011 - Legislative Analyst Mac Taylor, report author Eric Thronson, and section director Farra Bracht speak to reporters about the LAO report "High-Speed Rail Is at a Critical Juncture."
May 10, 2011 - In this 5-minute video, analyst Eric Thronson discusses the LAO report "High-Speed Rail Is at a Critical Juncture."
May 10, 2011 - In November 2008, voters approved Proposition 1A, which allows the state to sell $9 billion in general obligation bonds to partially fund the development and construction of the high-speed rail system. In addition, the state has received roughly $3 billion from the federal government for its construction. We describe a number of problems that pose threats to the high-speed rail project’s successful development as envisioned by Proposition 1A and make several recommendations. We recommend that the Legislature direct the High Speed Rail Authority (HSRA) to renegotiate the terms of the federal funding awarded to the state by the Federal Rail Administration. We also recommend that the Legislature pass legislation this session that shifts the responsibility for the day-to-day and strategic development of the project from HSRA to the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans).
May 3, 2011 - Presented to Water Plan Finance Caucus
May 2, 2011 - In this webcast (approximately 10 minutes), analyst Rachel Ehlers discusses the LAO report "How Small Is Too Small? An Analysis of School District Consolidation."