Use either the form or links on the side to filter the list of publications. Browse other LAO products using the links at the bottom of the sidebar.
4,624 Publications Found
February 14, 2001 - The new system for budgeting CalWORKs welfare-to-work services is flawed. Welfare-to-work services are potentially underfunded by as much as $120 million during 2000-01, and 10 counties do not have sufficient funds to provide necessary services for all families needing to become self-sufficient. We recommend enactment of legislation aimed at addressing these deficiencies.
February 8, 2001 - Many students arrive at public colleges in California unprepared for college-level courses. In this report we recommend a multifaceted strategy to address this problem by assessing student preparedness earlier, improving accountability in precollegiate education, and funding precollegiate courses in a more equitable and effective manner.
February 6, 2001 - Realignment, enacted in 1991, transferred various mental health, health, and social services programs from the state to county control. It also altered program cost-sharing ratios, and provided counties with dedicated tax revenues to pay for these changes. Although realignment has been largely successful, we recommend implementation of several changes including a simplified allocation structure for new revenues that relies on a single formula.
February 1, 2001 - Our analysis indicates that no rational basis exists for setting Medi-Cal physician rates, and that current rates are lower than those paid by the federal Medicare Program and others. Commencing in 2002-03, we recommend that the state adjust rates based upon a comprehensive analysis of access to physician services and the quality of care provided to beneficiaries.
January 30, 2001 - The Children's Health and Disability Prevention (CHDP) program's role as a "gateway" to the Healthy Families Program has never been fully established. We recommend several changes in California designed to reduce the number of uninsured children and promote comprehensive health coverage for low-income children.
January 29, 2001 - We recommend that the Legislature hold oversight hearings to evaluate CALFED's proposal for the Environmental Water Account, implemented to acquire water for endangered species protection and recovery in the Bay-Delta region. There are many policy and implementation issues that the Legislature should consider before CALFED proceeds with the new program, including the program's costs, benefits, impacts, governance, and funding. Funding should be governed by the "beneficiary pays" principle.
January 25, 2001 - Based on our findings, we recommend that the Legislature remove the existing sunset for the current partial Sales and Use Tax (SUT) exemption for bunker fuel sales, and make the exemption permanent. This action would result in treating bunker fuel sales similarly to other export sales and place California ports on par with other U.S. out-of-state ports. We also recommend that the Legislature review the appropriateness of current SUT treatment of fuel sales to common carriers other than vessels, including air and rail common carriers.
January 24, 2001 - The state could do a better job at achieving its air quality goals if it exercised more effective oversight of the 35 local air districts. We think that a number of recent problems--including inconsistent and not fully effective local enforcement of air quality regulations--could have been reduced with such oversight. We make a number of recommendations to improve the state's role in air quality regulation.
January 24, 2001 - It appears that there are a number of potential benefits from e-government implementation. We raise, though, a number of concerns about the direction that the state is taking in this area. We also outline specific qualities to look for before approving future e-government proposals and identify policy issues to address.
January 18, 2001 - The purpose of this primer is to address, in a highly graphical format, various questions, including: What are the different types of taxes upon which California relies? What is their relative importance, and how have they evolved over time? How large a "burden" do these taxes impose on Californians and how is this burden distributed? What types of policy issues are associated with the current tax structure?
January 18, 2001 - Proposition 1A of 1998 authorized $9.2 billion to finance school facilities. Its companion legislation appropriated $160 million to reimburse school facility fees paid for new homes. In this report we recommend that the Legislature eliminate the $60 million in scheduled appropriations for these reimbursements in 2001-02 and 2002-03.
January 17, 2001 - This handout, prepared for a Joint Hearing of the Assembly and Senate Education Committees, provides an overview of the K-12 Education component of the 2001-02 Governor's Budget.
January 12, 2001 - The Governor released his proposed state budget on January 10th. The budget assumes $2.3 billion less in resources than the $10.3 billion in uncommitted funds we reported in November, primarily reflecting the recent slowing in the national economy. The budget proposal allocates the remaining $8 billion in uncommitted resources to finance increased spending ($5.5 billion, including major new initiatives in the areas of education and energy), cut taxes ($0.1 billion), and provide for a budgetary reserve ($2.4 billion).
January 5, 2001 - Because the state lacks a comprehensive land conservation plan, it is difficult to assess the effectiveness of "conservancies" that acquire and protect undeveloped lands. We recommend that, in the short term, the Legislature limit the creation of additional conservancies and enact sunset review provisions for existing conservancies. In the longer term, we recommend a review of the state's overall approach to land conservation.