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Uploaded: Friday, January 11, 2013, 7:55 AM
Updated: Monday, January 14, 2013, 7:59 AM
Governor's new budget includes more for education, state health care expansion
State colleges, university system would see 5% increase in Brown's proposed financial plan for 2013-14
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 | Gov. Jerry Brown announced his proposal yesterday for a balanced state budget for the 2013-14 fiscal year that would funnel more money into K-12 schools and higher education and reform California's health care system.
At a news conference in Sacramento, Brown unveiled his plan, which would increase K-12 and community college funding by $2.7 billion, with a revamped school funding formula focused on serving low-income and English-language learners.
"The future depends not on across-the-board funding, but disproportionately funding those schools that have disproportionate challenges," he said this morning.
The community college system would receive $160 million in additional funding.
The University of California and California State University systems would see a $250 million bump in funding -- a 5 percent increase, according to Brown.
"I will do everything I can to keep the university affordable both to the state and to the students," Brown said.
In a media conference call this afternoon, Sue Burr, executive director of the state Board of Education, noted that the governor made education a key priority.
Also under the proposal, Medi-Cal coverage would be expanded to include as many as 1 million more people in part by relaxing eligibility requirements. Brown's budget outlines a $350 million price tag for the expansion.
Health and Human Services Secretary Diana Dooley said there is a lot in Brown's budget she sees as "good news."
"While not restoring anything, we are not cutting anything further," she said.
Dooley said she predicts that the simplified Medi-Cal enrollment options would "result in people feeling compelled to be covered."
At a rally at the State Building in San Francisco this afternoon, advocates called for a reinvestment in services for children, families,
seniors and people with disabilities.
Keisha Nzewi with the California Hunger Action Coalition implored the governor to restore funding for health and nutrition programs to where it was 10 years ago.
"Restoration needs to happen," she said.
In-home care service worker Norma Smith-Wilson said that despite a lack of cuts in the budget proposal, there is not enough funding for services
as is after years of cutbacks.
Hene Kelly with the California Alliance for Retired Americans led the 30 or so demonstrators assembled on the steps at 350 McAllister St. who
were carrying signs and banners and yelling chants including, "We want a safety net for all the people."
Brown said of the budget proposal overall, "I think it's compassionate ... good for the state of California and what we can maintain over time instead of just enjoying a momentary high and then feeling the hangover."
The budget calls for the state to create a $1 billion reserve, after years of deep deficits, according to Brown.
The increased spending in Brown's budget proposal is made possible in part by revenue boosts from tax measures passed by California voters including Proposition 30.
Brown's budget also calls for a $200 million transfer from the court system's immediate and critical needs account to trial courts.
Chief Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye responded to that aspect of the budget in a statement by noting that the transfer would stall court construction and rehabilitation projects.Sasha Lekach, Bay City News — Bay City News Service Are you receiving Express, our free daily e-mail edition? See a sample and sign-up for Express.
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Posted by Concerned, a resident of the Pleasanton Valley neighborhood, on Jan 11, 2013 at 8:46 am "The future depends not on across-the-board funding, but disproportionately funding those schools that have disproportionate challenges," he said this morning.
Uh oh!!!
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Posted by liberalism is a disease, a resident of the Birdland neighborhood, on Jan 11, 2013 at 9:15 am
liberalism is a disease is a member (registered user) of PleasantonWeekly.com Uh oh is right! His definition of 'disproportionate challenges', amongst other things, mean that those who don't speak English will be given a disproportionate amount of our tax dollars.
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Posted by William Tell, a resident of the Another Pleasanton neighborhood neighborhood, on Jan 11, 2013 at 9:19 am Low-income and English-illiterate education is a losing investment. Those schools already get Title 8 funds, state of the art computers, extra grants - and yet they don't produce results. Those schools don't have a funding problem - they have a culture problem - students that are multiple generation welfare dependents who think that hard work and academic achievement is bad, e.g., "acting white." And students whose parents don't understand the value of education and learning English.
So basically, these schools will get all the money - meanwhile Pleasanton parents will be expected to kick in monies to supplement programs - monies the state would be providing if we had low-income, minority failing schools. Yet another tax on the achievers in California - which is the liberal way.
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Posted by Kathleen Ruegsegger, a resident of the Vintage Hills Elementary School neighborhood, on Jan 11, 2013 at 9:30 am
Kathleen Ruegsegger is a member (registered user) of PleasantonWeekly.com Another great quote from the Governor: "I want to advance the progressive agenda, but consistent with the amount of money the people made available." Proving if you send it, they will spend it.
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Posted by Michele, a resident of the Another Pleasanton neighborhood neighborhood, on Jan 11, 2013 at 9:50 am William Tell - you have a lot to say, but it seems you know little about education funding in other districts. You relate poorer districts purely to lack of the English language, as well as those who don't know the value of education. The thought apparently has not come to mind that many of these families are middle income, hard workers who can't afford to live in areas such as P-town. Look at Castro Valley, for example. Kids playing on yard equipment from 1970... and you think THEY have updated computers and the most up to date equipment? Maybe venture out of the bubble in Pleasanton and see what it's really like for other families out there instead of assumptions.
I'm can guess you didn't hear the story of 2 sisters from Oakland, both accepted to Yale University, despite their immigrant parents not knowing a word of English. They, too, must not know the value of education? Education is a right for all children, despite the situation they are in. We should be so grateful that we live in Pleasanton and the parents in this city are so able to assist in funding programs. This is not the case across the Bay Area, or even California, and not simply attributed to welfare recipients and immigrants.
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Posted by Timothy T, a resident of the Downtown neighborhood, on Jan 11, 2013 at 10:02 am As has already been proven in every developed country and in other states, more dollars for education makes the whole place more successful. Glad to see this (relatively tiny) bump in spending on what's important.
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Posted by Libertarian utopia has arrived!, a resident of the Vintage Hills Elementary School neighborhood, on Jan 11, 2013 at 10:06 am Yes, proof positive, indeed. Good thinking! Lots of logic there. Instead of spending our tax dollars, govt should do something else, like send it back. Because, golly, there really isn't anything that requires additional govt spending. We live in a society where people have the freedom to let their kids starve. So why spend any of MY money on THAT? Whew! What an idiot.
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Posted by Kathleen Ruegsegger, a resident of the Vintage Hills Elementary School neighborhood, on Jan 11, 2013 at 10:31 am
Kathleen Ruegsegger is a member (registered user) of PleasantonWeekly.com Government rarely looks for solutions other than getting more money to spend. Our Governor also has a democratic majority to "advance the progressive agenda," but has had to caution his legislators. "But Brown vowed to push back at legislators eager to increase spending even more by restoring the billions of dollars to social services and other state programs cut in lean years." Web Link
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Posted by William Tell, a resident of the Another Pleasanton neighborhood neighborhood, on Jan 11, 2013 at 11:10 am @ Michele - for every success story (which is usually about poor Asian or East Indian immigrants who come from academic achievement cultures whose parents happen to be poor or living in a crappy place) there are real metrics and facts - such as 50% who don't graduate high school in Oakland. We've tried so many things that don't work - from teaching "Ebonics" and treating proper English as a foreign language, "Diversity Consultants" - teaching immigrant children in Spanish instead of English - all money down the drain with no results. What makes you think throwing more money at these problems will end up with different results, if the same tired tactics are used? Didn't Einstein state that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing repeatedly and expecting a different result?
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Posted by Libertarian utopianism has arrived ... in the form of dumb, dumb, and dumber, a resident of the Vintage Hills Elementary School neighborhood, on Jan 11, 2013 at 12:38 pm @"Government rarely looks for solutions other than getting more money to spend."
Did you read that from a John Birch pamphlet back when you were 10 years old?
You've offered us proof positive. You're a moron, Reugsenegger.
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Posted by Kathleen Ruegsegger, a resident of the Vintage Hills Elementary School neighborhood, on Jan 11, 2013 at 1:50 pm
Kathleen Ruegsegger is a member (registered user) of PleasantonWeekly.com Never read Birch. As I'm sure you'll recall, I was raised in a Democrat union household. Thing is, I don't think Republicans are any better at managing money.
Here's a chart where in 20 of the 36 years of data provided, Sacramento spent 100% or more than it received: Web Link
Additional information is available: Web Link
You can get the history of expenditures here (goes back to 1984-85): Web Link
There is also information on revenue back to 1950 (you have to click within the excel doc to get all the data).
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Posted by Kathleen Ruegsegger, a resident of the Vintage Hills Elementary School neighborhood, on Jan 11, 2013 at 3:51 pm
Kathleen Ruegsegger is a member (registered user) of PleasantonWeekly.com That will be a first.
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Posted by john, a resident of the Another Pleasanton neighborhood neighborhood, on Jan 11, 2013 at 8:43 pm " Didn't Einstein state that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing repeatedly and expecting a different result?"
No he never said that. It gets repeated all over the internet, but it isn't true. But as to the other stuff about the numbers looking bad for those cultures that don't value education, I have to agree with you there.
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Posted by Mom, a resident of the Mariposa Ranch neighborhood, on Jan 12, 2013 at 3:58 pm Let's be very clear here. He didn't balance the budget, we did when we agreed to a tax hike to increase school funding because our state leadership couldnt properly manage what was given to them. Jerry Brown should be commending the rest of us that agreed to work more to pay for to make up for government waste.
And yes, English speaking American students are not on the back burner and are a low priority. Kids here from elsewhere now get a better education with additional resources that all of us pay for. There was a mom on here a few months ago ranting about how she forced PUSD to give her son additional resources at a special education level and cost all because English wasn't his first language. Her writing proved she definitely spoke English well, but since she chose not to make it his primary language, we all paid for special education for this one student at the expense of our own. nd she was proud of it and apparently thought we all should be too.
Bottom line, if you have a typical English speaking American kid who you choose to speak English to at home, start budgeting for private school. Public schools don't welcome our types of kids and routinely fail them. I'm just glad my youngest is about to graduate.
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Posted by Kathleen Ruegsegger, a resident of the Vintage Hills Elementary School neighborhood, on Jan 12, 2013 at 4:38 pm
Kathleen Ruegsegger is a member (registered user) of PleasantonWeekly.com I think this title, "Governor's new budget includes more for education" is a bit misleading. The Governor's budget gives back money it owes education. And the budget surplus is only because he is not repaying $1 billion to other funds that were raided. Web Link
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Posted by Libertarian utopianism has arrived, a resident of the Another Pleasanton neighborhood neighborhood, on Jan 12, 2013 at 6:18 pm Yes, that's truly edifying. Please keep us further apprised.
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Posted by Nurse Shark, a resident of the Bridle Creek neighborhood, on Jan 13, 2013 at 9:25 am Don't forget, folks, Staceleen really does support education, despite the unrelenting war she has waged here against education EVERY SINGLE DAY for the past several years.
Just like the GOP really does support women, and the Catholic Church really places the well-being of children over protecting the clergy from prosecution...
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Posted by Kathleen Ruegsegger, a resident of the Vintage Hills Elementary School neighborhood, on Jan 13, 2013 at 10:11 am
Kathleen Ruegsegger is a member (registered user) of PleasantonWeekly.com NS, I am clearly against spending of reserves, illegal bond refinancing, borrowing from other funds, inability to repay, non-specific language, and an overall lack of transparency. It is precisely because I do support education that I am concerned about the direction the district took under the previous, and sometimes current, governance team.
I don't belong to the Catholic Church and would agree with your comment. The GOP probably supports women as quiet little homemakers--clearly not my style.
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