Each week, The Watchdog asks this question of one elected official:
If you could cut one thing from the budget, what would it be and why?
OUR DISCLAIMER: The Watchdog does not agree or disagree with the opinions expressed by said elected officials; we simply serve as the conduit between you, the people, and the folks you have elected to represent you. As the saying goes, the people get the government they deserve!
Background on Assemblyman Jim Silva:
- Republican representing the 67th Assembly District in the California Legislature (Huntington Beach, Seal Beach, Cypress, La Palma and Los Alamitos, parts of Stanton, Westminster, Garden Grove, Anaheim, Rossmoor, Sunset Beach)
- Vice chair of the committee on jobs, economic development and the economy.
- B.A. in business from CSU San Jose; masters degree in education from Chapman University
- High school economics teacher for 28 years; is a licensed Real Estate broker
- Served three terms on the Board of Supervisors, was mayor and councilmember in Huntington Beach
- Married to wife Connie for 37 years; two children, Chad and Donna
- Contact Silva here
Watchdog: Jim Silva, if you could cut one thing from the budget, what would it be and why?
Silva: Recently, the state controller issued a report revealing that the state overspent by $3.9 billion in the fiscal year that just ended, and that number does not include another $3.3 billion the state had to borrow. I firmly believe the gap between how much money the state takes in and how much it spends could be dramatically reduced if we got rid of one thing - waste.
When I say waste, I don’t just mean the obvious things like overpaying for goods and services, although this is certainly a problem within state government. My main concern is that the Legislature fails to prioritize at all how it spends taxpayer dollars. Rather than insist that public safety, education, health and infrastructure come first, the Legislature chooses to hold non-essential programs on equal footing.
Let me offer a few examples. This year’s budget calls for spending over $15 million to expand health benefits to the children of illegal immigrants. It also would have the state pay over $4 million to fund the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency, even though this agency actively discourages property owners from making their property fire safe by way of its land use decisions. And since 2000, California has spent over $60 million on a train that last operated in 1992 (the North Coastal Railroad Authority’s quest to get service going on a dilapidated line between Eureka and San Raphael) .
Unfortunately, there are countless other examples. Some may argue that these are valid expenditures, not waste. The speaker of the Assembly must think so, as she was recently quoted as saying the Legislature had made so many spending reductions that the only things left to cut are the salaries of firefighters, teachers, and school principals.
I strongly disagree. I have to ask myself if the Legislature would be contemplating cutting funding for schools, health services and law enforcement, while at the same time struggling to pay for fire protection, if the state prioritized its funding. To me, eliminating waste by prioritizing spending seems to be a better way of handling the state’s current fiscal crisis than does needlessly threatening the livelihoods of educators and firefighters.
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Alright, those were easy. How about the rest? With those cuts we still have $7,121,000,000 to go.
I agree that we need to cut services to illegals including welfare to all babies born to an illegal woman. Also agree that the state should take a take it or leave positions when ordering supplies and services. Its to bad we have mandated so many programs that have to be inclueded in the state budget. Maybe we can start a recall on many of those mandated programs so we can spend only within our budget.
I disagree on cutting any spending on rail lines. We need to invest more on rail lines as the airlines are cutting back on their services to small airports. Spending our transportation system will also create jobs. The Creatation of jobs will increase state funds.
Sounds like infighting in that county. I am glad they are spending the money on the railroad. Keep up the fight. And Silva is worthless in my book.
It easy, benefits for the millions of illegals living here. But them
that was cut them, although …
Silva keeps talking about millions, when the problem is billions.
Where’s the budget, dude? Are you and the rest of your caucus just trying to drown the state government in even more red ink by causing chaos?
I wonder if the Register will ever cover any of this.
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