Governator Says No Fed $ Until CA Balances it Books
Updated 9:06 PM PST, Tue, Dec 2, 2008
U.S. governors will ask that a federal stimulus plan for the states include as much as $100 billion in aid to help cover the swelling costs of social services.
Forty-eight governors met with President-elect Barack Obama Tuesday to press their case for a federal package to help them weather the U.S. recession that began in December 2007.
Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, who declared a fiscal emergency Monday in California, said the state won’t accept federal money until it balances out its books.
The governor has proposed $4.7 billion in increased taxes and fees and $4.5 billion in spending cuts to close a shortfall of $11 billion. He said he is hopeful lawmakers will approve his plan, and he won’t accept federal aid until the state balances its budget.
“I’m an optimist,” he said. “We cannot ask the federal government for help until we get our act together in California.”
First Published: Dec 2, 2008 7:34 PM PST
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