One Alternative If Brown Fails…

Gov. Brown has refused to detail the cuts he might enact if the legislature and/or voters reject the extension of temporary tax increases that were part of his plan.

But the legislature's non-partisan analyst just did. In response to a request from a Democratic legislator, the Legislative Analyst's Office has detailed $13.5 billion in budget cuts that might result.

The highlight -- or lowlight, depending on your perspective -- would be $5.2 billion in cuts to schools and community college. This would eliminate class-size reduction in the early grades and require children to be 5 before starting kindergarten. Higher education would take a $1.1 billion cut -- on top of the $1 billion of cuts Brown is already proposing. The courts and criminal justice would be hard hit too.

Of course, this is just one alternative. But it's useful for voters and lawmakers to see what they're facing if they don't like what Brown is selling.

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