Fiscal Realities: Budget Tradeoffs in California Government

Publication Date: January 2007

Publisher: Public Policy Institute of California

Author(s): Tracy M. Gordon; Jaime Calleja Alderete; Patrick J. Murphy

Research Area: Banking and finance

Type: Report

Coverage: California

Abstract:

The authors of Fiscal Realities: Budget Tradeoffs in California Government examine California’s entire revenue and spending picture in a way different from traditional, program-based analyses. Through a broad budgetary lens, and by looking at years of public opinion surveys, they evaluate what it would take to make Californians’ stated desires for their state a reality. In many cases, doing so would be extremely expensive. Reducing class size so that teacher-student ratios match ratios in other states would cost California governments an additional $15 billion per year. What services would Californians be willing to forego to pay for this? The report should help spark a broad public conversation about the tradeoffs Californians make now and those they might have to make to attain the kind of California they want.