Excerpted from 23 ABC News Bakersfield
May 14, 2020
By Veronica Morley
Local Assemblyman Vince Fong said “Sacramento must get serious” in response to the governor’s revised budget announcement Thursday.
Fong released a statement saying:
In light of the massive revenue deficit in the upcoming fiscal year, Sacramento must get serious about making reductions in spending that have ramped up significantly over the last decade. In order to be responsible stewards of taxpayer dollars, we must immediately cut wasteful projects like High Speed Rail, and provide the financial stability we need to meet our core obligations.
At the same time, we must do everything possible to create a stable environment that allows struggling small businesses to grow and hire, which includes pausing rulemaking on new regulations and prohibiting the imposition of new taxes and fees.
Assemblyman Vince Fong
Governor Gavin Newsom announced Thursday his latest budget proposal is a response to economic changes that have taken place this far, since Jan. up to May, including the devastating toll COVID-19 has taken on our residents and our economy.
The budget deficit of $54 billion for exceeds the size of the $16 billion set aside in the state’s Rainy Day Fund, and garners budget cuts across various programs in the state while also keeping in tact and protecting public health and safety and public education.