Laguna officials await budget changes

Marisa O’Neil and Suzie Harrison

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger delivered his first State of the State

speech Tuesday, declaring he would navigate California through its

financial crisis by reshaping California government while preserving

education funding.

Laguna Beach officials are anticipating the announcement of his

budget today to see actual numbers.

Laguna Beach Unified School District board member Jan Vickers said

she’s hoping for good news.

“Some of us are concerned by some of his comments,” Vickers said.

But she said the district’s assistant superintendent of finance,

Norma Shelton, went to Sacramento, and what she learned from

officials there leaned toward the positive.

“At this point without seeing the budget, it appears he is

protecting education, which is good news for us,” Vickers said.

She said that they are very aware that to reduce spending some

things will be cut. But they felt good that Schwarzenegger said he

was committed to education in kindergarten through the 12th grade.

No official details of Schwarzenegger’s plans for school funding

are available yet, but according to published reports, he may

withhold $2 billion from schools next year or consider funding

schools directly, bypassing districts.

The California Teacher’s Assn., a teachers’ labor union,

reportedly agreed to support a plan for the governor to withhold $2

billion from the $3.5-billion increase in Proposition 98 funding due

to schools this year. Proposition 98 promises an increasing amount of

funds to schools annually.

The speech was important because it was Schwarzenegger’s first

major policy address as governor, 70th District Assemblyman John

Campbell said.

“I think it was an excellent speech, and I think given the very

difficult task the governor faces, I think he made me and everyone

feel good that we have a lot going for us in this state, and that he

can help lead us out of this problem,” Campbell said.

The governor vowed not to raise taxes.

The speech didn’t give specific information about the budget,

which will come out Friday.

“The themes were clearly no tax increases, improve the business

climate, sell California and reduce spending and waste,” Campbell

said.

Schwarzenegger gave legislators until March 1 to deliver a

proposal on worker’s compensation reform, or he’ll take his solution

to the November ballot.

“The key to getting California’s fiscal house in order is

retaining business in California. Clearly, he’s focused on the

business climate in California, restoring our economic climate,” 68th

District Assemblyman Ken Maddox said.

UC Irvine political science professor Mark Petracca said he hadn’t

expected details from the governor’s speech.

“It makes sense for him politically to specify as little as

possible,” Petracca said.

State speeches should be important as a way for the executive

branch to set a legislative agenda, but that usually doesn’t happen,

he said.

“The real impact of the speech, if any, comes not from the speech

itself but from what the press then decides to report,” he said.