HomeMy WebLinkAboutRES NO 137-03RESOLUTION
137-03
A RESOLUTION OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF
BAKERSFIELD IN SUPPORT OF REAL AND LONG-
LASTING SOLUTIONS TO THE STATE'S BUDGET
CRISIS
WHEREAS, California once enjoyed a high quality of life that was the envy of the
nation, and in recent years our quality of life has deteriorated as services decline and cost of
living has skyrocketed for businesses and residents alike, and
WHEREAS, California was once home to one of the most productive,
competitive, and dynamic economies, and we now are losing businesses and jobs to other
states and nations, and
WHEREAS, California's schools, health care, transportation, and social welfare
services come at a higher cost and offer lower quality than similar services in other states, and
WHEREAS, the California State budget crisis is the most significant opportunity
to either continue this trend or reverse it, and
WHEREAS, the current debate over the budget revolves around the perilous
assumption that the only options are increasing taxes, decreasing public services or bonding the
problem to pass debt on to future generations--all of which would further erode our quality of life,
and
WHEREAS, a "Citizens' Budget Plan" devised and offered by the Reason
Foundation details these issues, offers constructive solutions, and provides the seeds for the
beginning of a possible bipartisan compromise on the budget.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, by the Council of the City of
Bakersfield of the State of California, that the Governor and State Legislators are
strongly encouraged to:
* Seek a Bipartisan, Gimmick-Free Budget Agreement: Honest compromise and
constructive dialogue on the budget must occur now or the problem will not be solved.
Moreover, the solution to the current crisis cannot rest on accounting maneuvers, bonding of
deficits or phantom savings that merely push the crisis into the future.
· Review the Performance and Management of State Programs for Savings: instead of
cutting the budget across-the-board in a way that punishes good programs along with bad
programs, lawmakers must conduct in-depth, line-by-line reviews of state programs to
evaluate the performance and cost effectiveness of state operations. Where programs are
not a top priority or exhibit performance problems, spending should be suspended until the
crisis is over. Among the management reforms that lawmakers should consider include:
reorganize the state, overnment to ntegrate duplicating and overlapping programs, re,LAc~
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excessive personnel costs, implement employee performance management r~i~/s,
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consolidate "overhead" services for state agencies, open state commercial activities to
competitive sourcing, divest unused assets, use information technology to offer services
online, and provide one-stop service for citizens,
· Improve Quality of Life Programs (Education, Health, Social Service, Transportation):
The services that citizens most depend on are being provided at higher cost and lower
quality than similar services in other states. The budget should correct this by proposing
fundamental reforms to these key program areas using benchmarks from other states,
encouraging competition and choice in each service area, expanding local control and
delivery of service, and ensuring voter-approved bonds in the special fund are not raided to
cover general fund expenses.
· Adopt a Biennial Budget and Taxpayer's Bill of Rights: To prevent a fiscal crisis from re-
occurring, the state should move to a permanent two-year budget cycle and adopt
fundamental constitutional reforms to limit growth in government revenues to increases in
population and inflation, require a two-thirds vote for tax and fee increases, and create an
automatic spending reduction '~rigger" when revenues fall short of expectations.
· Create the Most "Jobs-Friendly" State in the Nation: Revenue to the state government
will only recover once jobs are created in California. To increase revenues, California must
become in reality and perception the most jobs-friendly state. To achieve this, lawmakers
should resist increasing taxes and fees, reform workers' compensation insurance, and make
regulations more performance-based and flexible.
IT IS FURTHER RESOLVED that the Governor and State Legislators should not
agree to draconian cuts in services or increase taxes, fees or borrowing until they fully explore
and act on all ten of the reforms in the Citizens' Budget 10-point plan.
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I HEREBY CERTIFY that the foregoing Resolution was passed and adopted by
the City Council of the City of Bakersfield at a regular meeting thereof held on
JUl. 3 0 ?003 , by the following vote:
AYES:
NOES:
ABSTAIN:
ABSENT:
COUNCILMEMBER CARSON, BENHAM, MAGGARD, COUCH, HANSON, SULLIVAN, SALVAGGIO
COUNClLMEMBER ~
COUNClLMEMBER ~
COUNCILMEMBER .~
~s~. CITY CLERK and EX OFFI~I6 of the
Council of the City of Bakersfield
APPROVED
JUL 3 0 2003
By
HARVEY L. HALL
Mayor
APPROVED AS TO FORM:
BART J. THILTGEN
City Attorney
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