California deficit has soared to $16 billion, Gov. Jerry Brown says

"Gov. Jerry Brown announced on Saturday that the state's deficit has ballooned to $16 billion, a huge increase over his $9.2-billion estimate in January.

The bigger deficit is a significant setback for California, which has struggled to turn the page on a devastating budget crisis. Brown, who announced the deficit on YouTube, is expected to outline his full budget proposal on Monday in Sacramento.

"This means we will have to go much further, and make cuts far greater, than I asked for at the beginning of the year," Brown said in the video.

Lawmakers and others were hoping that a rebounding economy would help the state avoid steep cuts to social services. But revenue in April, the most important month of the year for income taxes, fell far short of expectations, leading to a shortfall of at least $3 billion in the current fiscal year.

The state has also spent $2.1 billion more than expected, according to the controller, further worsening California's financial health.

Advocates involved in budget discussions say they expect deeper cuts to social services than Brown originally proposed in January. Union officials are also in negotiations with administration officials about ways to reduce state payroll costs, an issue that wasn't on the table earlier this year.

Brown has said there will be even deeper cuts, mostly to public education, if voters do not improve tax hikes in November. He is seeking a quarter-cent increase in the state sales tax for four years and a  seven-year hike on incomes of $250,000 or more that will range from 1 to  3 percentage points. He says the measure would raise $9 billion in the  upcoming budget year."

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/california-politics/2012/05/california-budget-jerry-brown.html

-and-

http://chicago.cbslocal.com/2012/02/14/chicago-called-most-corrupt-city-in-nation/

Why are almost all the states and large cities controlled by democrats in financial trouble and corrupt?    And some people say there is no difference between the parties.  I say, that's B.S. 

Tha same reason the states and large cities controlled by republicans are in ruin also.

Because we had republicans and democrats looting the nation for the past 30 years. It's been the democrats turn since 2009. We'll see in Novemnber who gets another turn. I wonder why Brown was supplied as an example, since his predecessor left it that way and why. This isn't a zone issue it's a national/global issue.

Mr Hiroad

You do realize this is your sound declaration that only the democrats are crooks and liars with propensities to destroy the nation?

"Tha same reason the states and large cities controlled by republicans are in ruin also.

Because we had republicans and democrats looting the nation for the past 30 years. It's been the democrats turn since 2009. We'll see in Novemnber who gets another turn. I wonder why Brown was supplied as an example, since his predecessor left it that way and why. This isn't a zone issue it's a national/global issue."

More BS.  You don't know what you are talking about.  Why do you just make things up? 

No, the large cities and states with a history of Republican control are not in the same level of financial bind as the ones controlled by democrats.

And no, cities like Detroit, and states like Calif. and Illinois, etc. were not controlled previously by Republicans.  And, yes, those cities and states have a reputation for corruption greater than other cities and states.

You really should take an elementary course in civics.  The governor cannot appropriate funds and overspend.  It is the state legislatures that do that.

   All these states in trouble have historically been controlled by democrat legislatures.

Yes, I am saying that the states in trouble are due to control by democrats!