New California governor announces balanced state budget

    LOS ANGELES, Jan. 10 (Xinhua) -- One week after taking office, California Governor Jerry Brown announced a balanced state budget on Monday which slashes 1 state spending by 12.5 billion U.S. dollars.

    The budget also includes an eight to 10 percent cut in take-home pay for most state employees, and proposes a "vast and historic" restructuring of government operations.

    "These cuts will be painful, requiring sacrifice(牺牲,奉献) from every sector 2 of the state, but we have no choice," Brown said. "For 10 years, we've had budget gimmicks 3 and tricks that pushed us deep into debt. We must now return California to fiscal 4 responsibility(责任,职责) and get our state on the road to economic recovery and job growth."Brown's budget also calls for temporary continuation of taxes while the state pays off debt, moves forward with his plan to realign some government programs, giving cities and counties decision-making authority over certain services and programs.

    Brown said the realignment would "allow government at all levels to focus on core functions and become more efficient and less expensive by reducing duplication of services and costs.""Since it will take some time to fully 5 implement 6 these changes, I propose to ask the voters for a five-year extension of several current taxes so that we can restructure in an orderly manner," the governor explained.

    He said the proposed spending plan, which puts one billion dollars into a "rainy day" reserve fund, closes California's budget deficit 7 "now and into the future."The governor called his realignment plan "vast and historic," saying it will return decisions and authority to cities, counties and schools.

    The one area of state spending spared from cuts is kindergarten through 12th grade education.

    "Schools have borne the brunt of spending reductions in recent years, so this budget maintains funding at the same level as the current year," the governor said.

    Brown's budget proposes total spending of 127.4 billion dollars for the 2011-12 fiscal year. Of this amount, proposed General Fund spending is 84.6 billion.

    The spending plan eliminates an 18-month budget gap estimated at 25.4 billion dollars, comprising of a current year shortfall of 8.2 billion and a budget year shortfall(差额,缺少) of 17.2 billion.

    A combination of 26.4 billion dollars in actions is needed in order to have a one billion reserve. In addition, the deficit will grow to 26.6 billion dollars if the proposed sale of state office buildings, blocked by court order, does not proceed, requiring 27.6 billion in budget actions in order to have a reserve.

    In addition to the 12.5 billion dollars in spending reductions, the budget also proposes 12 billion in revenue extensions and modifications 8, 1.9 billion in other solutions to close the gap and provides for a one billion reserve.

    The spending plan was "a tough budget for tough times" that will close the state's structural 9 deficit and provide a "strong and stable foundation" to meet future needs, Brown said.

    "Without decisive action, the state's severe budget problems will persist, threatening economic recovery, job growth, public education and the quality of life in California," he said. "The adoption 10 of this budget will position the state to lead the country as it slowly recovers from the Great Recession."(本文由在线英语听力室整理编辑)