15 Depressing Facts About The State Of California

Since the recession compounded a long-standing budget crisis, the Golden State has collapsed into a vicious cycle with no easy way out.

Unions interfere with budget cuts. Cutbacks emerge from somewhere and the people riot. Neither the Republican governor, nor the Democrat president has a solution, except hope to hell that the housing market picks up again.

Oh yeah, and they’re running out of water.

Here’s 15 Depressing Facts About The State Of California >

California has a $20 billion budget gap — despite last year’s ravaging cutbacks

Source: California

Without a federal bailout, Schwarzenegger will TERMINATE at least six major state programs

These programs include Healthy Families, CalWORKS, Adult Day Health Care, In-Home Supportive Services, California Food Assistance Program, and all funding for Transitional Housing Placement for foster kids. Read more here.

23,000 teachers just received provisional pink slips — notifying them that their jobs are on the chopping block

Source: California Teachers Association

The $20 billion gap does NOT include nearly $200 billion in loans and other unstated debts

Image: Defenseimagery.mil

Source: Fog City Journal

How bad is the problem? Consider that California has a $20.7 billion deficit in the general fund budget over the next 16 months. California owes $8.8 billion in short-term loans that have to be paid off by June, and over $120 billion in outstanding bonds and interest that will be paid over decades. The state’s pension fund, CalPers, has $16.3 billion more in liabilities than assets, plus California also faces a $51.8 billion expense for the health and dental benefits of state retirees and future retirees.

California has the lowest S&P debt rating of any U.S. state: “A-“

Check out: S&P Downgrades California To The Status Of A Third World Country

California has America’s fewest — 7 — emergency rooms per one million people

Source: LA Times

A national report card released last month by the American College of Emergency Physicians gave California a failing grade for access to emergency care. The state ranks last in emergency departments per capita, with only seven per 1 million people, compared with the national average of 20. And it ranks 43rd in the country for Medi-Cal reimbursement.

In 23 years, California erected 23 prisons and ONLY ONE university

Source: BeyondChron

To get a handle on the damage California’s current approach to incarceration is having on its citizens, consider this: In a recent 23-year period, California erected 23 prisons — one a year, each costing roughly $100 million dollars annually to operate, with both Democratic and Republican governors occupying the statehouse — at the same time that it added just one campus to its vaunted university system, UC Merced.

California has fallen from #1 in per-pupil spending to #48

Source: BeyondChron

Since the late 1970s, California has fallen from first in the nation in per-pupil spending, nearly to the bottom at number 48. With California’s annual budget falling from $103 billion three years ago to $80 billion currently during what’s often called the Great Recession, schools — including the world class University of California system — continue to face deep cuts in funding, fewer teaching positions, and a reduced ability to educate students.

CA spends $859 million per year on imprisoned illegal immigrants

Source: LA Times

There are roughly 19,000 illegal immigrants in state prisons, representing 11% of all inmates. That’s costing $970 million during the current fiscal year. The feds kick in a measly $111 million, leaving the state with an $859 million tab.