Advocates Say ACA 19 Is a Trojan Horse That Will Force Perpetual Cuts to Education, Healthcare, Homecare, and Other Vital Services
Sacramento, CA – Advocates for seniors, healthcare, and working families spoke out in a united voice today against a proposed state constitutional amendment that would force California to engage in endless cuts to vital programs such as education, healthcare, and homecare.
“We need real budget solutions to resolve the deficits that are crippling our state,” said Jeanine Meyer Rodriguez, spokesperson for SEIU California State Council. “The proposal being heard today is a Trojan Horse intended to force us into a cycle of perpetual cuts that no one actually wants, harming our schools, hurting seniors, and eroding our healthcare.”
Budget formulas such as the one considered by the legislature today, ACA 19, that are based on population growth and inflation result in cuts in two ways. First, when deep cuts are made in economic downturns, they can never be fully restored in the upswings because of the formula. The net result is a long-term decline in funding for public services. Second, the cost of many services, such as healthcare and higher education, has risen much faster over time than the overall rate of inflation.
“If you put these cuts to a vote, they would be rejected,” said Ernie Powell Associate State Director, Advocacy, of AARP California. “Families, seniors, and working people in California want good schools, top-notch and affordable colleges, a clean environment, and better healthcare. All of these would be forced into a long-term decline if we adopted these formulas.”
Other states have tried similar spending formulas and have discovered that they are damaging to the services that residents want. In 2005, Colorado voters decided to suspend their formula as a result of its harmful effect on Colorado schools, colleges, roads, and parks.
"This proposal would condemn California to continue to be 49th in the nation
in per patient Medi-Cal spending, to be 45th in the percentage of our
residents who are uninsured,” said Anthony Wright, Executive Director of Health Access. “In fact, because medical inflation goes up higher than inflation generally, this proposal would guarantee additional health care cuts, now and into the future."
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