Thousands of Local Jobs saved in Assembly Democrats’ Budget Proposal

SACRAMENTO – Assembly Speaker John A. Pérez (D-Los Angeles) was joined by Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and Oakland Mayor Ron Dellums at the State Capitol today to highlight support among California cities for protecting the jobs of local police, firefighters, teachers and private sector employees in the state budget. The Assembly Democrats’ California Jobs Budget saves and protects 465,000 California jobs.

“Assembly Democrats have put forward a serious, creative proposal to save and create 465,000 jobs at the local level,” Pérez said. “Cities shouldn't have to lay off cops and firefighters to balance their budgets, and the California Jobs Budget does right by California's cities and schools.”

“The California Jobs Budget is the best possible resolution for both the city and the state in these unprecedented economic times,” Villaraigosa said. “It will repay the City of Los Angeles $24 million dollars that will be used to increase public safety efforts, improve education and expand job creation.”

“It is imperative that we face these tough fiscal challenges without compromising the health and safety of our families and communities,” Dellums said. “The California Jobs Budget proposal works to maintain essential healthcare services and increases opportunities for job training and retention which are vitally important to the quality of life of our residents in the City of Oakland.”

Local police, fire, and other critical local jobs are protected by the California Jobs budget by repaying $930 million owed to local governments for past mandates. This funding provides local governments with discretionary funds to assist their budget challenges and avoid layoffs to critical public service jobs.

Local private sector jobs are jumpstarted with the $1 billion fund the California Jobs Budget provides for targeted jobs initiatives. Funding for 50,000 small business childcare providers is maintained so struggling working parents can continue to go to work and earn a paycheck. Also protected from deep cuts or elimination are employment services that draw down federal funds to help 190,000 people find work and contribute to the local economies.

Education’s critical role in local job creation is supported by the $3.8 billion repayment the California Jobs Budget makes to local school districts. The plan protects tens of thousands of jobs for teachers, aides, and counselors by fully funding Proposition 98. Community college job training is expanded, the Governor's UC and CSU fee increases are reduced by 50 percent and higher education is provided the support it needs to help local workforces compete.

Among its $930 million in local government repayments, the California Jobs Budget repays (these figures do not include interest):

• The City and County of Los Angeles - $162 million
• The City of Oakland and Alameda County - $27 million

CONTACT: Shannon Murphy (916) 319-2408

Website of Speaker John A. Pérez: www.asmdc.org/speaker

AUDIO

Below are links to audio from today’s event.

Speaker Pérez’s opening remarks at today’s news conference. (2:10) Speaker Pérez says the Assembly Democrats’ California Jobs Budget – which has been widely discussed in numerous public forums – shows our priorities. (:31) Speaker Pérez says budget talks are taking place but he says real budget negotiations require two sides that are BOTH willing to compromise. (:30) Speaker Pérez says the recent contracts some state employee groups have agreed to show the collective bargaining process is a viable way to deal with pension reforms. (:20) Mayor Villaraigosa says creating a budget that protects jobs should be priority number one. (:11) Mayor Dellums says local governments have taken serious hits to their budgets. (:12)

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SACRAMENTO – Assembly Speaker John A. Pérez (D-Los Angeles) issued the following statement today regarding the Administration's memo to state agency and department heads regarding minimum wage for state employees:

"I have said consistently that the collective bargaining table is the appropriate and effective venue for the Governor to pursue changes to public employee's benefits and wages, and the agreements he reached earlier prove that point entirely. The Assembly will welcome any agreements he is able to reach with the remaining appropriate entities. In the meantime, our focus will continue to be finding a budget solution that saves and creates hundreds of thousands of jobs, as the Assembly plan does, and addresses the long-term structural deficit in our budget, as the Senate plan does. The millions of Californians who worry about making the mortgage, paying tuition and feeding their families need us to come together and implement real solutions to get Californians working again, and that will remain the focus of the Assembly."

Website of Speaker John A. Pérez: www.asmdc.org/speaker

CONTACT: Shannon Murphy (916) 319-2408

SACRAMENTO – Assembly Speaker John A. Pérez (D-Los Angeles) issued the following statement regarding today’s release of the budget proposal by Senate Democrats:

“This has been the most open and deliberative budget process in recent memory, and the two plans put forward by the Assembly and Senate reflect the values and priorities of Californians by closing our deficit without ruining the recovery. I am looking forward to working with the Senate to produce a final budget proposal that saves and creates 465,000 jobs and addresses our long-term structural problems.”

Website of Speaker John A. Pérez: www.asmdc.org/speaker

CONTACT: Shannon Murphy @ (916) 319-2408

LOS ANGELES – Assembly Speaker John A. Pérez (D-Los Angeles) and Assembly Education Chair Julia Brownley (D-Santa Monica) were joined by Los Angeles Unified School District Board President Monica Garcia, California Teachers Association President David A. Sanchez and California Parent Teachers Association Vice President Suzan Solomon today to announce that over 35,000 education jobs will be saved as part of the effort to save and create hundreds of thousands of jobs and close the budget deficit under the Assembly Democrats’ California Jobs Budget proposal.

“Our long term growth directly depends on having an exceptionally well-educated work force,” Pérez said. “More than 35,000 education jobs are threatened by layoffs right now—including 26,000 teachers. The California Jobs Budget protects those jobs by fully funding education and repaying local school districts.”

“School districts in California are closing schools, shortening the school year, shutting down libraries, eliminating arts classes and team sports, and delaying the purchase of new textbooks all because of $6 billion in cuts to education spending,” Brownley said. “Thousands of school employees are being laid off. How many more sacrifices are we willing to make to our children’s future? The Assembly’s budget plan will stop this massacre before it turns our children’s dreams to nightmares.”

“LAUSD is facing devastating budget cuts and layoffs of thousands of hardworking counselors, teachers, nurses, clerical workers, and maintenance workers.  Our schools will suffer, and our students will pay the price,” said Garcia. “I want to thank Speaker Pérez and his colleagues in the Assembly for facing down this crisis with a sound plan that saves jobs, protects the classroom, and reinvests in our kids, our economy, and our future.”

By securing $54 billion for California schools, the California Jobs Budget provides the funding Californians guaranteed for schools when they passed Proposition 98 in 1988.  A recent poll by the Public Policy Institute of California shows Californians continue to support education, with over two-thirds wanting new revenues to spare K-12 education from budget cuts.

The California Jobs Budget makes a $3.8 Billion repayment to local school districts.  The plan protects tens of thousands of jobs for teachers, aides, and counselors by fully funding Proposition 98 and eliminating portions of the “Education Credit Card” rather than accept the Governor's proposal to cut schools by $2.8 billion, which leads to thousands of lost jobs.

The California Jobs Budget fully funds education and saves or creates more than 465,000 jobs through instituting the same type of oil severance fee that every other state applies to companies that extract oil.

CONTACT: Shannon Murphy (916) 319-2408

Website of Speaker John A. Pérez: www.asmdc.org/speaker

(Sacramento) – Every year thousands of Californians find themselves in need of an organ transplant. Many die before a suitable organ can be found. The need for more organ donors is deeply personal to California Assembly Speaker John A. Pérez (D-Los Angeles). In this Assembly Access video Speaker Pérez talks about his experience with his parents and encourages everyone to be a true hero by becoming an organ donor.

To sign up to be an organ donor go to the donatelifeca.org website.

SACRAMENTO – Assembly Speaker John A. Pérez (D-Los Angeles) was joined by California child care providers today to discuss how the California Jobs Budget can help 50,000 small business child care providers weather the recession and allow parents to continue working and contributing to the economy.

“If we want to fix the budget and help the economy recover we need to save and create jobs wherever possible,” Pérez said. “Helping small business child care providers keep their doors open -- and helping the parents who depend on them so they can work -- is the common sense approach we take in the California Jobs Budget that should be part of any final answer.”

“We want to be sure every step we take to close the budget deficit is done with a focus on jobs for Californians,” Blumenfield said. “That’s why it’s important for us to protect over 100,000 small business jobs for child care providers and to make sure the parents they serve can also continue to work. Child care is critical to keeping the workforce going in California and the budget needs to reflect that.”

Pérez highlighted the restoration of services the Assembly Democrats’ California Jobs Budget proposal would provide for 50,000 child care small businesses that employ 130,000 child care providers overseeing the health and education of 200,000 children in California. Two child care providers joining the Speaker were Bonnie Kurtz from National Human Development Foundation in Sacramento and Tonia McMillian, who owns her own home child care business in Los Angeles County.

“The state subsidized child care funding we received to run our programs at NHDF not only employs me and our 50 staff members, but also allows the 275 families we serve to go to work every day and earn a living,” said Kurtz.

“Helping families transition into the workforce makes sense for our economy and for the well-being of our children and communities,” said McMillian. “Our budget should be a blueprint for how to lift one another and rebuild this state into a place where we can all thrive.”

The California Jobs Budget would provide $1.9 billion to protect CalWORKS and Proposition 98 child care programs for Californians working and contributing to the state’s economy. This funding would come from the $10.1 billion in Jobs and Economic Security Funds that the California Jobs Budget provides to save and create jobs for Californians by instituting the same type of oil severance fee that every other state applies to companies that extract oil. For more information on the ways the California Jobs Budget will save and create jobs, visit http://www.asmdc.org/issues/budget/.

Website of Speaker John A. Pérez: http://www.asmdc.org/speaker

CONTACT: Shannon Murphy (916) 319-2408

Protecting Working Parents and Child Care Small Businesses Vital to Economic Recovery

(Sacramento) - Assembly Speaker John A. Pérez (D-Los Angeles) and Assembly Budget Committee Chair Bob Blumenfield (D-San Fernando Valley) were joined by California child care providers to discuss how the California Jobs Budget can help 50,000 small business child care providers weather the recession and allow parents to continue working and contributing to the economy. “Helping small business child care providers keep their doors open -- and helping the parents who depend on them so they can work -- is the common sense approach we take in the California Jobs Budget that should be part of any final answer,” said Speaker Pérez. Here’s more in this Assembly Access video.

Below are links to audio from today's event.

Speaker John A. Pérez's opening remarks at today's news conference. (1:44)

Speaker Pérez says the California Jobs Budget protects funding for child care providers. (:17)

Speaker Pérez says he remains committed to an open budget process and to the ideal of ending up with a good budget.(:24)

Speaker Pérez says delaying the budget over issues unrelated to the state budget would be bad for the state and the economy. (:20)

Child care provider from the Los Angeles area Tonia McMillian says cutting child care funds does not make any sense to her. (:13)

Child care provider from the Los Angeles area Tonia McMillian says cutting funds for child care is a short sighted mistake. (:05)

Assembly Budget Committee Chair Bob Blumenfield says the California Jobs Budget from Assembly Democrats is all about jobs. (:08)

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(Sacramento) – Every year thousands of Californians find themselves in need of an organ transplant. Many die before a suitable organ can be found. The need for more organ donors is deeply personal to California Assembly Speaker John A. Pérez (D-Los Angeles). In this Assembly Access video Speaker Pérez talks about his experience with his parents and encourages everyone to be a true hero by becoming an organ donor. To sign up to be an organ donor go to the donatelifeca.org website.

(Sacramento) - Assembly Speaker John A. Pérez (D-Los Angeles), students, higher education leaders and Assembly Higher Education Committee Chair Marty Block (D-San Diego) gathered at a State Capitol press conference to voice their support for higher education provisions in the Assembly Democrats’ California Jobs Budget. “This is a budget plan that reflects the values of California by protecting education and preserving the pathway to higher education,” said Speaker Pérez. The Assembly Democrats California Jobs Budget solves California’s budget deficit by creating private sector jobs and preventing economically harmful cuts to schools, public safety and the state’s safety net. Here’s more in this Assembly Web Report.

SACRAMENTO – Student leaders, University of California Board of Regents President Mark Yudof and California Community Colleges Chancellor Jack Scott joined Assembly Speaker John A. Pérez (D-Los Angeles) and Assembly Higher Education Committee Chair Marty Block (D-San Diego) at a State Capitol press conference today to voice their support for higher education provisions in the Assembly Democrats’ California Jobs Budget.

“Educational opportunity is central to creating the kind of quality, high-paying jobs that will lead California back to a strong and lasting economic recovery,” Pérez said. “This is a budget plan that reflects the values of California by protecting education and preserving the pathway to higher education.”

Last week, Pérez unveiled the Assembly Democrats California Jobs Budget. The new proposal solves California’s budget deficit by creating private sector jobs and preventing economically harmful cuts to schools, public safety and the state’s safety net.

The Assembly Democrats protect higher education the in the California Jobs Budget by:

• Providing $1 billion to restore recent education cuts
• Fully funding the UC and CSU to prevent the devastating economic and jobs impact of decimating higher education
• Protecting access to higher education by reducing the Governor’s student fee hike by 50 percent, which will save UC students $628 and CSU students $202
• Providing a major increase for community college job training by providing $100 million (400% increase) for the Economic Development Program, which successfully gets unemployed Californians back to work
• Maintaining and fully funding the state’s historic Cal Grant that ensures low-to-modest income students and families can access California colleges and universities

“I am here to commend the Speaker and the Assembly for recognizing the importance of public higher education in their version of the 2010-11 budget,” Yudof said. “I remain sensitive to the difficult choices that lie ahead, including the potential impact on the State’s social safety net. But I firmly believe that the investment in higher education at this time is particularly important because UC will help lead the way back economically and will help to ensure that these choices are not as drastic in the future.”

“The Assembly budget plan wisely invests in higher education and California’s workforce,” Scott said. “Supporting education and job training programs will put people back to work quickly and help to accelerate California’s economic recovery.”

“Cal Grants provide education and training for over 303,000 California students enrolled in public and private colleges, universities, and career technical schools,” said Diana Fuentes-Michel, California Student Aid Commission Executive Director. “The Commission is pleased to join with Assembly Speaker John Pérez in solidifying legislative support for Cal Grant funding. Access to an affordable college education is vital to the future economic viability of our state.”

Also attending the press conference to show support for higher education provisions in the California Jobs Budget were:

• Ben Quillian, Executive, Vice Chancellor and Chief Financial Officer of the California State University
• Roberto Torres, Vice President of the California State Students Association
• Reid Milburn, President of the Student Senate of the California Community Colleges
• Victor Sanchez, President of the University of California Students Association
• Diana Fuentes-Michel, Executive Director of the California Student Aid Commission
• Karen Humphrey, Executive Director of the California Postsecondary Education Commission
• Jonathan Brown, President of the Association of Independent California Colleges & Universities
• Erica Romero, Western States Director for the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities
• Michele Siqueiros, Executive Director of the Campaign for College Opportunity

To view the California Jobs Budget proposal, which also includes a $10.1 billion jobs and economic stability fund and revenue from California joining other states in charging oil companies a drilling fee, go to http://www.asmdc.org/issues/budget/ and download the California Jobs Budget Information Kit.

Speaker Pérez Discusses How California Jobs Budget Protects Higher Education

(Sacramento) - Assembly Speaker John A. Pérez (D-Los Angeles) was joined at a State Capitol news conference by student leaders, University of California Board of Regents President Mark Yudof, California Community Colleges Chancellor Jack Scott and Assembly Higher Education Committee Chair Marty Block (D-San Diego) to voice their support for higher education provisions in the Assembly Democrats’ California Jobs Budget. “Educational opportunity is central to creating the kind of quality, high-paying jobs that will lead California back to a strong and lasting economic recovery,” Pérez said. The Assembly Democrats California Jobs Budget solves California’s budget deficit by creating private sector jobs and preventing economically harmful cuts to schools, public safety and the state’s safety net. Here’s more in this Assembly Access video.

El Presidente Pérez Discute como el Presupuesto de Trabajos para California Protege a la Educación Superior

(Sacramento) - El Presidente de la Asamblea John A. Pérez (D-Los Angeles) estuvo acompañado en una conferencia de prensa en el Capitolio Estatal por lideres estudiantiles, el presidente de la Universidad de California Mark Yudof, el Asambleísta Marty Block, (D-San Diego) lider del Comite de la Asamblea de Educacion Superior. Todos se unieron para expresar su apoyo a la provisiones en la propuesta presupuestal democrata en la Asamblea para proteger a los colegios y universidades. “ Proveer oportunidades educacionales es algo clave para crear empleos bien pagados y de calidad los cuales pueden ayudar a California a mantenerse firme en el camino de una recuperacion economica fuerte y estable" dijo Pérez. El plan democrata en la asamblea, el Presupuesto de Trabajos para California resuleve el deficit creando empleos en el sector privado y evita recortes a los fondos para la educacion superior, la seguridad publica y programas sociales que ayudan a los mas vulnerables en el estado.

Below are links to audio from today’s event:

Assembly Speaker John A. Pérez’s opening remarks at today’s news conference. (1:53)

Victor Sanchez, President of the University of California Students Association, says students have already suffered through huge fee increases and funding cutbacks. (:08)

Roberto Torres, Vice President of the California State Students Association, says it’s a proven fact that education spending benefits the California economy. (:15)

University of California Board of Regents President Mark Yudof says California will not prosper unless money is invested in higher education. (:15)

California Community Colleges Chancellor Jack Scott says the state’s community colleges need better funding to accommodate all the students who want to attend classes. (:19)

Website of Speaker John A. Pérez: www.asmdc.org/speaker

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CONTACT: Shannon Murphy (916) 319-2408

SACRAMENTO - Assembly Speaker John A. Pérez (D-Los Angeles) today announced the appointment of the following Assemblymembers to the Budget Conference Committee:

• Assemblymember Bob Blumenfield (D-San Fernando Valley)
• Assemblymember Connie Conway (R-Tulare)
• Assemblymember Felipe Fuentes (D-Sylmar)
• Assemblymember Jim Nielsen (R-Gerber)
• Assemblymember Nancy Skinner (D-Berkeley)

“I am pleased to name these members as the Assembly conferees on the Budget Conference Committee,” Pérez said. “Californians want and deserve an open, transparent budget process that ensures their voices and their values are reflected in the final product. Each of these members has taken this responsibility seriously, and I am confident that the people of California will be well served by our shared commitment to transparency and accountability in the budget process.”

CONTACT: Shannon Murphy (916) 319-2408

Website of Speaker John A. Pérez: www.asmdc.org/speaker