July 1st has come and gone and California still does not have a budget. This is all too reminiscent of last year’s painful three-month long negotiation process, and it seems almost certain that we are in for another grueling budget resolution season.
While our legislators are grappling with issues of deficit reduction and increasing revenue, "California Budget Challenge" helps Californians understand the state’s economic woes. The California Budget Challenge is an easy-to-use nonpartisan online tool that simulates some of the tough choices our legislators face ranging from education spending to corporate taxation.
With each choice, users are given the option to learn more about the issues and to see how their decisions are closing or widening the state’s deficit with a "budget meter."
This tool was created by Next 10, an independent, non-partisan organization that educates, engages, and empowers Californians to improve our state’s future. Next 10 recently released a June 2010 version of the California Budget Challenge that features the most up-to-date figures from Governor Schwarzenegger’s May revise.
Once users have completed their own budget, they have the option to send it along to their legislator and let them know how they think the state should be run. This is a great education resource and is an engaging way for voters to educate themselves about the critical issues facing the Golden State.
With the state yet again in dire economic straits, it is critical that Californians understand the economic issues confronting our political leaders. Voters in California have tremendous power at the ballot box and with that power comes a responsibility to better understand how our government’s finances work. The California Budget Challenge is a challenge not to simply create a budget, but a challenge to get educated and get involved. We all have a stake in the outcome.
Perry is the founder of the San Francisco-based Next 10, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization. Next 10’s "California Budget Challenge" is available at www.next10.org.