California Forward’s Framework for Restructuring
California may be struggling with a budget crisis and a sluggish economy – but we can fix it. Our state can have a prosperous and environmentally sustainable economy that provides equal opportunities for all. To get there, governments at the state and local levels must work together to provide cost-effective services and better results, something that doesn’t happen today as much as it should.
In the latest draft of the Framework for Restructuring, CA Fwd outlines a course of action to restructure the relationship between state and local governments to produce better results for both taxpayers and people who rely on government services. These proposals are built around a simple idea: California’s three most significant areas of state general fund spending – education, health and human services, and public safety – are fundamentally interrelated.
The Framework introduces five new priorities for the state: Better education leads to better jobs, which leads to a healthier population, less poverty, less crime, and ultimately less pressure on government budgets. Structural and fiscal reforms should focus on these Big Five Outcomes, not just to balance the budget or close a shortfall – but to realign public programs at all levels to deliver results.