BILL NUMBER:  ABX8 2
  VETOED	DATE: 03/08/2010




To the Members of the California State Assembly:

I am returning Assembly Bill X8 2 without my signature as it does not
actually implement spending reductions and make progress to close
our budget gap.

Delaying implementation of the spending reductions I proposed in
January will require the Legislature to make even more difficult
choices later this year.  As the Legislative Analyst has said, "Many
of the major expenditure reductions in this budget will require
significant lead time for departments to implement. Accordingly, the
Legislature and the Governor will need to agree to a framework to
solve much of the budget problem by the end of March."  The
Legislative Analyst goes on to say that "The Governor's trigger cuts?
are painful and in some cases draconian.  Nevertheless, there is no
way the Legislature can avoid making some similarly difficult
decisions this year."

In addition, this bill contains certain savings assumptions that are
unrealistic.  When I proposed the deportation of undocumented felons
last year, I said I would review each case individually and would not
commute the sentence of any undocumented felon that had committed
serious or violent crime.  Based on this review, my January budget
includes only $19 million in estimated savings from the commutation
and deportation of a select number of undocumented felons, not the
$182 million assumed in this legislation.  As such, the savings level
assumed by this bill will not be achieved.

The longer the Legislature delays action on real reductions, the more
difficult the choices become.  I encourage the Legislature to return
to work in the Extraordinary Session and act on actual spending
reductions that will address California's fiscal emergency.

Sincerely,



Arnold Schwarzenegger