I'd like to invite you to the next public forum at 210 Connect, the monthly public affairs presentation that's sponsored by the Visalia Times-Delta and held at the 210 Center in downtown Visalia. I'll be on the panel. It's called "The California Budget Challenge: The People Show the Politicians How." Times-Delta Opinion Editor Paul Hurley will emcee the event that goes from 7:00 P.M. to 8:30 on Monday, October 11 at 210 Center Street. Also on the panel with me will be fellow COS Historian Stephen Tootle, COS Economist Christian Anderson and Tea Party member Deanna Martin-Soares.
A California budget program will be projected on the big screen. You can preview it and try to balance the budget yourself by going to ww.next10org/budgettool/site/thesim/flashcheck.html. There will be audience discussion and the people will vote on things, item by item. We panelists may be asked to comment from time. As the simulation makes clear, balancing the state budget is not an easy task. Try it yourself and see. Still, it is possible and I've done it a couple of different ways.
The important thing to me is to think long term instead of short term. For instance, Governor Schwarzenegger is reportedly going ahead with his shortsighted plan to sell an estimated $1.3 billion in state-owned buildings to help bridge the current deficit. The plan is foolish because state agencies would then need to lease them back from the private owners, and the 20-year cost has been estimated to be $5.2 billion in rent. Source. That's what I mean by short-term thinking winning out over responsible long-term planning. Sometimes you need to spend or invest now to save in the long run. It seems few look at things that way any more.
Anyway, come on out if you're free Monday night and we'll have a stimulating and hopefully instructive evening.
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