Our budget reflects our values. So where do we spend our money? How many Californians even know? I didn’t know so I decided to find out.
I quickly discovered that learning about the California budget is not an easy process. It is complicated, with General Funds, Special Funds and Bond Funds. And there are the Governor’s Proposed Budget, the Governor’s Revised Budget and the Budget as Enacted.
So for the next few Tuesdays I am going to explore California’s budget. Following is a table summarizing the state’s enacted 2007-2008 budget:
2008 Update This information was taken off the web, so the links are changed to point to the Governor’s proposed budget. The items in the chart are still the 2007 enacted numbers.
The following table presents enacted fiscal year positions and expenditures for each agency area. These totals are comprised of State funds which include General Fund, special funds, and selected bond funds. These totals do not include federal funds, other non-governmental cost funds, or reimbursements.
| State Agencies | 2007-08 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Positions
|
General
Fund* |
Special
Funds* |
Bond
Funds* |
Total
State Funds* |
||
| K thru 12 Education | 2,919.7 | $41,341,014 | $93,003 | $3,989,977 | $45,423,994 | |
| Higher Education | 120,419.1 | 11,979,841 | 42,065 | 2,956,637 | 14,978,543 | |
| Health and Human Services | 32,955.5 | 29,718,647 | 8,129,655 | 158,377 | 38,006,679 | |
| Corrections and Rehabilitation | 66,627.4 | 9,836,311 | 22,091 | – | 9,858,402 | |
| Business, Transportation & Housing | 44,224.0 | 1,567,294 | 8,639,757 | 3,078,326 | 13,285,377 | |
| Resources | 16,557.0 | 1,674,007 | 2,060,448 | 1,789,017 | 5,523,472 | |
| Environmental Protection | 4,812.0 | 90,449 | 1,045,855 | 695,993 | 1,832,297 | |
| State and Consumer Services | 16,019.6 | 576,862 | 806,178 | 23,886 | 1,406,926 | |
| Labor and Workforce Development | 11,492.5 | 103,375 | 320,840 | – | 424,215 | |
| General Government | 13,343.0 | 1,578,892 | 6,008,163 | 952,337 | 8,539,392 | |
| Legislative, Judicial, and Executive | 16,396.9 | 3,791,501 | 2,045,002 | 427,275 | 6,263,778 | |
| TOTALS | 345,766.7 | $102,258,193 | $29,213,057 | $14,071,825 | $145,543,075 | |
* Dollars in thousands
However arrived at (and I’m sure we’ll get to that) the current budget priorities of the people of California (our values) break down in broad categories in the following priority: (dollars in thousands)
1) K-12 Education $45,423,994
2) Health and Human Services $38,006,679
3) Higher Education $14,978,543
4) Business, Transportation & Housing $13,285,377
5) Corrections and Rehabilitation $9,858,402
6) General Government $8,539,392
7) Legislative, Judicial, and Executive $6,263,778
8) Resources $5,523,472
9) Environmental Protection $1,832,297
10) State and Consumer Services $1,406,926
11) Labor and Workforce Development $424,215
You can click on each category i the chart to see how it breaks down. For example, Health and Human Services breaks down into:
Health & Human Services Agency, Secy
State Council-Developmental Disabilities
Emergency Medical Services Authority
Statewide Health Planning & Development
Department of Aging
Commission on Aging
California Senior Legislature
Department of Alcohol & Drug Programs
Children & Families Commission
Department of Health Care Services
Department of Public Health
California Medical Assistance Commission
Managed Risk Medical Insurance Board
Department of Developmental Services
Department of Mental Health
Dept of Community Services & Development
Department of Rehabilitation
State Independent Living Council
Department of Child Support Services
Department of Social Services
State-Local Realignment
General Obligation Bonds-H&HS
Next week we’ll begin exploring some of the mysteries of Bond Funds, Special Funds, and my personal big question – how much of our tax money is spend paying interest on the borrowing that has been taking place.