Exploring California’s Budget

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.

Enacted Budget Detail

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.