Schwarzenegger, Legislature Announce Budget Accord: California to Drill Off Santa Barbara Coast!

From the Los Angeles Times, "Budget Accord Reached":

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and legislative leaders announced today that they have reached a deal to close California's $26.3-billion deficit and begin paying all of the state's bills again.

The agreement does not include any broad-based tax increases, they said, and relies largely on deep cuts in government services to wipe out the deficit.

Most of the details have yet to be released. But interviews with lawmakers and staff involved in the negotiations suggest that the plan would reshape government in California, significantly scaling back many services that have been offered to residents -- particularly the elderly and the poor -- for years.

In addition, tens of thousands of seniors and children would lose access to healthcare, local governments would sacrifice billions of dollars in state assistance this year and large numbers of state prisoners would have their sentences scaled back. Welfare checks would go to fewer residents, state workers would be forced to continue to take unpaid days off and new drilling for oil would be permitted off the Santa Barbara coast.

"There isn't a whole lot of good news in this budget," said Senate leader Darrell Steinberg (D-Sacramento).

But the agreement does not "eliminate the safety net for California," said Assembly Speaker Karen Bass (D-Los Angeles).

Schwarzenegger emphasized the lack of new taxes in the package, and said he hopes the full Legislature will vote on it Thursday.

No new taxes? Okay, but where's the money coming from? Twenty-six billion is a lot of dough!

Check some of the other articles at the Times, "Some Proposals That Didn't Make the Cut," and, "Buyers Abound, But Calif. IOU Holders Not Eager to Sell."

Actually, not much there, and looking for information, it turns out that California will drill, baby, drill! From the San Francisco Chronicle, "State Leaders Have Tentative Plan to Fix Budget":

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and legislative leaders reached a tentative budget compromise Monday to plug a $26.3 billion deficit by making hefty cuts in education, health and welfare services, and taking billions of dollars from county governments.

The plan also includes allowing an off-shore oil drilling project near Santa Barbara and keeping most state parks open. Prison spending would be cut but inmates would not be released early ...

More at the link.

See also, Debra Saunders, "Offshore Oil Drilling Solves Problems."

That's awesome, but I need more information. Check the Fresno Bee, "Governor, Lawmakers Announce Budget Deal."

Also, the New York Times, "California Reaches Budget Deal, With Billions Cut." Oh, ouch! Now I see it! Lots of educational and social policy cuts coming down the pipeline. So, it won't be just environmentalists who're going to be pissed!

Added: Kenneth Davenport, "California Kicks the Can (Again)." And check Memeorandum.

Plus, right on cue, the leftists are hopping mad, and not just about landing in the residual tar from the 1969 S.B. oil spill: "The single most important thing that Schwarzenneger has done is keep the state from raising taxes on the wealthy and corporations."