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Dean Florez reflects on budget drama
Last week saw the final dips and dives of California’s budget debate roller coaster, as the legislature’s leaders came to agreement on how to most responsibly bridge the gaping $26.3 billion deficit. The Big 5 and Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger had come to what was believed to be final resolution on an agreement by Monday evening, but it was too much to assume the controversy would end there. On Tuesday, there was concern in some circles that the newly minted deal would fall apart, as some members of the Assembly wrongly feared that the proposed cuts to the Department of Corrections would result in the early release of dangerous prisoners. By late afternoon, Corrections Secretary Matthew Cate had given legislators and the public his assurances that such was not the case, and the path to a budget deal was clear once again. Marking a key victory in a painful budget year, we were able to ward off the threat to suspend Proposition 98. With the current budget agreement, schools will continue to be guaranteed 40 percent of general fund revenues and will be reimbursed nearly $10 billion in the future for needed 2008-09 cuts. I am grateful that the state Assembly strongly rejected Schwarzenegger’s proposal to give a single company authority to skirt strict coastal environmental standards and issue the first off-shore drilling contract in California since the disastrous Santa Barbara oil spill of 1969. Four decades ago, California’s central coast was decimated by 200,000 gallons of crude oil, soiling 35 miles of coastline with tar and dead and dying sea animals – from seals to diving birds, to dolphins whose blowholes had been clogged with crude. There was no reasoning that would have allowed me to vote, in the dead of night, for a measure that plays fast and loose with the safety of our coastal resources when one of the biggest oil and natural gas reserves finds of my lifetime is right here in Kern County, as reported in last Wednesday’s Californian. The budget agreed to last week pulls California out of its immediate cash crisis, allowing the state to stop issuing IOUs and demonstrating to our creditors that we — the leaders of both parties — will continue to work together in good faith to keep California’s economy strong. Senate Majority Leader Dean Florez, D-Shafter, represents the 16th Senate District and is a candidate for lieutenant governor. His weekly column appears in The Californian on Tuesdays. 9 comments from 9 users
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posted by
joshuarobertbryant
on Jul 27, 2009 at 08:23 PM
Of course you're grateful that the off-shore drilling proposal was shot down. You & your liberal buddies -- as well as the self-purported conservatives -- are filling your gas tanks on taxpayers' dimes. Your cushy job is funded by those same taxpayers you and your mates in the state legislature can't serve properly, efficiently, or in their best interest. The only interest you & your comrades serve is your own -- your desire to gain reelection or promotion through the ranks of government. The off-shore drilling wouldn't have brought more jobs to the State you say you serve, right? It wouldn't have brought an increase to our tax revenue or a decrease to our rampant unemployment rate, would it have? And why? All for the sake of some marine animals who MIGHT be harmed by a POTENTIAL (note the indefinite terms) spill. There are plenty of safeguards which can (and would) be implemented to proactively prevent against such a travesty, many of which have been innovated since the spill that happened more than four decades ago... I'm ashamed to call you & your cohorts "representatives" in our state -- the only thing you represent is yourselves and the special interests you serve. posted by
amlynam
on Jul 27, 2009 at 09:08 PM
We flew over the gulf coast of Texas, Alabama and Louisiana and I wonder, if there is such a risk of oil spills, why is it that we never hear about them happening in these areas? There are tens of thousands of oil wells. While I don't want California's Coast to be covered to that degree, I do think it is a huge mistake for our state not to take advantage of our natural resources. I think I can handle a few oil wells off shore. posted by
dbrown32
on Jul 27, 2009 at 11:46 PM
Dean Florez only comments publicly when it serves him, or his agenda. With the shape this state is in, put in some off-shore rigs - do ANYTHING (within public reason) to create JOBS and REVENUE. I live in Bakersfield, Senator Florez, and I'm quite sure I have a harder time breathing then any dolphin in Santa Barbara. God only knows what my "blowhole" is taking in each day. Personally, my sincere hope is that this downturn will wake people up, and we'll think before we act in the voting booth. Republican, Democrat, no matter - If the person has a LICK of common sense, it'll be a step in the right direction. posted by
CheshireCat
on Jul 28, 2009 at 08:13 AM
Thank heavens that wisdom weighed in on the stupid and risky plan to drill more wells off the coast of California. The results were to be a mere $1 billion revenue which is a drop in the bucket when it comes to state spending. The Bako oil industry bloggers are crying big tears but the majority of Californians are damn glad the Legislature tied a can to the tail of the proposal to drill holes in the seabed off Santa Barbara. Let's keep Oxy drilling those holes in Kern County, not the Pacific ocean. posted by
AudreyB
on Jul 28, 2009 at 08:44 AM
I used to admire Dean Florez and hoped that he would have a successful run for Governor. Now I wouldn't vote for him if he ran for Senator again. I sense a phoniness in him that didn't used to be there. posted by
FloridaStateGrad
on Jul 28, 2009 at 04:12 PM
if there is such a risk of oil spills, why is it that we never hear about them happening in these areas? Probably because you live in California and rarely get any news from the Gulf coast. I happened to live in Florida up until 3 years ago, and I know for a fact there were and continue to be spills, such as after Hurricane Katrina: billnelson.senate.gov/news/details.cfm "After Katrina, 7.5 million gallons of oil were spilled" "In fact, Hurricane Katrina caused at least ten oil spills, releasing the same quantity of oil as some of the worst oil spills in U.S. history." "In the next hurricane that came a few weeks later, Hurricane Rita, a large vessel struck a submerged oil platform that sank during the storm. Up to 3 million gallons of oil spilled in the gulf because of that, and only half of that oil was recovered" -Senator Bill Nelson, FL
The massive oil spill that remains a major threat to the area's fragile delta ecosystem now stretches from New Orleans to the mouth of the Mississippi River -- a distance of 100 miles, Coast Guard officials said early Thursday. -Reported on July 24, 2008 (almost 3 years after the fact) www.nola.com/news/index.ssf/2008/07/coast_guard_c loses_almost_20_m.html The sheen from a 58,800-gallon weekend oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico is now covering an area of 80 square miles, up from yesterday's figure of 28 square miles, a Coast Guard spokesman said this morning. -Reported TODAY, July 28, 2009 www.nola.com/news/index.ssf/2009/07/gulf_of_mexic o_oil_spill_sheen.html Or how about the Ixtoc spill in '79:
Ironically, the Gulf of Mexico has had the most spills of any region in the world: Oil spills happen all around the world. Analysts for the Oil Spill Intelligence Report, who track oil spills of at least 10,000 gallons (34 tons), reported that spills in that size range have occurred in the waters of 112 nations since 1960. But they also reported (Etkin 1997) that oil spills happen more frequently in certain parts of the world. They identified the following "hot spots" for oil spills from vessels:
response.restoration.noaa.gov/topic_subtopic_entr y.php
I could go on... posted by
adampayne
on Jul 28, 2009 at 04:24 PM
I still admire Dean Florez, and appreciate his take on the budget process here. Senator Florez has taken the lead in trying to better protect both consumers and the community with oversight and regulation on certain areas of our agribusiness empire. With the vast amounts of food related recalls these past few years the efforts to better protect citizens that Senator Florez has championed is a welcome sight. Also, he is one of the few legislators to tackle the growing animal control euthanasia epidemic we see in this state with sensible reform legislation that can make a huge difference in the number of kills we live with year after year. Instead of talk, he has actually gone about the business of doing something about the problem. I have met and talked with the Senator a number of times and have found him to be truly a man of his word. Dean Florez may be a politician, but he is certainly no phony. I hope he becomes Lieutenant Governor of California.
posted by
Shwaine
on Jul 28, 2009 at 04:29 PM
My personal thoughts are that before the state allows such drilling, CA should have comparable taxes on oil production in place to the severance taxes required in other oil-producing states. It would not only provide additional revenue for the state, it could also help offset the costs of any spills that occur. I'm sure part of the motivation for the oil companies seeking this offshore drilling was to escape the proposed excise tax on offshore drilling in the Gulf. I'm still perplexed as to why we're the only state in the nation that doesn't have a severance tax for oil, but that must be part of the twisted CA political climate. posted by
mhandren
on Jul 30, 2009 at 04:20 PM
It would be nice if people could comment on things they know something about. While it is true that California does not have a state severance tax, it is equally true that California property taxes on oil producing properties are higher than any in the nation. That is the tax that is used in this state to generate revenue from oil production. It is assessed and gathered by the county tax assessors, not the state, but it goes into a state fund. The California Division of Oil and Gas is funded completely by oil companies based on the amount of production they have. That is the only agency in the state that is not funded by the general fund of the state; you know the fund that had the 26 billion dollar shortfall. So don't think that the oil industry doesn't pay it's freight in taxes. As far as the offshore drilling proposal goes, there are a few key points that always seem to get overlooked. The new wells would be drilled from an existing offshore platform that is currently producing from federal water. The new wells would be produced through an existing pipeline into existing facilities. The only new things would be the wells themselves which would be located out of sight of anything on the existing platform. It is interesting to note that the naysayers always refer to the oil spill that happened almost fifty years ago. Since there hasn't been one since, they have nothing else to point to. They lose sight of the fact that the existing platforms have been producing spill free for decades and are still producing today. Oh yeah...it would only generate 2 billion dollars in royalties for the state over it's life. That seems small when looking at a 26 billion dollar deficit, but what programs could have been saved instead of cut if this money were put into the revenue stream instead of being eliminated from it? It is true that there have been spills in the Gulf of Mexico. But, as pointed out above, they have come in the aftermath of major hurricanes. When was the last time we had a hurricane in California? Dean Florez is just wrong to demonize the offshore oil project. He is following the typical party rhetoric and not using his thinking cap.
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