http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/citybeat/45570 Bakersfield city staffers are worried the state might come after its gas-tax money, snagging about $4.8 million of the city's expected $6 million share.   The state already said it will borrow $2 billion in property tax revenues from cities and counties in the new fiscal year (Bako's share of that is about $6.5 million). Gas-tax siphoning would be on top of that.   Folks in Sacramento will spend all week crafting ways fix the $24.3 billion deficit in the next fiscal year. That's likely to result in more ways to direct funds to Sacramento rather than cities and counties.   An association representing California cities has launched this Web site to help municipalities protest the looting. Historically, such efforts have been in vain. Even a voter-approved measure from 2004 meant to end to the practice isn't doing much good.   On another note, Sacramento city firefighters seem to have reached a labor agreement with that city. Will Bakersfield ever do the same?   The new fiscal year starts July 1. Do any of you care? Are you following this nerdy stuff more than usual since California entered full-on meltdown mode?   - Gretchen Wenner, staff writer                 Bakersfield city staffers are worried the state might come after its gas-tax money, snagging about $4.8 million of the city's expected $6 million share.   The state already said it will borrow $2 billion in property tax revenues from cities and counties in the new fiscal year (Bako's share of that is about $6.5 million). Gas-tax siphoning would be on top of that.   Folks in Sacramento will spend all week crafting ways fix the $24.3 billion deficit in the next fiscal year. That's likely to result in more ways to direct funds to Sacramento rather than cities and counties.   An association representing California cities has launched this Web site to help municipalities protest the looting. Historically, such efforts have been in vain. Even a voter-approved measure from 2004 meant to end to the practice isn't doing much good.   On another note, Sacramento city firefighters seem to have reached a labor agreement with that city. Will Bakersfield ever do the same?   The new fiscal year starts July 1. Do any of you care? Are you following this nerdy stuff more than usual since California entered full-on meltdown mode?   - Gretchen Wenner, staff writer                 en-us Mon, 01 Jun 2009 18:46:50 PDT