Conspicuously absent from the budget deal negotiated by the Governor and Democrats are projects to improve and upgrade our deteriorated and compromised water infrastructure including Oroville Dam, and river and bypass levees. They also made changes to laws that have nothing to do with the state’s budget. Veteran lawmaker Senator Jim Nielsen (R-Tehama), Vice Chairman of the Senate Budget Committee, issued the following statement:

“This neglect puts people and properties at great risk.

“This budget is packed more than any previous budget with major policy changes including blatant changes in California’s 100-year-old recall law which permanently will diminish citizens’ ability to recall elected officials. It opens the door for direct voter intimidation by organized special interests.

“For the sake of staving off a current burgeoning recall of an Orange County Senator, this cynical ploy permanently disenfranchises citizens.

“This budget is filled with broken promises made by Democrats to the citizens when they passed the massive new $52 BILLION gas and car tax; it takes gas and car tax money that is supposed to go to roads, highways and bridges to pay for recruiting lifeguards, park rangers and state park maintenance and local park operations.”