Word: budgets
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Dates: during 2000-2009
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Once the remaining $73 million is gone, Palmer says California would turn to its general emergency fund, which totals $500 million. In signing the budget in July, Schwarzenegger made additional cuts in order to have half a billion dollars in reserves put aside for catastrophes such as fires and earthquakes. (See 10 things to do in Los Angeles...
...there is more than just the Los Angeles fire for the state to worry about. A string of major wildfires has hit California over the summer. Addressing reporters on Sept. 3, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger tried to sound reassuring, "Even though we have a budget crunch and we have an economic crisis and we just solved a $23 billion deficit, we will always have the money available to fight the fires because public safety is our No. 1 priority...
...this season's firefighting in California comes just as the state has made vast and deep cuts in nearly all services to balance its books. Can California afford to fight fires given its budget woes? And when does the federal government step in? (What things should you save if your home is threatened by fire...
Indeed, in the recently approved state budget, Schwarzenegger kept the budget of Cal Fire, the state department of forestry and fire protection, roughly level at $518 million (which is used for salaries of the department) and doubled the emergency fund for wildfires from $69 million to $182 million. But with high summer temperatures, the California fire season is off with a roar and from July 1 to Sept. 2 the state spent $108.7 million. "We have literally burned through more than half of the emergency fire fund," says Department of Finance spokesperson H.D. Palmer...
...even with federal assistance, the California fiscal crisis - and in particular July's $1.9 billion raid on local government finances to help balance the state budget - could threaten the system of mutual aid between fire departments across the state. For example, several fire departments in northern California went south to help out with the Angeles National Forest blaze. As the fire season continues, however, budget cutbacks may force some local fire departments to stop participating in mutual aid. "Local agencies may have no choice but to hold back. A fire department's first responsibility is to protect the home front...