State Budget

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Governor Jerry Brown made his first public appearance in Los Angeles since being sworn in. Whitney Blaine was at the Bob Hope Airport when he discussed his budget plan for the state.

He urged the public, including college students, to put tax extensions on a special ballot in June.
"If we don't get the tax extensions that will impact, possibly it could raise tuition," Brown said.

Before leaving office, former Governor Schwarzenegger wanted to privatize two dozen state government buildings to reduce California's 25 billion dollar budget deficit. But Brown announced yesterday that he felt the plan didn't make sense, so he dropped it. The plan would have generated $1.2 billion for the state, according to auditors.

Instead, Brown is asking for public support to install temporary tax hikes and spending cuts.

One USC student felt the budget issue has has gone on too long without answers.

"They've been having a budget problem for a while, so they gotta do something," Min Koo, a computer science major at USC, said. "If he's trying to extend the taxes in order to get it down I think it's a good idea."

Brown is speaking to business leaders at the Chamber of Commerce in downtown tonight. He's hoping to work with republicans in the state legislature to approve his plan. But he told me students should be just as concerned.

"There's a lot of money that goes to scholarships and high school education and things like that and those are in jeopardy."

But Lauren Locascio, another USC student, isn't confident Brown's proposed tax hikes will be the answer.

"As a student it's one of those I'll see it when I believe it kind of things, I'm like that's great you can say whatever you want because you're a politician," Locascio said.

Brown needs a two-thirds vote for the tax increase to be placed on the ballot, and has yet to publicly receive any Republican support.