Gov Proposes
Budget Cut That Won’t Save State
Money
In
early January, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger
announced dramatic plans to cut the
state budget by 10% across the board
in 2008-09. The good news is that
the proposal does not single out California’s
voter-approved, treatment-instead-of-incarceration
program, Proposition 36, for cuts
above this baseline level. The bad
news is that, under the plan, Prop.
36 faces a 10% cut that would put
the program at its lowest funding
level ever. In a third year of funding
shortfalls, the program would have
only one thing left to cut—the
quality and length of treatment it
provides. The
governor’s proposed cut funding
to just $108 million in 2008-09
(from $120 million in 2007-08),
while proportional to other program
cuts, severely threatens the quality
of treatment that counties would
be able to provide the 36,000 people
who enter Prop. 36 treatment each
year. Programs are now operating
on a shoe-string budget. In many
counties, treatment programs are
already unable to provide adequate
care to those eligible and eager
for treatment under the law. More
cuts would mean less treatment—and
less success in terms of both lives
and dollars saved.
In
a study released in April 2006,
researchers from the University
of California at Los Angeles showed
that Prop 36 needs a minimum level
of funding of $228.6 million to
provide adequate treatment to generate
greater cost savings. More funding
translates into more treatment options,
longer treatment durations and,
if the money is spent in the right
way, higher rates of success. The
opposite is also true.
Further diminishing
Prop. 36 funds would not just hurt
the program, they would hurt the
taxpayer. Prop. 36 is proven to
save at least $2.50 for every $1
invested, according to researchers
at the University of California
at Los Angeles. UCLA calculated
net state savings at $173 million
in the first year alone. If savings
stayed at this level, net savings
to the taxpayer surpassed $1 billion
in just six years. But, according
to the Legislative Analyst’s
Office, savings were still higher.
In an independent analysis, the
LAO found that Prop 36 saved a net
$205 million in its second year
and $297 million in its third.
Governor Schwarzenegger’s
plans to cut funding again threaten
thousands of Californians’
access to drug treatment and an
opportunity for a healthier life.
What’s more, he is ignoring
both the will of the voters and
the evidence: Prop. 36 has already
graduated over 72,000 nonviolent
drug offenders and saved California
taxpayers over $1 billion. |
