On February 9, 2009, the New America Foundation hosted a daylong conference at San Franciscos Commonwealth Club to bring together state and national leaders in the areas of healthcare, economic gro...
On February 9, 2009, the New America Foundation hosted a daylong conference at San Franciscos Commonwealth Club to bring together state and national leaders in the areas of healthcare, economic growth and infrastructure, and higher education to discuss how the current crisis is challenging states and threatening the economic opportunity and security that is essential to an attainable American Dream. Sponsored by New Americas Next Social Contract Initiative and the California Program, the conference explored how the states and the federal government can use this moment of crisis to strengthen the social contract for the future.
Mark Paul introduced the first panel with a sobering look at state governments in crisis. After Paul put forward much bad news, David Osborne sought to identify governments most important roles, explicate the costs vs. revenues equation of state budgeting, and convince the audience that state budget deficits are now the norm. Next, Jim Brulte offered a history lesson in partisan realignments since the New Deal and argued that the rise of decline-to-state (unaligned) voters in California explains why Sacramento is often so dysfunctional. Matt Salo estimated the sum total of state budget deficits, and explained why counter-cyclical programs such as Medicaid place an even greater strain on state budgets in difficult times. Finally, Noel Perry identified some of the structural dysfunctions of Californias government and argued that the green economy offers enormous potential for recovery both in California and nationwide.
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