California Performance Review Committee Reduces Savings Estimate
Initial savings assessments for Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's (R) state bureaucracy reform plan based on the California Performance Review have been reduced from the $32 billion estimated in August to $15 billion, and key administration officials are "said to be divided over whether to push [the plan's] politically unpopular proposals," the Orange County Register reports (Hinch, Orange County Register, 10/18).
In its August report, the review commission said the total savings could include $5 billion over five years if the state consolidates several programs into a single Department of Health and Human Services and follows 108 other recommendations concerning the Health and Human Services Agency (California Healthline, 8/23).
The governor intends to implement the reform plans by executive order, legislation, budget proposals and possibly by referendum, the Register reports. However, "expectations have been scaled back," partly because of the reduced savings projections and public opinion of the proposals, the Register reports. In addition, some commission members have said the measures are flawed because "many ... were crafted by people with no experience or knowledge of the subjects they worked on," the Register reports.
The performance review staff is preparing for Schwarzenegger a summary for each of its proposals that includes information on how the public and administration officials view the measures. The commissioners will make their recommendations on each plan Wednesday (Orange County Register, 10/18).