State Senate Candidates Offer Ideas To Address Budget Gap

In opinion pieces in the Santa Cruz Sentinel, two state Senate candidates -- incumbent Sam Blakeslee (R-San Luis Obispo) and his opponent John Laird (D) -- discuss ways the state can fix its ongoing budget crisis. Among other recommendations, Blakeslee advocates for reforming the tax code to attract more jobs; for reducing spending on health care for prison inmates; and for improving social welfare programs. Meanwhile, Laird calls for implementing revenue-generating mechanisms into new legislation and for removing the two-thirds legislative requirement on budget approval to avoid cutting programs for children's health care and other social services.

• "Current Budget Must Include Lasting Reforms" (Blakeslee, Santa Cruz Sentinel, 8/1).
• "Legislators Need To Make Hard Choices" (Laird, Santa Cruz Sentinel, 8/1).