(SACRAMENTO, CA)  Assemblymember Bob Blumenfield (D-San Fernando Valley), Chair of the Assembly Budget Committee, issued the following statement in response to Governor Jerry Brown’s announcement today that nearly $981 million in mid-year state budget cuts will take effect on January 1, 2012.

“These cuts show the pain of an unbalanced approach to balancing our state budget.  I hate them but we didn’t have any other options.  Our economic recovery has been inconsistent and Republican legislators refused to give the people of California a chance to vote on revenues to eliminate the need for cuts that shock the conscience.  But we made a commitment to fiscal discipline and must play the hand that we are dealt.  That requires swallowing some tough medicine right now and taking another road to giving the voters a choice on their state budget next year.”

Contact: Anthony Matthews, tel. (916) 319-2040