The article criticizes California's governance for enacting sweeping legislation without adequate public input or risk assessment. The state's high-profile bullet train project epitomizes this approach, revealing significant delays and overspending. More recently, commitments made under Medi-Cal to ensure health coverage for all residents, including undocumented immigrants, resulted in costs nearly double initial estimates, leading to substantial borrowing. Additionally, legislation like AB 218 has expanded liability for childhood sexual assault claims, raising concerns among public agencies about potential financial fallout. These examples highlight chronic budget deficits exacerbated by reckless fiscal management and insufficient oversight.
Nearly two decades after a bond issue was approved, California's bullet train project is a zombie, neither dead nor fully alive, underscoring the state's failure to weigh risks.
California's lawmakers promised Medi-Cal expansion would cost $6.4 billion, but actual costs soared to $6.2 billion, leading Gov. Newsom to borrow billions to cover the deficit.
AB 218, expanding liabilities for childhood sexual assault claims, may have unintended consequences as public agencies face costly allegations they cannot effectively counter from years past.
California's budget is becoming increasingly distressed due to chronic deficits exacerbated by poor revenue projections and overspending on expansive social programs.
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