Jerry Brown Braces California for a $1.6 Billion Deficit as the State Considers Legal Defense Fund for Illegal Aliens



Map of California StateCalifornia is a fiscal hole again. A deep fiscal hole, like $1.6 billion deep, warns Gov. Jerry Brown as introduced the state budget. That means more cuts in services, benefits, infrastructure repairs, education budgets, and general bad news for Californians.

But one group of California residents seems likely to be spared the pain of the state’s fiscal crisis: The ones who earned their special place in the hearts of California lawmakers by violating U.S. immigration laws. Even with a $1.6 billion deficit looming (and politicians often lowball bad budget numbers), two of the first bills likely to be taken up by the Legislature are Senate Bill 6 and Assembly Bill 3.

Both of those measures would commit state dollars to establish a legal defense fund for illegal aliens who might face deportation under the Trump administration – anywhere from about $10 million and $80 million according to the bills’ sponsors. That would be on top of the $10 million already allocated by the perpetually cash-strapped City and County of Los Angeles and similar funds likely to be set up by San Francisco, San Jose and other localities that pride themselves on placing the interests of illegal aliens ahead of the security and well-being of everyone else in their jurisdictions.

The $10 million to $80 the state is considering using to help illegal aliens flout the law is a pittance compared with the deficit Brown is forecasting but it says a lot about where the priorities of the state’s political leadership lie. Based on their response to Californians who have faced tragedy as a result of the state’s sanctuary policies it was hardly a mystery.

About Author

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Ira joined the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR) in 1986 with experience as a journalist, professor of journalism, special assistant to Gov. Richard Lamm (Colorado), and press secretary of the House Defense Appropriations Subcommittee. His columns have appeared in National Review, LA Times, NY Times, Washington Post, Newsweek, and more. He is an experienced TV and radio commentator.

44 Comments

  1. avatar

    Jerry Brown and his cronies are destroying the State of California. As for those Senators,Representatives or others introducing that kind of legislation (bills) , didnt those people take an oath of office to uphold and protect the Constitution of the United States? Are they introducing legislation that is illegal? Should they be impeached for incompetence? Jerry Brown is senile and needs to be removed from office before he can do any more damage. Oh, and by the way, are you aware that the California population is now predominately Mexican (Hispanic)? Think about what that means for future elections and the future of the State as well… too many people and over population to start with. And when are we going to stop government provided, irresponsible reproduction, provided by welfare? WTF?

  2. avatar

    Actually, the political split is closer to 60/40 statewide with some areas being just as conservative as any place in the Country. Speaking as a conservative from a very liberal area, I, for one, would be willing to endure the hardships associated with a federal funds cutoff if it meant undercutting the hold alt-liberals hold in this state. You might be surprised to learn that as recently as 1994 California passed proposition 187, which barred illegals from obtaining non-emergency support from government programs but was struck down by the Federal courts. Since then the illegals have flooded in the state at great expense both financially and socially.

  3. avatar

    But don’t forget all of the Republicans that haven’t been so great on the issue, such as McCain, Flake, Graham, the Bush family, and the Republican hero Reagan with his illegal alien amnesty in 1986. Neither party has a great track record on the issue, but at this point it does look like most of the politicians who will actually do something are Republicans.

    • avatar

      Did you see the new report of the California high speed train. Way over budget and way behind schedule. When it was first discussed years ago I said that’s how they all turn out eventually and I didn’t even bring any politics into it. Nonetheless, I was attacked as a rightwinger with no vision, etc etc. It seems the state is determined to saddle itself with one of the greatest white elephants ever.

      • avatar

        And they aren’t even doing it right. The whole point of high speed rail is for a fast alternative to flying between two major cities, and this is how it is done in other countries that know what they are doing. But as it goes down through the Central Valley between the SF Bay Area and LA they are having its stop at relatively insignificant cities which will slow the trip down considerably. This makes as much sense as having a flight from the Bay Area to LA stop at a small airport in the middle of the Central Valley.

        You can fly from the Bay Area down to the LA area in a little under an hour, and a lot of people, especially business people, will fly down in the morning and then fly back that evening. Who wants to take this “high speed train” that will take way longer through the Central Valley that has about the most boring view imaginable? The state is run by incompetent idiots.

  4. avatar

    While I totally agree with FAIR’s position re. what’s going on re immigration in the Golden State, I find comments such as this one (J. Arteaga) to be in extremely bad taste and hopefully FAIR will delete it from this site.

  5. avatar

    Governor Jerry Brown has threatened to build a Wall around California if Trump won the Presidential Election! Who’s going to pay for that Wall? Mexico? A Wall is a good idea! It will be to keep the criminals in! We’ll just turn the whole state of California into a rather large prison! Kinda like a BIG Alkatraz. Gosh… I wish I’d thought of that! Well… maybe I did! Enjoy your stay!

  6. avatar

    Brown is to blame along with a very ugly ethnic legislature which focuses narrowly on barrios before anything else.

    • avatar
      Freedom fighter on

      I love the first line of this story California is a fiscal hole. Maybe because it’s run by fiscal a holes

  7. avatar

    The thing they leave off is that although we have a $1.6 billion shortfall, we actually spend $2.3 billion per year on services for illegal aliens, so that money could be covered by simply following the laws of the nation.

  8. avatar

    California is already overpopulated, and the state needs to be doing better long term planning in terms of its ability to withstand long term droughts, and it needs to be decreasing, not increasing its population. The recent storms still haven’t ended the state’s drought, and don’t necessarily mean it is over.

    From Popular Science:

    —-“While these storms—and the preceding years of drought—might be among the most tenacious in recent memory, this cycle of boom and bust is fairly normal for California’s highly variable climate if you look at long-term historical records. Wet and dry spells are common within a year, and cycles of long drought followed or punctuated by large flooding events aren’t uncommon.

    “In the longer term, we’ve had periods of drought that have lasted for over a century” B. Lynn Ingram—a paleoclimatologist and author of The West without Water—says, pointing to a drought in the area that lasted from about 900-1400 AD. “Typically every century, there are one or two droughts that are maybe a decade long.”
    Sounds like a 5-6 year drought is pretty good in that context. But Ingram also notes that while serious drought has been affecting California for the past five or six years, 12 of the last 14 years for which we have records have had below-average runoff in California, sparking fears that we might be entering a more extended dry spell.”

    • avatar

      And while these storms may temporarily fill up the reservoirs, it will take many more of these fronts to begin to recharge the ground water that has been all but tapped out.

      • avatar

        Back in 900- 1400 AD, there were only a relative handful of Native Americans living in what is now California– they probably didn’t require much water. With some 40 million residents now, and as a “breadbasket” food supply for much of the country and world, it’s now a totally different story, and the population not only needs to stop growing, but has to be cut back… way back.

  9. avatar
    William hoeweler on

    You people have got to realize at some point you can’t save the friggin world ! And besides that where are all the tax revenue from these mega earning movies going, you boast about these mega millions they earn where is all that tax revenue ? Learn to live within your mean hollyweird

    • avatar

      Sanctuary Cities or States, do not recognize authority of America’s,300,000,000 + Americans’ Constitutional Laws,therefore not fiscal responsibility of Washington,Constitutionally formed Govt.

      Working America is not responsible for breeding froppings, of illegal criminally America invading aliens.That offal cannot make Americans work for them.Can Jerry Brown force that in Mexico?Honduras,Guatemala/He belongs in jail for anti=America subversive Constitutional Laws violations.

  10. avatar

    I don’t agree with Sanctuary Cities. This State is broke already and you are spending$300,000 mo. to hire Eric Holder to fight your interest in it. That’s just a start figure. We will have Illegal Criminals everywhere. We cannot afford this expense, Lack of protection and Security for Californians & Lack of Law and Order in this State. You tried to take
    away our right to bear arms. You want to turn this State like Chicago, IL. You all don’t seem to care about the
    Citizens and are putting the illegals and Criminals ahead of us. I vote to do away with Sanctuary Cities. We, the Citizens can barely making it now. We cannot afford to be taxed anymore on expenses such as this.

      • avatar

        Yea, I know that makes me feel better. We are only paying him 25k a month so he can help them take away our rights and not face a legal shitstorm.

    • avatar

      Well Californians should just kill all the illegals or take them back home in a “black van” . Problem solved if there aren’t any illegals left, and no more illegal statutes from a law breaking governor!!!

  11. avatar

    This deficit doesn’t include the federal funds Trump will withhold. You guys are screwed.

    • avatar

      Why would anybody put all that burden on the tax payers shoulders. Oh ya I remember Jerry Brown is our governor. Making it real hard to stay in this state.

  12. avatar

    San Francisco bay area economy is going gangbusters. LA is doing well also. That equates to huge current state tax revenues. And we STILL have a $1.6B shortfall? Sounds like we have a huge spending problem, mostly due to pension liabilities that democrats created.
    When the next economic slowdown cycle hits the state will go bankrupt fast.

    • avatar

      Due to forcibly paying,FREE housing,food stamps,well-fare money per illegal alien child,Education,filthy Jerry Brown wants working Americans to pay for, free medical care,Education, for millions of illegal criminal USA Laws violating,invading aliens.
      Jail Jerry brown with Hillary Clinton.

  13. avatar

    Yep.. Keep voting for Democrats. It has consequences. Illegal aliens will have more rights than Americans.. They already do!

  14. avatar
    Glad to see the Election Result on

    I wonder if any sane rational persons live in CA anymore? This is insane to spend money defending illegals.

    • avatar

      When God created the earth , he/she shook it with California at the bottom and all the nuts couldn’t hold on.

    • avatar

      Not all Californians are ignorant Liberals! Some of sane ones are just stuck here for the time being. I can pretty much guarantee you that California would have went Red if it wasn’t for The A**hat Jerry Brown allowing illegal immigrants to get a California Drivers License. If someone would have challenged the election results and they had to verify every single ballot that it was legal and casted by a legal citizen then HRC may have very well lost Ca. It is estimated that over 3 million illegal immigrants voted in Ca, but no one will challenge it. I’ve lived in SoCal all my life and use to be a Proud Resident, but A**hat Jerry Brown and the rest of the dumba**es have destroyed this state! Everyone is so worried about illegal immigration, but don’t give 2 sh*ts that they just passed a law allowing “Minor Prostitution” as legal. WTF?!! The Liberal mentality is… If we allow minors to be prostitutes then the pimps can pimp them out with no repercussions and it will slow down “child sex trafficking”. I wish Ca would do a Calexit because that would only push me to get out of this sh*thole sooner!! It’s an embarrassment saying I live in Ca because everyone assumes I’m a liberal and my family and myself are far from it!

      • avatar

        I a man 3-4th generation Californian. I am sick of what these outsiders that have arrive in California have done to my home. The liberal side is mostly the coastal areas ans cities. The eastern side of California are the areas that are suffering due to the liberals. California politicians are for the most part legalized bandits that are riding a wave that is based on depriving those Californians that are conservative. Government has failed in planning and providing needed infrastructure improvements–yet they excel in following a liberal agenda that is full of political self interest that does not serve the good of the people. California’s water problem is based on too many people wasting all the resources. We are over populated based on our climate and wasted water usage to make paces lik palm spring green while the natural reflection of the desert does not reflect that environment.
        I want my home back–I want someone in government that has common sense and not full of self interest along with a responsibility to serve the welfare of the residents and be a contributor to the American way of government. HELP!

        • avatar
          Not Politically Correct on

          I know that not all Californians are liberal idiots. Many smart people live there as well, but the smart people unfortunately are not the ones making the laws.

  15. avatar
    Dan FraggleRock on

    I don’t understand why California doesn’t ask all of those Bollywood elitists who make millions for their performances, for money to close the gap on Californias deficit.
    These eletists are all talk with no positive actions of any kind.
    Most just take without giving back.

  16. avatar

    Every time this happens they raise taxes and fees yet again and then they proclaim proudly that they have a “balanced budget”. But at some point they cannot tax any more. They also have huge pension shortfalls that will eventually fall on the taxpayer. The city of San Francisco has become, literally, a toilet. Homeless going to the bathroom all over the sidewalks. Yes, this is what they insist the country should be like. No thank you.

    • avatar

      Speaking of pension shortfalls, another sanctuary city, Chicago, is trying to get Moody’s to change their rating of the city’s bonds as junk. This rating means the city must pay higher interest rates to borrow and is due to their huge unfunded pension obligations. The saying is if in you’re in a hole stop digging, but the sanctuary cities ask for another shovel instead.

      • avatar

        All any American has to do is look at California to see what our entire country will be like if open borders politicians have their way. No thank you is right.

    • avatar

      Jerry Brown and the Brown Nose California Legislature are of the same mind as Barack Hussein Obama and are on track to achieve his dream of 100% tax income tax. It’s what Demoncraps do.