The impasse could weaken the state’s ability to fight wildfires, Schwarzenegger says. As the latest effort to resolve the state’s month long budget standoff collapsed Thursday, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger tried to heighten pressure for a quick resolution, warning lawmakers that a continued impasse would jeopardize critical state services such as fighting wildfires reports the Los Angeles Times.
“Now is the time to come to agreement and have a budget,” Schwarzenegger said at a news conference, his first devoted to the state budget since legislators missed their June 30 deadline to enact a spending plan.
“Transportation projects will come to a grinding halt if we don’t pass a budget right now,” he said. “Republicans will have projects in their neighborhoods that will came to a halt. And Democrats will have projects in their neighborhoods, and the people will get upset about it.”
To buttress his argument, Schwarzenegger detailed a dire, though hypothetical, scenario in which state planes fighting wildfires could be grounded for lack of spare parts.
Read it here: Budget Standoff