The California Assembly, whose principle job is to provide the State with a balanced budget, has failed to do so for many years. They consistently play games with the public's money. One way they game the budget system is by "borrowing" money from special funds that were set up to accomplish specific purposes. Several examples:
Green Sticker Program: The off road recreation industry relies on a program and fund where the revenues come from an earmarked portion of the vehicle registration of motorcycles, ATVs and other off road vehicles. The fund is used to build and maintain recreational facilities. The collected monies are not supposed to be spent on anything else. The Assembly has stolen these funds.
Dept. Of Boating and Waterways: Similarly to the Green Sticker Program, boaters pay a fuel tax to fund grants by DBW to marinas to build and maintain marinas, boat launch ramps and other waterway facilities used by California's boaters and waterway users, including campers near boating facilities. The Assembly has stolen some of these funds. It has tried to roll DBW into the Parks Department, where the emphasis would not be on waterways at all and the money would not be spent as legislated.
The Gas Tax: Just like the DBW funds, gasoline taxes are collected to build and maintain highways. These funds are consistently spent on subsidizing commuter rail, bus systems and many other non-highway items.
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