Cal Grant recipients still without aid in budget crisis

It appears efforts to convince Gov. Gray Davis to approve
emergency spending packages ““ parts of which would fast-track
hundreds of millions of dollars in need-based financial aid to
California college students ““ will fall short.

As the state enters the ninth week of the fiscal year without a
budget, nearly 200,000 students are without their Cal Grants
““ aid packages that help students pay for university fees,
rent, parking and books.

Assembly Democrats and Republicans have both introduced plans
that would allow the governor to declare an emergency and spend
money for Cal Grants and other state-provided services almost
immediately under the California constitution. But Davis’
hesitancy ““ combined with questions about whether a partisan
budget gridlock constitutes an emergency ““ suggest such
efforts will be fruitless.

To financially protect students, meanwhile, the chancellor of
the California State University system asked each of system’s
campuses to front the money for the Cal Grant awards. The UC has
promised to do the same for UC Berkeley students, and will not have
to worry about its other campuses if a budget is passed by
mid-September.

State politicians, though, can’t find a way to come to a
deal.

Assembly Republican leader Dave Cox, R”“Sacramento, last
week called on Gray Davis to invoke his emergency powers to approve
a spending bill that would allow the state to pay educational
grants and health care bills, before the budget is passed.

“By taking this critical step, we can ensure
California’s neediest citizens will not have to suffer or be
held hostage while a responsible budget is crafted,” Cox said
at a press conference Aug. 22.

But Davis rejected the idea as a mere temporary solution, a
press aide said the next day.

“There is no reason to take a piecemeal approach to the
budget,” said press aide Anita Gore, responding to
Cox’s plan.

Two days after Cox unveiled his plan, Assembly Democrats
approved even broader amendments to a separate bill that would
allow the state to spend emergency money on most state programs,
including Cal Grants, but would not fund one-time expenditures or
state legislators’ salary.

After the new amendments to the old bill were approved with
bi-partisan support, the bill was sent back to the Assembly Budget
Committee, where negotiations continue.

The governor’s office could not be reached for comment
Aug. 25, a day after the Assembly approved the Democrats’
emergency spending amendments. Peter DeMarco, press aide for Cox,
said the governor would not support the Democrats’ spending
amendments either.

The only thing Sacramento politicians can agree upon is that the
passage of a complete budget, rather than emergency packages, would
be best. But how to do so, is another issue entirely.

Earlier in the week Assemblywoman Elaine Alquist,

D”“San Jose, who is the chair of the Assembly Committee on
Higher Education, sent a letter to Cox blaming the the Cal Grant
situation on the “Assembly Republican Caucus’
unwillingness to vote for the state budget.”

“If the republicans would just get off their … We could
get these students their Cal Grants,” said Paul Mitchell, a
consultant to the Assembly Higher Education Committee.

But DeMarco, Cox’s representative, called Davis’
budget “bad, wrong and out-of-balance.”

He cited a study by the Legislative Analysis Office which said
Davis’ plan spends too much and would blow a multi-billion
dollar hole in the budget.

“The governor’s plan is a sham,” he said.

With reports from the Associated Press and Andrew Edwards, Daily
Bruin Contributor.

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