Dan Walters: Jerry Brown's budget boasting should be put in context

San Luis Obispo Tribune

Gov. Jerry Brown did another victory lap in Washington late last month, suggesting during a national governors' conference that California had shown the way to resolve the federal government's budget woes by balancing the state budget after years of deficits. It's a drum that he's been beating ever since voters passed Proposition 30, which temporarily raises sales and income taxes by about $6 billion a year. He unveiled a new budget in January that he claims is balanced and during his State of the State address in late January called it "a solid and enduring budget." But how legitimate is Brown's claim? It's shaky, if one looks at the numbers and assumptions behind the rhetoric.

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