In different cities at separate events Thursday, California Governor Jerry Brown and Senate leader Kevin de León talked about the state's fiscal future in very different terms.
Before the Sacramento Press Club, De León said the state must spend more for people who need more.
De León: “Austerity alone won’t build our economy. With limited resources, how can we strategically target investments to make the quality of life better in disproportionately impacted communities throughout California?”
In San Francisco, Governor Brown pointed to the state’s debt obligations, its infrastructure needs and the inevitability of another recession as reasons for limited spending.
Brown: “We got a lot of issues. And therefore we have to be prudent. And therefore we shouldn’t be embarking upon the new until we kind of fix the roof and take care of the basics.”
Wednesday, the bond rating service Standard and Poor’s credited California’s spending cuts, more than tax increases, for the state’s financial turnaround.
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This story was produced by Capital Public Radio