Assemblyman Robert Rivas. (Photo: Kevin Sanders for California Globe)
CA Lawmakers Blame Trump for their Own Impending Budget Disaster
‘The Legislature will face a fourth consecutive year of budget problems—all during a period of overall revenue growth’
By Katy Grimes, November 19, 2025 1:23 pm
The California Legislative Analyst’s Office just released their “California Legislative Analyst’s Office fiscal outlook.” It’s not good news.
Rather than taking the news like real statesmen, Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas and Assembly Committee on Budget Chair Jesse Gabriel issued statements blaming President Donald Trump for Democrats’ own fiscal mismanagement and impending budget disaster.
Budget Problem Now Larger Than Anticipated. Under our revenue and spending estimates, the Legislature faces an almost $18 billion budget problem in 2026‑27. This is about $5 billion larger than the budget problem anticipated by the administration in June, despite improvements in revenue. This is because constitutional spending requirements under Proposition 98 (1988) and Proposition 2 (2014) almost entirely offset revenue gains. Moreover, we estimate costs in other programs to be about $6 billion higher than anticipated. Starting in 2027‑28, we estimate structural deficits to grow to about $35 billion annually due to spending growth continuing to outstrip revenue growth.
and
Budget Position Is Weak. We advise the Legislature to address the budget problem through a combination of ongoing solutions—namely, achievable spending reductions and/or revenue increases. There are three reasons these actions are now critical. First, the budget problem is now larger than anticipated, despite improvements in revenue, and the structural deficits are significant and growing. Second, while our revenue estimates hedge against a market downturn, they do not reflect the revenue declines the state would experience in a recession. Third, the state has used most of its budget resiliency tools to address prior deficits. If our estimates hold, the Legislature will face a fourth consecutive year of budget problems—all during a period of overall revenue growth. As it stands—with larger forecasted deficits and many fewer tools available to address them—California’s budget is undeniably less prepared for downturns.
Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas and Assembly Committee on Budget Chair Jesse Gabriel issued the following statements:
IT’S TRUMP’S FAULT.
“Trump’s cuts and tariffs are squeezing California’s budget even harder. And the cautious LAO forecast is a reminder: Today’s revenue surge won’t last. We must invest limited dollars on sustainable, vital essentials — health care, food aid, housing, education. When Republican policies raise prices and fall short, Democrats will keep fighting for real affordability and lasting prosperity,” Speaker Robert Rivas said.
“Today’s fiscal outlook underscores the challenging decisions ahead. While the Trump Administration continues to pursue destructive policies that will harm California families, the Assembly Budget Committee remains committed to crafting a responsible budget that prioritizes essential services, uplifts working families, and protects our most vulnerable communities,” Budget Chair Assemblymember Jesse Gabriel said.
IT’S TRUMP’S FAULT.
Neither Rivas or Gabriel appear to have taken Econ 101. They don’t address the glaring problems the LAO identified:
“This is because constitutional spending requirements under Proposition 98 (1988) and Proposition 2 (2014) almost entirely offset revenue gains;” or
“costs in other programs are about $6 billion higher than anticipated;”
or how they will
reach “achievable spending reductions and/or revenue increases;”
Rivas and Gabriel do not address
LAO revenue estimates which “do not reflect the revenue declines the state would experience in a recession;”
Nor do they explain why
“the state has used most of its budget resiliency tools to address prior deficits;”
Nor what they will do as
“the Legislature will face a fourth consecutive year of budget problems—all during a period of overall revenue growth.”
Lacking the ability for self-reflection or introspection, Rivas and Gabriel aren’t ready for prime time. And it shows.
A California native and Navy mom, Katy lives in Sacramento, CA.
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There are two approaches to this problem. Both are tried and true. The first method and most likely the democrat response will be to increase taxes which will further stifle economic generating activities and further drive people and business away here in California. The second method is to cut taxes and wasteful spending which will give money to folks and stoke economic activities which will lead to regular and dependable revenue to the state. I recently heard that that up to 70% of the State of California’s budget could be considered waste fraud and abuse. I do not know if that statement is true but it sure would be interesting for a thorough analysis of the state’s budget to see how much could be cut. There are a lot of sacred cows contained within the budget that needs to be reined in. Government Overhead, Education, Health Care and Social Programs are my big 4.
There isn’t a budget problem. There is a spending problem. There is a fraud and waste problem. There is an illegal immigrant money sinkhole problem. There is a Democrat incompetence problem.
We need the Republicans to come in and clean up this mess.
Amen.
And there is the problem that Ca. is a a very strong anti-business state. Under Newsom over 5K business have left Ca along with over 1.3. million people. When people and business leave Ca? They take their money with them.
There is a voting process and procedure problem from stem to stern.
From dirty voter rolls to voting month and corrupted tabulation processes via hackable electronic devices, California is in shambles.
Now when you think it can’t get any worse, we have this development:
https://www.politico.com/news/2025/11/21/eric-swalwell-runs-california-governor-00651742
Agree, 100%.
These people are insufferable. California’s yearly budgets have been a complete disaster for the better part of 3 decades. And they want to say that NOW it’s only because of Trump? Sadly, most voters in this state are so clueless that they will believe them which is why we ended up with garbage like Prop 50 passing.
that was one of my first thoughts when I read this article! Robert Rivas must have learned math in a California Public School as he believes Trump being president for 11 months out of the past 4 years (I.E less than 25%) is equal to 100% of the responsibility for balancing California’s Budget!
You make a great point, CaliGirl.
Apparently, President Joseph Robinette Auto-Pen Jr. had nothing to do with California’s budget woes over the last four plus years.
Bingo! lol
That’s good. Ridiculous Rivas. Hire a tutor.
It should be required of all State Senators, Assembly persons, staffers and state bureaucrats, to read Thomas Sowell’s Basic Economics!
https://www.amazon.com/Basic-Economics-Thomas-Sowell-ebook/dp/B00L4FSSTA/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3GM8A7AA5F2MI&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.iynIkzftFltflZDgWQpR4uPFhuXtJgMU2n2Loh6Z-ArGjHj071QN20LucGBJIEps.DFKUmnP8Zgond5sQ9EGgPCALdFtDqThlEZmt1-tm3z8&dib_tag=se&keywords=goodreads+Thomas+Sowell+econ+book&qid=1763594212&sprefix=goodreads+thomas+sowell+econ+book%2Caps%2C323&sr=8-1
Like @Protect Freedom said, It’s a spending problem!
Do they even KNOW how to read?
Can California Democrats even comprehend basic Economics?
Doubtful…
The budget for the California Community College system is a chaotic disaster thanks to its so-called “Student Centered Funding Formula”. Instead of basing funding for community colleges on enrollments of traditional, tuition-paying student, former state chancellor Eloy Ortiz Oakley created a “more equitable” funding stream based on enrollments, high school student (aka “Dual Enrollment”), prisoner education, numbers of bachelors degrees awarded, and a number of other factors. The Kern Community College District has been so successful a implementing various funding streams that Mr. Ponzi would be awestruck. 30% of the student body of Bakersfield College hasn’t even set foot on the campus…because they’re still in high school taking “Dual Enrollment” classes taught by their high school teachers for transferable college credit. Who created this system? California Community College Chancellor Sonya Christian during her tenure as president of Bakersfield College, Chancellor of the Kern Community College District, and apprentice of Eloy Ortiz Oakley.
This is a California democrat super majority problem. They spend our taxpayer money with great incompetence and corruption. Democrats are spending near two billion taxpayer’s dollars on the Capitol building, billions upon billions for MediCal for illegal aliens, toss in more money for illegal aliens deportation cases defense, working people and businesses are fleeing the state, Newsom wastes $300 million taxpayer dollars on his vanity gerrymandering election, and Lord knows what else they are wasting our money on and if they even know about any fraud, waste or abuse with our money.
The democrats of California have caused the financial problem in our state. Vote them out of office.
If only Democrats had not rigged our California elections to ensure their continued, almost entirely unilateral rule over everything everywhere within this once great State. Their incompetence and greed and deceitfulness are fully on display of any dispassionate observer to see and be sickened over. No leftist excuses or lies can cover these glaring truths. Democrats are child-minds playing with adult things.
Bingo!!
My best advice to the California Legislature: CRY HARDER!
1988 – Prop 98 – pay attention to what we did to ourselves, now that we see the incontrovertible outcome.
In an act of civic generosity, after passing necessary Prop 13 property tax relief, we the people voted in essence to allocate 50% of all general fund revenues to public education: 90% to K-12 and 10% to community colleges.
Since 1988, what did we get in return for this no-strings attached automatic funding off the top for “public education” over any other state priority?
1. The rise of the powerful California teachers unions even Gov Jerry Brown admitted was the unelected fourth branch of government he would consult along with other elected legislative leaders, before he did any thing.
2. California’s once proud K-12 system has dropped to the bottom 5% nationwide, now even surpassed by Mississippi in its race to the bottom.
3. Open borders and sanctuary cities, primarily fill teacher unions coffers using high-birth rate illegals to keep their failing K-12 classrooms filled in perpetuity and teacher union dues flowing into support perpetual Democrat political hegemony.
4. Annual litany from teachers unions: we are under-paid, over-worked, under-appreciated and our morale is bad. Give us even more money on top of the Prop 98 guaranteed funding just for us.
5. Rarely, if ever has the real work horse in California public education -its community colleges -ever gotten their full 10% of the guaranteed Prop 98 funding. K-12 has built in raiding-rights on this final 90:10 funding to keep more of the Prop 98 money for themselves
Prop 98 must be repealed. Promises made; promises betrayed 100%
YES YES Jaye. Thanks for waking this from sleep mode. Great argument.
Call me crazy, but the Dem politicians and their friends have W-A-A-A-Y overused “Hate Trump,” “It’s Trump’s Fault,” & etc., especially when it’s SO OBVIOUS their own monkey-wrench-throwing is to blame for all of this stuff and I don’t think this “look over there” sleight of hand B.S. has legs anymore.
Guess we’ll see.
This is what happens when we entrust an important economy to “community organizers” who have ZERO economic experience, ZERO insurance experience, ZERO management experience, but have LOTS OF EMOTIONS that they bring out and share with their EMOTION-DRIVEN, LOW-INFORMATION voters (we call them “the Lotus eaters”) and pander to special interests, unions and rig the election systems and procedures to favor their party….
COMPLETE DUMPSTER FIRE!!!!
Look at Rivas’s and Gabriel’s list of priorities: “We must invest limited dollars on sustainable, vital essentials — health care, food aid, housing, education.”
Except for possibly education, NONE OF THE OTHER ITEMS should be functions of government. Cut them all and the budget problem is solved.
I think I’m beginning to understand the psyche of Democratic legislators…they must build an out of control welfare state to support them when their government jobs end because they certainly couldn’t hold a job in the private sector, nor will they need to as most mysteriously leave office wealthier than before entering!
C’mon everybody repeat:
Orange man bad, democrat good. Orange man bad democrat good.