Gov. Jerry is proposing this year to eliminate the California Commission on the Status of Women. As he said in last year's budget message, the commission's "statutory goals are worthy," but given the state's restrained resources, "this reduction reflects the need for government to focus on its core functions."

Brown has it right. The commission does good work but as the state contemplates another round of truly draconian cuts – eliminating three weeks of the school year, for example – there are numerous commissions and boards the state can not longer afford. At up to $465,000 a year, the Commission on the Status of Women is one of them.

Established 47 years ago, the commission's mission is "to promote equality and justice for all women and girls." For almost five decades, the commission has advocated on behalf of women with the governor, the Legislature and other state agencies. It has educated the public about access to health care, reproductive choice and other key issues facing women. As recently as last year, the commission successfully sponsored important legislation that will require all health insurance policies sold in the state to offer maternity services.

But as Brown has pointed out, under the broad canopy of women's issues "there are other formal and informal venues for policy development and advocacy that do not require general fund expenditures." Indeed, even now the commission regularly partners with other private organizations to do its works. Those private partners include the National Organization for Women, the California Budget Project, American Association of University Women, Western Center on Law and Poverty – the list goes on and on. Those private entities are not going away.

Also in 1965, California did not have a female Secretary of State or a female Attorney General. It does now, and unlike 47 years ago, women hold one-quarter of the seats in the Legislature. While women may not have reached parity with men in terms of income or positions at the highest reaches of corporate America, they are a significant presence that can't easily be ignored.

Finally, while there is much official concern about the status of women, the status of men in this state needs urgent attention as well. After all, men in California are more likely to be victims of violent crime – and perpetrators of it – than women. They are more likely to be in prison or homeless or to commit suicide. Men are also less likely to graduate from high school or go to college. They die at younger ages than their sisters.

In the coming months, there will be fierce debate about other state entities Brown proposes to ax. We plan to examine several of them.

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