Dan Walters' Capitol Q&A

Question: Dan, my impression is that there is a $6 billion budget "gap" which is really a deficit that has not been closed. I believe we have deficits from previous years that have not really been dealt with either. Is this true and do you know the total amount?
-- Michael Haley, Napa

Answer: There is a persistent operating deficit roughly of the size you mention and both the administration and the Legislature's budget analyst say that it will continue at least for the remainder of this decade. Past deficits have been covered by borrowing either from private lenders or internally from restricted funds.
--Dan Walters