In response to the Governor’s call for suggestions on how best to tackle the state’s $25 billion deficit, Los Angeles County Supervisor Michael D. Antonovich said Governor Brown should consider the $32 billion in cost-saving measures in the 2,500-page California Performance Review http://cpr.ca.gov/CPR_Report/ that include:

• Consolidating the Medical Assistance Commission, with its $2.3 million dollars budget, into the Department of Health and Human Services
  

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• Streamlining Health and Human Services eligibility to save $4 billion dollars.
• Creating a work force plan for performance measures to save $3.3 billion dollars.
• Implementing biennial DMV vehicle registration to save $1.3 billion dollars.
• Standardizing criminal background checks in health and human services agencies and using SMART cards for Medi-Cal patients to save over $100 million dollars.
• Consolidating mental health, alcohol & drug program certification saving $75 million dollars.
• Developing strategic procurement strategies to save $850 million.

“The state needs to follow the example of the Board of Supervisors who have approved over $3.6 billion dollars in efficiencies and county department consolidations recommended by the Quality and Productivity Commission I initiated in 1982,” said Antonovich.

Other structural reforms that must be considered include:

• Eliminating and consolidating unnecessary departments and commissions
• Reforming  the Civil Service system
• A 2-year budget
• Reforming the pension system
• A part-time legislature and an end to term limits
• Ending the legislative practice of bills that cost more than the recipient receives

“These are common sense proposals that will end this fiscal crisis and steer our State in the right direction,” he added.