Jan. 14, 2026 6 AM PT
To the editor: This Los Angeles Times article rightly highlights the uncertainty surrounding California’s finances, but it stops short of squarely addressing the central issue: responsibility (“AI windfall helps California narrow projected $3-billion budget deficit,” Jan. 9). Gov. Gavin Newsom has been in office for more than five years, long enough that today’s budget reality cannot be blamed on predecessors or unforeseen circumstances alone. Under his watch, California swung from historic surpluses to a projected multibillion-dollar deficit, and voters deserve a candid accounting of how that happened.
During the surplus years, Californians were told the state was fiscally strong, resilient and well positioned for the future. Yet instead of prioritizing long-term stability, the state embarked on ambitious expansions that assumed good times would continue indefinitely. Now, as the article notes, even an “AI windfall” is being framed as a partial solution to close a $3-billion gap, underscoring how dependent the budget has become on volatile revenue sources.
When revenue surged, spending surged with it. When revenue cooled, the state was left scrambling, negotiating cuts, delays and accounting maneuvers to maintain the appearance of balance.
The volatility described in the Times piece should concern every Californian — not just policy insiders. Programs that families rely on become bargaining chips in budget negotiations, while taxpayers are told to trust that temporary fixes will suffice. Pointing to external factors, such as economic shifts or federal policy, may be convenient, but it does not absolve state leadership of responsibility for structural decisions made over many years.
As budget negotiations kick off, the focus should not only be on plugging this year’s hole. It should also be on acknowledging how we arrived here and committing to a more sustainable path forward.
Hua Gu, Calabasas