A Flicker of Hope

After 45 days without a state budget, Californians wondered how long they could continue to get by in their truly and surreally cashless society. Weariness turned to anxiety when a federal appeals court ruled that the state had no legal authority to continue to pay out scrip for state medical insurance, known as Medi-Cal, to doctors and hospitals that care for the needy.

Responding to that new pressure and the exhaustion of weeks of closed-door negotiations, Republican Governor Pete Wilson last Friday offered up a new budget proposal that scaled back some previous demands but kept severe cuts in education and welfare. His plan was expected to meet continued resistance when it went before the Democratic-controlled legislature this week. "Enough is enough," Wilson pleaded. "Innocent people are suffering because of the inability of those in the capitol to make difficult decisions."