With his state facing another historic budget shortfall and the threat of more painful budget cuts firmly on the agenda, California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger made an impassioned appeal to the state’s legislators consider privatising California’s prisons as way to save money and spend more on education.
“I mean, if California's prisons were privately run, it would save us billions of dollars a year. That's billions of dollars that could go back into higher education where it belongs and where it better serves our future,” he told legislators during his last State of the State address as California governor, eliciting applause.
The state, which last year struggled to close a $26 billion budget gap, is facing another $20 billion budget hole for the remainder of its current and upcoming fiscal years. “Bitter as the words are in my mouth, we face additional cuts,” Schwarzenegger said.