PICO California youth participated in the demonstration.

On Wednesday, June 23 over 800 PICO leaders in California converged on the State Capitol to call on state officials to make children a priority in our state budget.  Beginning at the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacramento, PICO leaders including hundreds of youth and clergy marched to the State Capitol, where they spoke to state legislators and Governor Schwarzenegger through a press conference. 

Several youth shared their experiences attending poorly funded schools and spoke to the critical  role community violence prevention and health care programs have made in their lives.  They lifted up the contradiction in values evident when the Legislature and Governor make deep cuts to education, health care and other programs crucial to our youth. These cuts are shortsighted and rob our youth of opportunity and hope.  Some examples of the these poor investments:

California spends $375 million on youth prisons - the same amount it spent 15 years ago, although the number of youth incarcerated has shrunk by over 80%.

At the same time, funding for the Healthy Families Program has been cut from $380 million in 2006 to a proposed $114 million this year.

Funding for education has been cut by $1,000 per student per year over the last 3 years.  California currently only spends $7,400 per student per year.

That day, PICO leaders met with their state legislators as well as key offices throughout the Capitol, including representatives of the State Treasury, where leaders shared their experiences with unscrupulous bank lenders and called upon the state to make banks do their fair share to close the state budget gap.  After that meeting, State Treasurer Bill Lockyer agreed to meet directly with PICO leaders before the end of July.