Don’t Panic About News Stories on State Cash Flows
You may see some headlines about revenues falling short of expectations for the first six months of the fiscal year, based on the state controller’s latest statement. The legislature assumed phantom money in June so it could pass a budget more or less on time. Now, however, all of the major taxes are performing within a margin of error relative to estimates made in connection with the latest budget proposal. Forecasting is not an exact science, even when done without phantoms. Spending is also running about as now forecast.