It’s July. The California State Legislature has successfully met the budget submission deadline of June 15, and it was signed by the governor. There was one small fly in the ointment: how to cut $12 billion in spending? All while trying to provide $750 million in tax credits annually to one specific industry: Hollywood. Go figure.

One massive spending reduction strategy that Gov. Gavin Newsom is negotiating is nonpayment for two years of the state’s unfunded actuarial accrued liability for retiree medical benefits. This nearly $85 billion debt would not be paid down by Sacramento and its employees, causing this languishing debt to increase from interest costs, for this unique lifetime benefit rarely seen in the private sector.