So Arnold just signed the compromise budgets for the stat of California but first he had to use his line item veto to cuts back on some waste that he could not bargain away. Jennifer Steinhauer reports in today's Times:

Seeking to close a final hole created by a last-minute rejection by lawmakers of two large revenue-producing measures, the governor made a slew of line-item cuts to programs for children and the poor to close a roughly $24 billion two-year gap.

His trims to programs that legislators took pains to protect over these many weeks prompted instant screaming from lawmakers, as well as implications of lawsuits. The Democratic-controlled Legislature insisted that Mr. Schwarzenegger overstepped his authority to veto new appropriations by editing out existing funds and interfering with items written to avoid a veto.

The Kindergarten Cop was paid particular attention to the little tykes:

The governor reduced the Department of Aging by $6.3 million, to $4.1 million. He cut the Department of Public Health by about $7 million, to $47.4 million. He slashed $80 million from a program for abused and neglected children and $16 million from domestic-violence programs. While the Legislature fought bitterly to stave off Mr. Schwarzenegger’s stated desire to eliminate health insurance for poor children, he reduced that program — Healthy Families — by $178.6 million, to $225.3 million, which will be matched by $737.7 million in federal money.

Meanwhile our recreational possibilities are becoming more limited:

The state parks will see a budget reduction of about $6 million, to $422,517,000. About 100 parks will likely be closed.

But not to worry. Peter Fimrite reports in today's SF Comical that Mexican drug cartels are taking over much of the state's wild lands to grow illegal pot.

Maybe we can sell them the parks. They could give the ex park staff the first right to apply for work guarding the crop.