Gov. Brown checks in on Calif. budget over YouTube

Brown uploaded his first YouTube video since taking office three months ago to give Californians an update on the budget. During the three-minute video, he urged the public to let their lawmakers know they would like a chance to cast a vote in a special election over how to handle the remainder of the budget gap.

"Would you like the chance to cast this vote, or would you think it's appropriate to shut out the people of California?" he asked in the video.

Last week the Legislature passed a series of cuts, loans and transfers that shaved about $14 billion off the projected deficit through June 30, 2012. The cuts mean less health care services for the poor by asking them to pay to see a doctor and limiting the number of visits. It provides less spending on seniors and the disabled for in-home care. And it reduces the time low-income parents can qualify for welfare assistance from five years to four years.

But the most contentious parts of Brown's proposal remain unresolved, including his call for a special election June 7, so voters can decide whether to extend temporary increases in the personal income, sales and vehicle taxes enacted two years ago. If voters approve, those taxes would bring in an estimated $9.2 billion a year for five more years.