"Many Californians do not know where the state gets its money and what it is spent on," said Sarah Henry, a spokeswoman for Next10, a Silicon Valley-based nonprofit group that tries to educate voters about the budget.
To help make the proposals being considered in Sacramento accessible, Next 10 created the nonpartisan California Budget Challenge, an online budget simulation that gives a simplified look at some of the tough choices being discussed right now.
It wasn't all taxes, however. The group cut the amount of money California schools receive for each student per year, from $11,700 to $11,100. California ranks 34th in the nation in per-pupil spending, Henry said.
