In 2007, the nonpartisan California Budget Project observed, the bottom fifth of taxpayers -- those earning less than about $18,000 -- paid about 11.7% of family income in state and local taxes. Los Angeles Times, October 12, 2009

Exectuive Director Jean Ross provides options for strengthening California's tax system. Sacramento Bee, October 11, 2009

But Jean Ross, executive director of the California Budget Project, a Sacramento organization that advocates for the poor and middle class, said the growth in the number of Californians below the poverty line may show the impact of the housing crash on low-wage workers connected to that industry, such as nonunion construction workers. San Jose Mercury News, September 28, 2009

On Monday, Jean Ross, head of the liberal California Budget Project, tore into it as "a massive shift in ... financing public services from the wealthy and corporations to middle-income families [that] is nothing short of stunning." Los Angeles Times, September 21, 2009

"I think the BNRT should be dismissed out of hand," said Jean Ross, executive director of the nonprofit California Budget Project, which analyzes state fiscal issues. The Ventura County Star, September 20, 2009

"This is taxing groceries to finance tax cuts for millionaires and taxing child care so oil companies don't have to pay a corporate income tax," Ross said. San Jose Mercury News, September 20, 2009

"This is a massive shift in the way state government is financed from the very wealthy to middle-income taxpayers," said Jean Ross, executive director of the California Budget Project. Los Angeles Times, September 15, 2009

Adding to the misery of a state that has seen better days, Scott Graves of the California Budget Project highlighted the rise in child poverty and continually dwindling number of Californians with job-based coverages. The Atlantic, September 11, 2009

CBP submitted written comments to the commission Sept. 3 arguing that the BNRT proposal would slow, not increase, growth in tax revenues so that budget gaps would widen in the future. BNA Daily Tax Report, September 10, 2009

As a new analysis by the California Budget Project shows, this recession is breaking records, but not the kind that anyone likes to brag about. A smaller share of the state's adult population is working today than at any point since the late 1970s. San Francisco Chronicle, September 6, 2009

The problems are serious enough, the California Budget Project claimed, that its officials believe the federal government should bolster state economies and government finances with additional bailout money. San Jose Mercury News, September 6, 2009

"Most people in this economy are living paycheck to paycheck," said Jean Ross, executive director of the California Budget Project, which advocates for the working poor. Sacramento Bee, September 7, 2009

Executive Director Jean Ross said the severity of the job losses - and the bleak prospects for job-creation, at least in the early stages of recovery - argue strongly for continued federal aid. Ventura County Star, September 6, 2009

The California Budget Project says the recession stands apart from prior downturns for both the depth and breadth of weakness in the job market. Inland News Today, September 8, 2009

"This downturn stands apart from prior recessions for both the breadth and depth of job losses," said Alissa Anderson, deputy director for the California Budget Project, which advocates for the state's working families. Modesto Bee, September 7, 2009

Listen as Executive Director Jean Ross discusses the impact of assumptions included in the recent state budget agreement. KQED Radio, August 25, 2009

According to a recent analysis by the California Budget Project, California's expenditures as a percentage of personal income ranked 22nd among the states in 2007-8 -- they'll probably rank far lower in the current fiscal year. Our school spending per-pupil is well below the national average and our spending on highways is near the bottom. California Progress Report, August 19, 2009

Despite California's maddening two-thirds vote requirement to pass a budget or any tax increase, crafting a state budget is still ultimately about choices and values. CalBuzz, August 17, 2009

Jean Ross, California Budget Project executive director, sees efforts by conservatives on the tax commission as "a smoke screen masking a hidden agenda" -- to shrink the state's tax revenue and the size of government along with it. Los Angeles Times, August 10, 2009

The California Budget Project reports that thousands of Californians are being caught up in a chronic and expensive pattern of payday borrowing. Merced Sun-Star, August 5, 2009

Watch as CBP Executive Director Jean Ross discusses California's budget crisis on BBC's Newsnight. BBC, August 4, 2009

This graph from the California Budget Project shows the contribution that decades of tax cuts have made to the state's current fiscal crisis. Washingtonpost.com, August 3, 2009

"Tax cuts for the rich would only serve to exacerbate the income gap," said Jean Ross, executive director of the California Budget Project, a Sacramento-based nonprofit that advocates for low- and middle-income people. Fresno Bee, July 31, 2009

It is a different California now. When the State Senate passed its version of the budget compromise last week, Jean Ross of the California Budget Project posted a personal note on her organization's blog: "I've always proudly advertised the fact that I was born and raised in California and educated by the state's public schools from kindergarten through graduate school. Unfortunately, this budget agreement marks a rolling back of similar opportunities for the current and future generations of young Californians." Politics Daily, July 27, 2009