SACRAMENTO, Jan. 29 (UPI) -- California Gov. Jerry Brown said the state cannot afford to buy new vehicles, nor maintain the size of its current fleet, during its budget crisis.
"There is a lot of wasteful spending on cars that aren't even driven," the governor said in a statement. "And we can't afford to spend taxpayer money on new cars while California faces such a massive deficit," the Los Angeles Times reported Saturday.
The state is dealing with a $25.4 billion budget deficit, the Times reported.
Brown, who has already ordered a reduction of state-owned cellphones, said he wants to cut California's fleet of 11,000 cars and light trucks in half.
Former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger also targeted the state's fleet, ordering the sale of 4,000 vehicles, many of which he autographed to increase their value at state auctions.
Brown's order does not include vehicle budgets for health programs or the California Highway Patrol. Heavy-duty trucks are also excluded from the directive.
Jon Coupal, president of the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association, said the governor was "making some correct moves on the margins."
Taxpayer groups, however, oppose Brown's attempt to extend recent tax hikes to reduce the budget gap.
"At the end of the day, it's going to take a lot more to get voters to believe the majority party is serious about reforms," Coupal said.
