budget

Governing, the political sages tell us, is all about making choices, particularly when leadership faces finite resources and the choices are between war and peace; this is the “guns or butter” balancing raised by Lyndon Johnson’s pursuit of the Vietnam War and, appropriately, by President Trump’s Iran war.

Thus far, according to budget experts and the Trump administration itself, the war has cost Americans about $25 billion, with the White House reportedly preparing to seek $200 billion more in military funding. That points to the obvious question of what the U.S. could buy if it stopped spending on the Iran adventure.

Here’s the short answer: Medicaid coverage, free school lunches, and housing, child care and community college assistance for tens of millions of Americans. Those estimates come from Bobby Kogan, senior director for federal budget policy at the liberal Center for American Progress.

Kogan is not alone in doing the math. Similar estimates have been published by the Century Foundation and Mother Jones.

Democrats in Congress have offered their own juxtapositions: “$11.3 billion would have fully funded the training of 100,000 new nurses to solve our staffing crisis,” Rep. Diana DeGette (D-Colo.) observed on social media. “Instead, it was spent in just six days on an illegal war with no endgame.” (She wrote when that was the government’s estimate on spending in only the first week of the Iran war.)

Details will follow. But first, a reminder that the “peace dividend” — that is, the surge of available resources for socially beneficial spending after the cessation of hostilities — has always been an elusive concept.

In part that’s because it invariably gets tied up in conflicts over precisely what peacetime programs political leaders wish to fund, and that often involves tougher decisions than whether to mount a bombing campaign against a perceived adversary.

“What happened to the peace dividend?” economist Augusto Lopez-Claros asked last year, referring to the supposed surfeit of funds that was to flow after the end of the Cold War. His answer was that there were always alternatives, many of them militaristic in nature, in the wings to suck up the funds that had been spent in the past.

The issue has especially acute significance today, not merely because of the Iran war. The Trump administration and Republicans in Congress have been campaigning to cut federal spending, almost entirely on social programs such as Medicaid and on Social Security and Medicare benefits, ostensibly because they contribute heavily to our “unaffordable” federal budget deficits.

Never mind that the largest single contributor to the deficit is the massive tax cut enacted by Republicans in 2017, during the first Trump term, which were made permanent by the GOP’s budget bill last year.

Placing military spending in the context of alternatives is typically shunned by Republicans and conservatives. The Wall Street Journal editorial board derided the exercise as “dorm room politics,” referring specifically to an estimate by Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Fremont) that the $200 billion reportedly sought by the White House “would pay for free college for every American,” and more.

That doesn’t mean the exercise isn’t worthwhile, however. Kogan acknowledges that it wouldn’t be up to the Pentagon to redirect its budget to the social programs that could be funded with its funding request, but his point in making the comparisons is “to get a sense of scale.”

So let’s dive in, starting with Kogan’s work. He matched the cost of several social services against the $25 billion estimated to be spent on the war through the end of this week and the $200-billion new request. He also broke down some of the spending by ordnance. The price of one Tomahawk missile, invoiced about $3.5 million each, could cover Medicaid for a year for 275 people, for example; the U.S. has fired an estimated 300 of them in the Iran war so far, for more than $1 billion.

Kogan calculated that more than 3.1 million people could be covered by Medicaid for $25 billion, and 24.8 million could be covered for $200 billion. He based this estimate on the Congressional Budget Office’s finding that the federal share of Medicaid came last year to $668 billion to cover about 82 million adult and child enrollees, or about $8,048 per person annually.

Then there’s free school lunches, which the government has pegged at up to $4.69 per day for about 30 million children receiving meals in school. If they all received free lunch, that would come to a little over $25 billion, based on a 180-day school year. (Only about two-thirds of those children receive free meals, with the rest receiving cut-price meals or paying full price.)

Child care isn’t typically a governmental responsibility (though it should be); Kogan uses an estimate from the nonprofit organization Child Care Aware that care cost Americans about $13,128 on average in 2024; inflating that to a 2026 figure yields an average of $14,048, meaning that 1.78 million households could be covered for about $25 billion, and about 14.2 million for $200 billion.

Tuition for a two-year path to an associate degree in community college, that portal to higher education for millions of Americans, will cost an average of $8,700 this year by Kogan’s reckoning, based on the College Board’s estimate of $8,300 for 2025. That means that about 2.87 million Americans could have their tuition fully covered for about $25 billion, and nearly 23 million students could be covered for $200 billion.

The progressive Century Foundation contributed estimates of how much in social program spending could be accommodated for $200 billion. Its roster includes the cancellation of all medical debt for the 100 million Americans shouldering about $194 billion in medical debt. The enhanced Affordable Care Act premium subsidies that expired this year could be continued for almost six years for about $200 billion, extrapolating from the 10-year, $350-billion estimate produced by the CBO. “Ensuring health coverage for all Americans,” the foundation noted, “could save an estimated 68,000 lives per year.”

The foundation also notes that $200 billion could ameliorate the draconian cuts in Medicaid imposed by the preposterously named One Big Beautiful Bill that the GOP enacted as a budget measure in July. The work requirement in that bill is estimated to reduce Medicaid spending by $326 billion over 10 years, according to the CBO, mostly by throwing enrollees out of the program. The work rules, which as I’ve reported do nothing to enhance employment, could be deferred for six years, preventing the loss of coverage for about 5.2 million Americans.

Mother Jones reported soberly that $200 billion would cover the wages of 2.8 million public school teachers, based on an average salary of $72,030, as reported by the National Education Assn.

The publication took a rather more fanciful approach for some calculations. It reported that $200 billion would pay for 2,666 sequels to the “Melania” documentary, based on the $75-million reported cost of its production and marketing by Amazon, its sponsor. And 500 more White House ballrooms, based on the latest projection of $400 million for just one.

Obviously all these calculations are somewhat chimerical. No one really believes that if Congress rejects the $200-billion ask, that money would be redeployed for any of these social programs, at least while the GOP remains in control of the government purse strings. The basic arithmetic itself is subject to cavils resulting from the murkiness of some of the cost calculations and projections.

But they’re not far wide off the mark in terms of orders of magnitude. Millions of dollars in social spending could be covered by billions of dollars in military spending, and much more productive investments could be made in the years and decades to come.

The lost “peace dividend” encompasses not just domestic needs, but also “the potentially catastrophic risks that we are taking on in the future because we are misallocating resources now,” Lopez-Claros observed — “spending massively on defense while leaving unattended climate change mitigation, pandemic preparedness, the shamefully high levels of malnourishment in the world, among others. We may well come to regret this and by then, unfortunately, it might be too late.”

Even before the first bombs fell on Iran, after all, the U.S. was shortchanging all those imperatives. “Just last July, Trump signed into law the biggest cuts to the social safety net in all U.S. history,” Kogan says, including “the biggest cuts to Medicaid ever, and the biggest cuts to SNAP, ever.” (The GOP budget bill cut SNAP, the food stamp program, by $186 billion, leaving “nearly 3 million young adults ages 18 to 24 who receive SNAP vulnerable to losing that assistance,” the Urban Institute estimated after the bill was signed.

At their heart, these calculations are not really about dollars and cents. The financial figures just help us keep score of the choices that define us as a nation.

WASHINGTON — In session for rare weekend votes with the election fast approaching, Congress acted Saturday to keep the government running for another 24 hours but made little apparent progress in breaking a budget impasse.

Despite the action of the House and the Senate on the eighth stopgap spending measure since the fiscal year began Oct. 1, a weird limbo enveloped the Capitol as neither Republicans nor Democrats predicted a quick deal. Gone for the time being was the usual year-end pressure to adjourn. Instead, both sides seemed willing to wait to see who would blink first.

Negotiations focused on the handful of issues still dividing the parties, issues that might or might not influence voters at the polls Nov. 7. Among them were tax credits for school construction, proposed workplace safety regulations and measures to ease immigration law.

President Clinton, who forced the weekend votes by insisting that lawmakers pass daily stopgap budget measures, urged the Republican-led Congress to wrap up its budget work and include an increase in the federal minimum wage.

“I’m not trying to harass [Congress],” Clinton said at a news conference. “I’m just trying to get them to finish their job and go home.”

Clinton cited an agriculture spending bill he signed Saturday as a model of bipartisanship. The president said he signed the bill–which included milestone language easing a decades-old trade embargo on Cuba to allow U.S. agricultural exports–even though he was critical of provisions that would limit the effect of the trade opening.

In a GOP radio address, New Jersey Gov. Christine Todd Whitman called the budget showdown “a case in point” of Washington gridlock that voters will punish.

“I think we are ready for a change,” Whitman said. “And the difference between the parties is striking. Republicans at all levels of government work with people to accomplish results–not make excuses for why we can’t even try to solve them.”

Republican congressional leaders note that they wrapped a minimum-wage increase Clinton supports into tax legislation that he is holding up with a promised veto. And they accuse the White House of constantly shifting its goals on the two government spending bills for fiscal 2001 that have not been finalized.

“I tell you, I’ve reached the end of my rope,” said Sen. Ted Stevens (R-Alaska), chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee. To illustrate his frustration, Stevens said in an interview on the Capitol steps that the administration had sought $3.5 billion in extra spending on a bill containing $106.8 billion for discretionary spending on education, health and other programs. Then $4 billion. Then $4.1 billion. And now, he said, the demand is up to $4.5 billion.

“What can you do?” Stevens asked.

To register his protest, Stevens was one of two senators to vote against the daily budget resolution. The other was Sen. Patrick J. Leahy (D-Vt.). Sixty-seven senators voted for the resolution.

Thirty-one senators–11 Democrats and 20 Republicans–were absent for what the chamber regarded as a ritual vote. Many missed it because of campaign events, a few for health reasons. California’s Democratic senators, Dianne Feinstein–who is running for reelection–and Barbara Boxer, were both absent.

The House vote for the stopgap measure was 339 to 7. All seven dissenters were Democrats, including Rep. George Miller of Martinez. Of the 86 representatives who were absent, 42 were Republicans and 44 Democrats.

Twelve of California’s 52-member House delegation did not vote. They were Feinstein’s opponent in the Senate race, GOP Rep. Tom Campbell of San Jose, and Reps. Brian P. Bilbray (R-San Diego), Ken Calvert (R-Riverside), Christopher Cox (R-Newport Beach), Matthew G. Martinez (R-Monterey Park), Howard P. “Buck” McKeon (R-Santa Clarita), George P. Radanovich (R-Mariposa), Joe Baca (D-Rialto), Xavier Becerra (D-Los Angeles), Tom Lantos (D-San Mateo), Pete Stark (D-Hayward) and Maxine Waters (D-Los Angeles).

The roll call showed the political importance of the vote to many House members–all wary of the potential charge that their absence would reflect an insensitivity to the possibility of a government shutdown.

Bilbray was the only California absentee in a tough reelection race. Other California incumbents in contested races, such as Reps. James E. Rogan (R-Glendale), Steven T. Kuykendall (R-Rancho Palos Verdes), Calvin Dooley (D-Visalia), Lois Capps (D-Santa Barbara) and Stephen Horn (R-Long Beach), all eschewed campaign events to remain in Washington for the vote.

More stopgap budget votes were expected today.

A BUDGET rail operator is launching a new route that will travel 400 miles across the UK – and tickets cost less than £30.

Lumo, which operates fully electric trains, will connect London Euston to the Scottish city of Stirling this summer.

Rail travel across the UK can be very expensive but Lumo, which is part of FirstGroup, is known for its affordability.

Starting July 10, Lumo will start its new route from London Euston to Stirling for as little as £29.90.

When the service launches it will have four daily return trains between the two cities.

Between the two cities, trains will call at Milton Keynes, Nuneaton, Crewe, Preston, Carlisle, Lockerbie, Motherwell, Whifflet, Greenfaulds and Larbert.

ALL IN

The CHEAPEST all-inclusive holidays in May half term – from £259pp and kids go free

PARK UP

10 of our fave £9.50 holiday parks in the UK – with MORE breaks added from today

For those travelling between London and Preston, tickets start from £23.90.

And between Preston and Stirling, tickets can be booked from £14.90.

Stirling sits north of both Glasgow and Edinburgh and it’s known for its huge historic castle and even has an interactive Old Town Jail attraction.

Visitors often head to The National Wallace Monument which is a 220ft tower in the countryside.

The city also has a high concentration of pubs for its size – the oldest alehouse is The Settle Inn which has been serving ale since the 1700s.

Stuart Jones, managing director of First Rail Open Access, which runs Lumo said: “These fares are about putting customers first.

“By offering simple, low-cost tickets and direct services between Scotland, the north west of England and London, we’re making it easier and more affordable for people to travel for work, leisure and family visits.”

Onboard a Lumo train, there are no first class seat options – but wherever passengers sit, there’s access to USB sockets and tray tables.

Lighting can be personalised by using the button on the back of the seat in front of them.

Passengers can also use the free Wi-Fi, and each seat has a winged headrest for comfort and a coat hanger.

Lumo offers other routes too like London King’s Cross to Edinburgh.

But its latest started in December 2025 from London to Glasgow.

The company announced the news on social media, it said: “Our new timetable starts on 14th December 2025!

“Our new Glasgow service will start in December and we’re also adding an additional service from Newcastle to London King’s Cross every weekday.”

Lumo runs two northbound and one southbound service on weekdays and one service in each direction on Sundays between London King’s Cross and Glasgow.

On the way it also stops at Falkirk High and Newcastle.

For more on Scotland, here’s the most popular Scottish city to visit in 2026 with Traitors castles and epic road trip route.

And here’s a mythical Scottish waterfall with ‘magical properties’ where the water flows red.

One in five adults living outside London haven’t visited the capital in over 10 years due to costs – but a new challenge proves you can experience the city on just £150

A fifth of adults living outside of London haven’t set foot in the city for more than 10 years. A poll of 2,000 adults who live outside the capital found more than half (52%) admitted the cost of accommodation makes it too expensive to visit. Additional factors preventing people from visiting include transport costs (50%), the price of dining out (27%) and lacking the time to organise a major trip (21%).

Meanwhile, one in 10 have avoided it because the Tube leaves them baffled. However, 58% would welcome the opportunity to discover the city, with more affordable accommodation, reduced attraction prices, smaller crowds and a straightforward itinerary likely to entice them.

The study was commissioned by easyHotel, which tasked presenter Hattie Carter with experiencing London in 24 hours on a £150 budget, beginning from its Croydon location which has recently completed a full renovation.

Nathan White, UK operations director for the hotel chain, said: “There’s no denying that London is often seen as expensive and out-of-reach for those on a budget, particularly as the cost of living continues to rise. However, with a few simple hacks such as opting for affordable accommodation, the capital becomes much more accessible to all.

“Croydon has quick transport links reaching central London in under 15 minutes, so it’s a great option for those who want to spend their budget on the experiences that make a London trip worth it.”

The survey revealed that a quarter of adults typically organise their trips between two and six months ahead, although younger travellers are leaning towards more spontaneous plans, with 60% of 18- to 24-year-olds preferring to book within one month or less.

Kew Gardens (51%), Tate Modern (50%), and Camden Market (44%) were the top attractions people expressed a desire to visit. Additionally, 36% of participants indicated they would be most likely to visit London during the summer season.

Cheaper travel options are what 44% of adults claim would make them more inclined to visit London in the forthcoming 12 months – with the average adult prepared to spend £66.15 on a return train ticket.

Accommodation ranked second to travel as 37% of those surveyed via OnePoll.com would be persuaded if it was more affordable, expressing willingness to pay an average of £118.13 for an overnight stay.

However, despite 32% brimming with excitement at the prospect of planning a trip to the city, 24% feel anticipation – and 21% associate it with stress.

A spokesperson for easyHotel Croydon, where an average overnight stay costs just £58.27, commented: “It’s clear there is still a huge appetite to visit London and explore everything the city has to offer, but for many it’s about how to make it happen without breaking the bank.

“Our £150 budget challenge proves it can be done. By staying smart at an accessible and affordable hotel, London is doable.

“We want to help more people visit the capital for a memorable and positive experience, while keeping their budget firmly under control.”

March 10 (Asia Today) — President Lee Jae-myung said Tuesday the government may prepare an early supplementary budget to cushion the economic impact of rising energy prices linked to the Middle East conflict.

Speaking at a Cabinet meeting in Seoul, Lee said additional fiscal measures could be necessary to support small businesses, struggling companies and vulnerable households if global energy shocks continue.

“To provide fiscal assistance and support for small business owners and vulnerable firms, we may inevitably need an early supplementary budget,” Lee said.

Lee also called for targeted support for lower-income households rather than a blanket reduction in fuel taxes as oil prices surge.

The president instructed officials to accelerate additional financial and fiscal measures, including a petroleum price cap system, adjustments to energy taxes and direct assistance to consumers.

“We must mobilize all national capabilities to minimize the impact of external shocks on people’s livelihoods, the economy and industry,” Lee said.

Deputy Prime Minister and Economy Minister Koo Yoon-cheol said the government could potentially finance the supplementary budget without issuing new government bonds.

He cited improving conditions in the semiconductor industry and increased fiscal resources linked to stronger activity in the stock market.

Lee also addressed concerns over reports that United States Forces Korea may remove some air defense assets from the country amid the regional conflict.

“If you ask whether this seriously undermines our deterrence strategy against North Korea, the answer is no,” Lee said.

He acknowledged that South Korea had expressed opposition to the partial withdrawal of air defense systems but noted that the United States may reposition some assets based on its broader military needs.

Foreign media have reported that systems such as the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system and Patriot missile batteries could be redeployed.

Lee emphasized that South Korea’s defense spending remains among the highest in the world and said the country’s military readiness remains strong.

— Reported by Asia Today; translated by UPI

© Asia Today. Unauthorized reproduction or redistribution prohibited.

Original Korean report: https://www.asiatoday.co.kr/kn/view.php?key=20260311010002954

Pollyanna partisans of a constitutional amendment to mandate a federal balanced budget have no duty to come forward with plans to help Gov. Wilson and the Legislature draft a balanced budget for fiscal 1992-93. But if they have any ideas they ought to share them.

Obviously, the feds can’t help; their actions cost us $1 billion in daily interest. Our national debt increases by $400 billion or more each year.

California’s fiscal 1991-92 budget cut spending, devoured snack taxes and bottled water, but still came up about $4 billion short. Add that deficit to a shortfall of about $6 billion for fiscal 1992-93 and anyone sees our problem budget needs resuscitation.

Not to worry. A number of legislators have proposed a novel and painless method to balance the state’s budget. They propose to spread the deficit over two years. A two-year budget balances fiscal 1992-93 and spreads deficit payments over 24 months. This program replenishes wealth. If deficits continue to rise and revenues fall, the two-year budget precedent opens budgetary gamesmanship to three- or four-year budgets.

Problem budgets? No problem. God bless the wizards of Sacramento.

JIM SKEESE, San Diego

March 6 (Asia Today) — LG HelloVision is still struggling to revive its mobile virtual network operator business, with subscriber growth and revenue showing little momentum despite broader expansion in South Korea’s budget mobile market.

The company said its budget mobile revenue rose to 156.7 billion won ($118 million) last year from 156.1 billion won ($117 million) a year earlier, an increase of just 0.4%.

The business remains one of LG HelloVision’s key revenue sources, accounting for about 10% of total sales. But its performance has remained largely flat as subscriber growth has slowed.

LG HelloVision said its budget mobile subscriber base, including internet-of-things lines, stood at about 770,000 in the first half of last year, up only about 20,000 from a year earlier.

Industry analysts said the company received limited benefit from increased number-transfer demand that followed last year’s telecommunications hacking incident.

South Korea’s three major wireless carriers responded with aggressive marketing campaigns to attract subscribers, reducing the spillover effect that smaller operators such as LG HelloVision had hoped to capture.

Its parent company, LG Uplus, reported about 21.7 million mobile subscribers last year, up 6.6% from about 20.4 million a year earlier. Mobile service revenue rose to 6.67 trillion won ($5.01 billion) from 6.43 trillion won ($4.83 billion).

One industry official said LG Uplus, which was seen as less affected by the hacking fallout, appeared to absorb a large share of switching demand through aggressive marketing.

Analysts also pointed to LG HelloVision’s cautious approach to new pricing plans and promotions as another reason for the prolonged slump.

The company has faced profitability pressure while growth in its core pay television business has stalled. After posting operating profit in the 40 billion won range in 2023, it has remained in the 10 billion won range over the past two years.

Aside from a new plan introduced late last year that included compensation for financial fraud such as voice phishing, the company has made few notable changes to its budget mobile offerings.

LG HelloVision said it plans to try to revive subscriber growth this year with a new promotion tied to next week’s launch of Samsung Electronics’ Galaxy S26 smartphone series.

Customers who buy a Galaxy S26 device and sign up for one of the company’s plans will receive a 30,000 won ($23) gift certificate. Subscribers to its Coupon Pack plan will also receive additional coupons worth 120,000 won ($90).

The company has also added artificial intelligence features to improve the sign-up process. On its website, users can enter their preferences and receive tailored plan recommendations along with summaries of customer reviews.

Still, analysts say competition with the three major wireless carriers is likely to remain a challenge.

Industry observers expect another round of large smartphone subsidies this year, led in part by KT, which reportedly lost a substantial number of subscribers earlier this year after penalty fees were waived for some customers.

Given the structure of the budget mobile market, analysts said LG HelloVision may need to focus more heavily on low-cost promotional plans and more specialized offerings aimed at specific customer groups.

— Reported by Asia Today; translated by UPI

© Asia Today. Unauthorized reproduction or redistribution prohibited.

Original Korean report: https://www.asiatoday.co.kr/kn/view.php?key=20260306010001749

WIZZ Air has been given approval to launch its first flights from the UK to the US.

The budget airline’s first transatlantic route will be to allow Brits to travel to America for the World Cup.

Wizz Air confirmed that despite given the permits to be able to fly between the UK and the US, there were no plans for regular commercial flights.

Instead, it will operate chartered flight for both football teams and supporters to be able to fly to the US during the World Cup season.

Yvonne Moynihan, Managing Director of Wizz Air UK, said it was a “proud and exciting day.”

They added: “Receiving approval to operate between the UK and the United States is a huge milestone for our company.

WIZZ OFF

Top cheap holiday destination with new Wizz Air flights axes pricey tourist visas

TAKING OFF

Wizz Air reveals plans to launch first-ever transatlantic flights from the UK

“It opens the door to incredible opportunities, particularly for European football teams and supporters travelling across the Atlantic this summer.

“We are ready to deliver exceptional charter experiences and bring fans closer to the action in the United States.” 

The charter packages hope to offer flights for both large groups and individual travellers.

They added: “We are excited to welcome passengers on board and to celebrate this new chapter as we expand our reach across the Atlantic.” 

Brits can look at booking charter flights which are now available on the website.

Wizz Air has never operated transatlantic routes, although does have some long flight options the other way.

The airline’s longest flight is London Gatwick to Jeddah, taking just under seven hours.

However, they did also once offer cheap flights from the UK to the Maldives – although these were cancelled in 2022.

The Polish airline first launched in 2004, with Wizz Air UK starting in 2017.

Wizz Air Malta followed suit, and the short-lived Wizz Air Abu Dhabi was axed last year.

When it comes to World Cup travel, some super fans are dropping thousands of pounds.

Two brothers have revealed plans to spend £20,000 travelling across 25 states to follow the England games.

And flight experts have revealed how to find the cheapest flights to see the World Cup.

March 2 (UPI) — Apple on Monday introduced the iPhone 17e, the budget model in its iPhone lineup, with upgraded cameras, a stronger scratch resistant screen and MagSafe to improve attaching chargers and accessories to the phone.

The 17e will be available in three colors — black, white and pink — for pre-order on Wednesday. It is expected to hit stores on March 11, with a starting price of $599 for the 256GB-storage model, Apple said in a press release.

“iPhone 17e combines powerful performance and features our users love at an exceptional value, making it a compelling option for customers looking to upgrade to the iPhone 17 family,” Kaianne Drance, vice president of worldwide iPhone product marketing at Apple, said in the release.

“With A19 for incredible performance, double the entry storage, a smarter camera system and enhanced durability, iPhone17e is designed to stay fast, secure and valuable for years to come,” she said.

Apple launched the iPhone 16e just over a year ago in February 2025 as a lower-priced model of the iPhone 16 to replace the SE budget-level iPhone, which had been discontinued after three generations in 2022.

The 17e comes with upgrades over last year’s edition, with a 48MP fusion camera that enables optical-quality 2x telephoto and 4K Dolby Vision video, Apple said.

The new Super Retina XDR screen is said to have 3x stronger scratch resistance and reduced glare, satellite features for satellite communication when off network and Apple has added MagSafe, which allows accessories such as charges, stands and cases to more easily snap onto the back of the phone.

The 17e also includes Apple Intelligence, which is expected to include a new version of the Siri assistant on the phone, and will be powered by Google‘s Gemini AI.

Apple and many phone carriers offering trade-in deals for customers who would like to upgrade, with the oldest models available for trade-in credit starting with the iPhone 11 and the iPhone 13.

Four years ago, Boyle Heights and Skid Row had something to celebrate: state grants to build new sidewalks and protected bike lanes.

But now, more than $100 million from the state for the transportation projects in some of the neediest parts of Los Angeles is in jeopardy because city officials say they don’t have enough staff to complete the projects.

The issue is part of the continuing fallout from a $1-billion budget shortfall the city faced last year. Officials avoided mass layoffs but closed the gap with budget cuts to city departments, including the Bureau of Engineering, Department of Transportation, Bureau of Street Lighting and Bureau of Street Services. Those cuts included eliminating open positions, resulting in smaller staffs.

“To know that the funding is there and that we have to give it back because the city says it can’t find the bodies to do the work is a scandal,” said Estela Lopez, executive director for the L.A. Downtown Industrial District Business Improvement District. She has long advocated for more resources on Skid Row, including improved accessibility for pedestrians.

“It would be transformative in a way that wasn’t just in spirit,” she said.

On Monday, the Bureau of Street Services confirmed that it will apply with the state for a two-year extension to allow more time to begin the transportation projects in Boyle Heights, Skid Row and Wilmington.

The move came after L.A. City Councilmembers Ysabel Jurado and Tim McOsker introduced a motion to cancel the state funds, citing “staffing, funding, and implementation constraints.” Jurado said that plan is “now on hold.” McOsker, whose district includes the Wilmington project, also confirmed his support for an extension.

“After hearing directly from my constituents, I urged the Bureau of Street Services to explore every option to keep these projects moving forward,” Jurado said in a statement this week.

The Boyle Heights project would enhance bike lanes and pedestrian-level lighting, as well as extend street curbs and plant more than 300 shade trees. On Skid Row, existing bike and pedestrian pathways would be connected through downtown L.A. to schools, health facilities and job centers. In Wilmington, near the busiest port in the country, crumbling sidewalks would be fixed and a new traffic signal and high-visibility crosswalks would be added.

The city must contribute about $23 million in matching funds.

Jurado, whose district includes Boyle Heights and Skid Row, said the two areas “have waited too long for these investments for them to slip away.” Her predecessor, Kevin de León, and his staff pitched the projects and spent about $250,000 in discretionary funds to hire consultants to put together the applications for both projects.

Dan Halden, director of external relations for the Bureau of Street Services, said in a statement that the agency acknowledges the challenges ahead, including resources, cost and timeliness, and would work to identify a path forward.

De León said in an interview this week that now is not the time for the city to return state dollars.

“It would be at best, political malpractice, at worst, criminal, if the city made the decision to return the money in a time when we need every imaginable dollar for the well-being of Angelenos,” De León said. “This is not the moment to return dollars back to the state government, especially for historically under-served and under-invested communities.”

Michael Schneider, founder and chief executive of the bicyclist and pedestrian advocacy group Streets for All, said that losing the projects would be “heartbreaking.” He said he was involved in one of the grant applications two years ago and saw the amount of resources that went into it.

“This is that times three. It’s beyond the pale,” Schneider said. “This is a lot of money for those projects that are not that complicated, already designed.”

Schneider said he is concerned that if L.A. backs out this time, the state would prioritize other jurisdictions for future funding. An extension could be putting off the inevitable unless something changes and the projects become a priority for the city, he said.

“If it goes away, all it means is that some of the most dangerous streets that we’re aware of in the city are going to remain dangerous for decades,” he said. “The projects have merit. They were chosen for a reason.”

In a video posted online last week, City Controller Kenneth Mejia highlighted the budget cuts that are jeopardizing the state grants, including a 26% cut, or $61 million, to the Bureau of Street Services, the lead agency for the projects.

“The city is actually very successful in securing these large grants,” Mejia said in the video. “However, departments are constrained by the budget and staffing cuts, which makes the city unable to deliver all of them within the deadline required by the grants.”

Lopez of the business improvement district said the state money would fund a crosswalk in front of the Union Rescue Mission on Skid Row, where pedestrians now resort to jaywalking and where she has witnessed accidents.

She said she has been in touch with Jurado’s office to offer her help in keeping the projects alive.

“The city of Los Angeles can do more than one thing at a time,” she said. “We can figure this out.”

Times staff writer David Zahniser contributed to this report.