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"When you're trying to fix a $16 to $23 billion deficit there's no magic bullet. You do it in $500 million and billion chunks and if the federal government would provide a back stop they could save California anywhere from $500 to $2 billion," said Chiang.
He says the bulk of the cuts will have to come from education, social services, health care, and prisons, because together they make up 85 percent of the state budget.
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