The budget deficit, without question, is the largest problem to overcome. This is clearly the top priority because without money, the state cannot do various things like pay workers and fix other issues, such as the education and infrastructure problems. You said in your state of the state address that the budget deficit is "a rock upon our chest," ("Governor's State of the State Address").  Convert the metaphor to real life and an individual cannot get around the rock on their chest to complete anything else, the rock has to be the first priority. This shows how much of a bind this budget crisis has on our economy when you have to ask lawmakers "to give up their salaries," ("Budget dominates Schwarzenegger's state of the state speech").  What this means is "In the future, he said, lawmakers and the governor should not receive their salaries or per diem payments - daily expense money - for each day they miss the constitutional June 15 deadline for producing a budget...If the people's work is not getting done, I think the people's representatives should not get paid either. That is common sense in the real world,"("Governor asks lawmakers to give up pay for budget").  Apparently, California lawmakers are among the highest paid in the nation with an annual salary of $116,208 ("California Lawmakers get Paid despite Budget Mess").  This is enough for anyone to live comfortably while you take away the $173 they receive for daily expenses ("California lawmakers collect $128,000 amid budget mess").  For each lawmaker in the state, this adds at least $30,000 to their annual salary.  These expenses add to the budget deficit over time.  Other than taking expenses from the lawmakers' pockets, dealing with the housing situation can also help in slowing the budget crisis.  "California, Florida, Nevada and Arizona generated about half of all foreclosure filings nationwide last year, according to RealtyTrac Inc., even though residents in those states hold just a quarter of U.S. mortgages. Since mid-2007, skyrocketing foreclosures in those states have been magnifying the national rate," ("Foreclosure aid").  The cost of living in California is among the highest in the nation, yet the construction of new homes continue.  One solution would be to slow the rate at which new housing areas are being built in order to save our banks from going broke by owning all of these empty homes.  It is difficult to come up with other solutions that do not involve money, which brings the whole situation back to the budget crisis.  The only way this can be solved is if the two sides come to a compromise, quickly.  When and if the compromise does happen, a top priority should be the status of education.