So here's the thing

[dwenius]

The Governer-elect says he will "find the fat" in the state budget.

Hasn't he been paying attention? Thanks to our gee-golly wowsers, "vote yourself more bread and extra circuses", proposition based, power to the people legislative process, more than half of the budget must be spent. You can't trim those parts; the people voted it that way last year or the year before, or the decade before. the law is on the books and in the electoral record, and tough cookies, all you fiscal weenies. On the other hand, boy, won't we for sure have shiny new bridges/ballparks/caps on property taxes!

Waugh.

Comments

Re: For those of us not living in California...

[ex-askesis860.livejournal.com]

We tend to view referenda as Good Things, but California has proven that there's a lot to be said for a representative democracy that's administered by actual professionals, as opposed to, say, you or me. In addition to capping property taxes, Californians have also, by direct popular vote, mandated that the state budget must be passed by a 2/3 majority in the state congress (which makes budgets very hard to pass), and funded a great number of programs that the legislature has no control over. Currently, somewhere between 60 and 80% of the state's expenditures are required by law, leaving even the most conscientious congress and governor very little room to make budget-balancing decisions. At the same time, any move to increase the state's already high taxes is met with career-ending resentment. And as of last year they'd voted themselves about $38 billion worth of stuff they weren't willing to pay for. But Arnold must provide it, because the people voted for it, right?

In conclusion: HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!