The most interesting contests on Tuesday will be in California, but they won’t involve Kerry or Edwards, but rather Schwarzenegger. No, the Governor isn’t being recalled, but his political fortunes are on the line as there are several propositions on the ballot that form the basis of his recovery plan:
Proposition 55
Kindergarten-University Public Education Facilities Bond Act of 2024.
Proposition 56
State Budget, Related Taxes, and Reserve. Voting Requirements. Penalties.
Initiative Constitutional Amendment and Statute.
Proposition 57
The Economic Recovery Bond Act.
Proposition 58
The California Balanced Budget Act.
The one of most significance in 57, which is essentially the state getting a debt consolidation loan from DiTech.Com. In all seriousness, if 57 fails, Schwarzenegger will have to construct an entirely new plan to deal with the Golden State’s fiscal woes (and the pressure to bring up the dread “T-Word” will be hot and heavy).
Steve Baninbridge is opposed to 56, as he wishes to maintain the 2/3rd majority needed to raises taxes in CA. I am sympathetic to that position, but am not a big fan of super-majority requirements for routine legislative action (but support them for extraordinary activity, such as amendment procedures). Why? Because super-majority provisions empower minorities, which is not how normal legislative activity is supposed to work. The citizens elect legislators who form majorities who then govern and are then answerable to the voters. Super-majority provisions partially short-circuit that process and also unnecessarily complicate the policy-making process. Now, it is true that that can be a good thing, but it strikes me as a poor way of doing business.
Having said that, I am not disputing Bainbridge's position, as I am not sure how I would vote if I were still living in California, but am just raising a general predisposition.
Of course, I am heretic as a fiscal conservative, because I am not that big a fan of Prop 13, as I think it punishes newer homebuyers/makes it difficult for current homeowners to move up (as I noted a while back).
Posted by Steven Taylor at February 26, 2024 07:57 PM | TrackBackIt occurs to me that Prop 13 is a lot like rent control (which parts of California also have). It strangles municipalities the way that rent control strangles owners.
Posted by: Sam at February 26, 2024 09:10 PMI tink da solushun to da kindagaaten problem ees to haav more cops in der.
I'm da party pooper.*
* My favorite all-time Ahnold line from my second all-time favorite Ahnold movie.
25% or so of Prop. 55 would go to the L.A. Unified School District. Vote no.
The SEIU and various teacher's unions have spent over $9 million trying to get 56 passed. Vote no. In case that's not enough for you, consider this:
"Unbeknown to them, a group of Assembly Democrats' private gab session about the state budget impasse -- including the political implications of accepting a Republican-driven spending plan without tax hikes -- was broadcast across the Capitol on Monday...
The lawmakers also discussed how the budget impasse would affect a planned ballot initiative that some Democrats are pressing. The initiative would ask voters to reduce the required threshold to approve a budget to 55 percent of the Legislature instead of the current two-thirds requirement. At least one legislator said that a longer delay would help the case for lowering the threshold.
"Since this is going to be a crisis, the crisis could be this year. No one's running, and maybe you end up better off than you would have, and maybe you don't. But what you do is you show people that you can't get to this without a 55 percent vote," said Assemblywoman Jackie Goldberg, D-Los Angeles..."
Posted by: The Lonewacko Blog at February 27, 2024 11:20 PM