Just a quick California note. On Tuesday, following our habit of the past few decades, we approved Proposition 22, which limits the ways the legislature can allocate property tax funds, and Proposition 26, which essentially eliminates the legislature’s ability to levy new fees on businesses. Today, we will undoubtedly return to our usual hobby of yelling and screaming that the legislature isn’t doing enough to balance the budget and make government work. For the past 30 years, in election after election, we have relentlessly reduced Sacramento’s ability to raise money at the same time that we’ve piled on an endless series of new spending requirements — and as the cherry on top, insisted that this citizen-created circle be squared by a bunch of term-limited amateurs who have no idea how the machinery of the state really works. And then we wonder why things aren’t going so well.
We are insane.
(And in case you’re wondering, this is why I don’t really care much that Proposition 19 failed. Legalized pot might be nice, but we’ve got way bigger things to worry about here.)
