power in action: Sacramento FAIL

[drewkitty]

State budget: $42 to $50 billion in the hole, depending on who you believe

Flexibility in spending: near zero due to massive lock-ins

Spending cuts: likely to be enormous in non-protected line items

State bond rating: degraded and heading for sucky

Political process: broken, many politicos no longer feel any responsibility to their constituents and are as captured as can be by special interests

The only bright spot is the upcoming special election. Go vote in it. I'm voting yes on everything but that's an act of blind trust.

I encourage you to vote yes on the proposal to forbid increases in legislative salaries when a budget has not been passed.

Also, if you live in California, call your state legislator!

Comments

[rue-gingertabby.livejournal.com]

Will keep all of this in mind as I read the bills and such.

Sacramento Hits Bottom, Digs

[zakueins.livejournal.com]

Insane, and I suspect that it's only going to get worse before it gets better.

Oregon looks tempting...if the weather doesn't change.

Re: Sacramento Hits Bottom, Digs

[drewkitty.livejournal.com]

Call. Your. Legislator.

The few good ones are feeling overwhelmed and forgotten about. The majority of bad ones need calls from their bosses calling them to task.

Key words: "I support open primary so that legislators who don't do their jobs will discover the joys of unemployment."

[weepingmoon.livejournal.com]

there is no way I can vote yes on 1D or 1E

[drewkitty.livejournal.com]

I have not read the measures, but I am told that these are an end run around legislative lock-ins to play games with mental health funding. The alleged intent is not to harm mental health care but to force certain funding to come out of lock-ins rather than the general fund. I don't know if I believe this -- I need to read the measures.

Feel free to vote NO on them and to encourage others to do the same. In general, I prefer to vote NO on anything I don't understand. However, since the state Legislature is doing so much of it for me, I'm more likely to vote yes on measures that will break the logjam in Sacramento.

[drewkitty.livejournal.com]

You should call too. Good training for you.

[poetpaladin.livejournal.com]

I voted against all of them except one. I also called my state legislators.