Death to the 2/3 rule!

Let's imagine a scenario: A once great land is mired in political bickering. Nothing can be done without lies and personal attacks being lobbed by the opposing factions. Social programs that the people have relied on for decades begin to crumble. The price of a college education soars beyond what most can reasonably afford. State parks you've visited your entire life are closing. People are confused, angry and ashamed of what is being done. A land once held up to the world as the shining beacon of hope and equal oppurtunity begins to fade away. Guess what? This land is our great state of California. While there are many factors that brought California to this point, one stands out as the most destructive, and the most to blame; the requirement of a 2/3 majority to simply pass a budget. That requirement may have worked in an age without term limits, when lawmakers from both parties had worked together for years. They were friends and enemies at the same time. Nowadays, they are only the latter.

Every year, a political showdown occurs in Sacramento. Republicans vow to resist any increase in revenues, and Democrats fight tooth and nail to save programs we all unknowingly depend on. And who loses? The people. Especially those people who have no voice; the homeless, the poor, the elderly, students and many other powerless groups. The people who go unnoticed in state politics because they can't bankroll massive campaigns and get politicians elected. We read about these budget cuts every year in the newspaper, yet it's often hard to put a face to them. But behind each dollar cut from a program, there is a person who will suffer or die. Programs that provided funding for HIV/AIDS medication, breast cancer screening for women who can't afford it on their own, and food stamps. Those are just a few of the examples of our social safety net being ripped to shreds. How did this happen in California? Blame that 2/3 requirement.

What is the 2/3 requirement you ask? It's simple; 66% of the state legislators need to vote 'aye' to any budget package, or any tax increase. Since the CA Legislature is mostly Dems(thank god), a few Republicans each year must be coaxed into voting for what is essentially a Democratic budget. Like the health care debate in the US Congress, these handful of GOP lawmakers hold an enormous amount of sway over the debate. They demand concessions for their vote, and they always get them. Last year the Republican leaders in the Assembly and Senate did the right thing and voted for the budget, saving their constituents from hardship. Care to guess their caucus' reaction to an act of political bravery? They immediately removed them from the leadership, and essentially ended their careers in public office. This is the reward given to a Republican by their own party when they bite the bullet, and do the right thing.

And why should the average voter care? It's hard to fathom in the moment when the budget is signed what will happen, but now we are beginning to see the results. Tuition costs at state universities are rising, state parks are on the brink of closure, infrastructure projects languish due to lack of funding, and social services are cut to the bone. Our land of fruit and honey has been reduced to a land of bond debts and no money. And while there are other factors to be considered in this, such as term limits and ballot initiatives tying legislator's hands, the 2/3 rule is the crux of the problem. Eliminate this insane requirement to simply pass a budget, and our great state may yet reclaim it's former glory. Stay tuned for more posts about the budget, because I assure you, this yearly battle is just heating up again.