End the Gridlock

Majority vote to end gridlock

By Kelvin Wade | | August 14, 2008 17:20

It's time to get rid of the two-thirds vote requirement to pass a budget in California. Forty-seven out of the 50 states require a simple majority to pass state budgets. What makes us so special?

Earlier this year, state Sen. Tom Torlakson D-Antioch introduced Senate Constitutional Amendment 22 that would allow the Legislature to pass a budget and vote to raise taxes by a majority vote rather than a two-thirds vote.

I know what the argument against it is. Republicans are terrified that tax increase after tax increase would come down the pike. For that reason alone, probably most California voters would be wary of changing the system.

But how well has the current system served us? Every year it's the same thing in Sacramento: gridlock. And our budget situation just grows more dire every year after the latest round of smoke and mirrors goes through. We went 52 days without a budget last year and this year we have the governor reduced to suing to enforce his emergency pay cuts.

Even if we had a majority vote to pass a budget, the governor can still veto it and it would take a two-thirds vote to override it. We'd still have checks and balances.

Ironically, while it's mostly Republicans who oppose changing the system, a simple majority vote could work to improve the GOP's fortunes in the state. With a simple majority vote to raise taxes in a Democratic controlled legislature, voters are going to be more easily persuaded that we need a Republican governor as a check on that power.

Also, if outrageous tax hikes do materialize, it will strengthen the GOP's chances in picking up seats in the Legislature.

Remember the last time we had a Democratic governor and Legislature, it resulted in a recall and a Republican governor.

The gridlock we see every year doesn't benefit the state. Each year the politicians in Sacramento just get more creative about our financing. Already local governments are bracing to have their coffers raided by Sacramento. That will just result in more local taxes. There's no free lunch.

How come we can amend the California Constitution by a simple majority vote but a budget requires two-thirds? Just a simple majority vote this November will write gay marriages right out of the state constitution. But a simple majority vote in the Legislature can't determine our spending priorities.

Forty-seven other states manage their budgets with a simple majority vote. They're not superior to us. They manage to balance budgets and not go through the crazy sideshow we see every year in the Capitol.

Maybe we need some form of balanced budget amendment that has real teeth. Perhaps California needs a law that will automatically make the cuts and increases when legislators lack the guts to do it.

But reform should start with getting rid of that two-thirds requirement.

Perhaps you're adamant that we must keep the two-thirds requirement. OK, then what do you suggest? And are you making those suggestions to your representatives?

Something has to give. Peace.

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I'm tired of all this wrangling every year. The Democrats say we can't cut any services because it'll throw grandma on the street. The Republicans say we can't raise any taxes because people are taxed too much and we just need to cut but they don't say where. It's the same thing every year.

The United States Congress doesn't require a two thirds vote to pass a budget. So if we don't require it at the federal level, then why at the state?

The statute hasn't helped us out of our financial nightmare. It just prolongs it as legislators think of new ways to hide debt and falsify income.

Now on to the other blogs. In the Other Side DR Blog, I take a look at the protest over the new Ben Stiller comedy, "Tropic Thunder."

On the Wading In Blog, I examine my brother Tony and my invitation to be BBQ judges a the West Coast BBQ Championship this weekend in Fairfield.