Fixing California

Now that the dust has settled and Californians can see the drastic consequences of the state budget train wreck, it's time to consider ten actions to fix California.

(1) Elect a leader. California has a forty-year history of electing governors on the basis of their personality, starting with Ronald Reagan in 1967 and ending with the current governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger. In 2006, Schwarzenegger defeated the Democratic gubernatorial candidate, Phil Angelides, who had far more experience and leadership ability, but less charisma. Angelides might not have been able to head off the current budget crisis, but he had a track record of forming coalitions to deal with California's big problems. In 2010, Californians must choose a governor who can inspire them to deal with their state's difficult problems.

(2) Change term limits. In 1990, California voters passed legislative term limits: six years in the Assembly and eight in the Senate. This action fatally diminished the collective memory of the legislature and its ability to act strategically. Moreover, term limits increased the power of lobbyists who typically have far more experience than do the short-term legislators. Term limits should either be repealed altogether or modified so that legislators are limited to 14 years of total legislative service.

(3) End gerrymandering. Following the 2000 Census, California's Democratic and Republican Parties agreed to gerrymander the district boundaries so that the status quo would be preserved. This action rendered almost all legislator seats non-competitive, thereby ensuring a continuation of the partisanship that hampers budget negotiations. The solution is to have a bipartisan group -- such as retired judges -- draw new district boundaries.

(4) Restore majority rule. In 1934, California voters passed a law requiring a two-thirds legislative majority to pass a budget. California is one of only three states that require a 2/3rds vote. In the interest of a rational budget process, Californians must readopt majority rule.

(5) Revise the initiative process. Over the years, the frequency of ballot initiatives has increased, resulting in a bewildering set of rules that restrict not only budgetary decisions but also administrative actions. This process must be amended, as part of a wholesale revision of the state constitution.

(6) Adopt a two-year budget cycle. California's budget process has become so dysfunctional that legislators spend most of their time working on next year's budget. Nonetheless, in 19 of the past 23 years, California has not passed a budget on schedule. Meanwhile, 21 states have adopted a two-year budget cycle, which permits legislators to spend a full year preparing the budget for the next two years. Typically, the first year of the cycle is devoted to budgetary oversight and non-budget-related bills are considered in the second year. California should move to a two-year budget cycle.

(7) Revamp the tax code. Over the past fifty years, California has become increasingly dependent upon personal income taxes, which now constitute 53 percent of all tax revenues. (In most states, the revenue base is one third property tax, one third sales tax, and one third income tax.) As a result, the California budget is increasingly vulnerable to economic swings that affect personal income. Late in 2008, Governor Schwarzenegger authorized the Commission on the 21st Century Economy to suggest changes to California's tax code. Among the revisions being considered are: expanding the sales tax to include a variety of services, implementing a value-added tax (net-receipts tax), adopting a pollution surtax on carbon-based fuels, and modifying Proposition 13 to facilitate raising revenues. California's tax code needs an overhaul.

(8) Legalize marijuana. There's a huge market for marijuana in California, but only medicinal use is fully legal. The black market for pot is an enormous source of potential tax revenue. If marijuana were to be taxed and regulated the same as alcohol, California would garner more than $1 billion per year. Legalize pot.

(9) Reduce the prison population. In the recent budget compromise, education funds were cut by $6 billion but the Department of Corrections was reduced by only $1.2 billion. California continues to spend a disproportionate amount on prisons -- ten percent of the state general fund; the average cost per inmate is roughly $46,000, while the average cost per pupil is $11,626. The prison population -- 167,000 -- can be dramatically reduced by common-sense actions such as deporting undocumented aliens and making non-violent crimes, such as writing bad checks, a misdemeanor so that prison time is not an option. Reducing the number of prisoners would free up billions for other state purposes.

(10) Designate more toll roads. For the past twenty years, California has experimented with toll roads in Southern California and for the past ten years, the FasTrak electronic toll collection system has been used to collect fees on toll bridges and roads. The FasTrak system should be expanded to collect tolls on more California highways. California can't afford to let all of its freeways be free.

California's problems are not insurmountable, but their resolution will require concerted action: new leadership, legal changes -- likely a new constitution, and the willingness to consider alternative revenue sources.

Comments

[nee]

What about stop spending money we don't have? We are #1 in sales tax and income tax and #6 in overall taxes. We have enough revenue the problem is the SPENDING!!!!! We could raise more and more money but that wouldn't help at all because the people we elect ALWAYS spend MORE than we have. ENOUGH!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Every program and every cent spent by the state needs to be looked at. We have SOOOOOOOOOO much waste. We need to CUT some programs completely. Until we honestly make changes in spending your ideas will never work.
By the way term limits keep politicans a bit honest, most of them go from one house to the other anyway, and if the tax is really warrented (which most aren't) getting 2./3 vote wouldn't be a problem.

[scottportraits]

Yes, many are good points. I'm most interested in seeing numbers 8 and 9 come true.

In 2007, in spite of being a 'medical cannabis' state, California arrested some 872,721 persons for marijuana crimes, and 80% were for simple possession. I'm not sure how many went to jail, and how much THAT cost us, but if numbers 8 and 9 were reality - then it logically follows the state would save a bundle. A big bundle.

I salute the Huffington Post for taking a supportive stand and providing a forum and platform for this kind of innovative thinking. I am a fan of this newspaper and it's editorial journalism.

[jmpurser]

I agree that these simple common sense steps are CA's only hope of recovering from "failed state" status but I think it's pie in the sky dreaming for now.

[AnnfromCA]

I couldn't disagree more. Try spending less. We'll be far better off than with any of the solutions you offer, which is a thinly disguised way to raise taxes and make life even more expensive in CA.

I wonder if some will ever really learn the lesson of this collapse.

[nee]

So true! We have ENOUGH REVENUE - STOP SPENDING WHAT YOU DON"T HAVE!

[mlimberg]

It does not take ten steps to "FIX" California... It takes one step.

Deport illegal immigrants that suck the life out of California.... Education, Medical, Insurance, and God knows what other resourses will be able to function again for the taxpayer. Allowing anyone to bleed the taxpayer results in an unbalanced budget.

It's that or take a trip to TJ, look around and picture that all of California will look the same as TJ in a few years....

[logan9]

And how will you determine who is legal and illegal?

The problem is much larger than that 'mlimberg', apparently (like the GOP and others) you are suffering from a case of myopia!

[mlimberg]

Legal = obey the law.

Illegal = Break the law.

With your education, it's easy to understand why California is i the situation it finds itself.

Try reading the Consitituion. It's worked for 200 years...

Idiot,

[todd432]

I strongly disagree with 14yr term limits. That's completely backwards in my opinion. The problem is all the senators that have been in there for so many years got the hole thing locked down and corrupt as hell. Congress is just like a toilet bowl and should be flushed frequently. When you know your job will only last 2 years if you screw up you might just have a tendency to do what the people elected you to do.

[nee]

Very true and a lot of them go from one house to the other once they are termed out.

[Chernynkaya]

I agree with most of your proposals, except for the first and the last.

Yes, we do need to elect more experiences governors, but Grey Davis could scarcely be called Mr. Charismatic. Nor could Deukmajian. Nor Pete Wilson.

As for toll roads, the voters would impeach anyone who tried that, although I would support them if the fees went exclusively to public transportation.

[disabledjim]

how come dems always tell us they know best but every place in the country that has been controlled by democratic­,liberal,p­rogressive­,and socialist ideas seem to have the worst types of problems?lowest rates of education with the highest cost per student.highest rates of drug abuse.highest crime rates.lowest standard of living.most number of dependants on government subsistance.lack of desire to enforce laws on the books.every major collection of liberal ideas is way worse off than areas of the country where dems dont run the show .is it any wonder california is in the trouble that is.mabey people in california should look to the people that have set in motion the current state of affairs.de­mocrat.lib­eral.progr­essive.soc­ialist.it is in failure.wake up.you cant blame it on anybody but yourself.i'm sure smokin a joint will help

[Chernynkaya]

In California we have a Republican governor and have had one in 4 of the last 6 elections. Also, we need a 2/3 vote on the budget, so even though we have a majority of democrats in the legislature, we don't have enough democrats to pass the budget- the republicans mess it up.

Nice try though. Next time it would be better if you knew what you were talking about.

[ezeflyer]

" Revise the initiative process."

Make paying to gather signatures, buying ads, and other initiative frauds capital crimes.

Give democratic voter initiatives priority over sold out politician's pork projects.

Make voting, initiatives and referendums as easy and frequent as paying with a credit card.

[budderbean]

The legalization of Marijuana would produce a huge boom for the hospitality industry in California. Look at the huge amount of tax revenues just from that.. The income from the Marijuana tax would be dwarfed by the tax revenue from the hospitality industry.. So pot tourists would bring big $$$ along with lot's of new employment opportunity's for it's citizens.

In a way California might just have the ability to bring back some of it's good old day's.. It might even be able to chip away at the Vegas crowed.. Maybe some new game shows for the Californian market "Wheel of Reeefer". "Let's make a deal" (: .

It's time to move our country forward, Bush has left this country in a stressed out state of mind.. If you want Innovative thinking,Legalize Pot. Reduce the prison population.. I have often pondered the prison situation.. Conflict of interest need's to be addressed with the private prison system. How much stock do the police unions and lawmakers have their portfolio's, could this be criminal if lawmakers are passing law's and PROTECTING law's that are at cross purposes with public interest but rather with a sight at their own interests.

Marijuana law's and public opinion are at a crossroads. LAWMAKERS may have a bit of splainin to do if LAWS where past by LAWMAKERS that protect themselves from public scrutiny. Police unions and LAWMAKERS (Or reps LOL) To the wizards behind the facades of power.. Us potheads is a gonna get you. "Boooo".

[scottportraits]

Right. I support numbers 8 and 9 - to end cannabis prohibition.

[barbangel]

Bullseye on every point.

It makes me sick , my daughter's generation (early 20's) will be paying for their grandparents luxurious lifestyle until they retire. Granpa & Granma definitely are not passing-on any of the money they saved to the next generation - they spent all the equity and more. It is time to Revise or Remove Prop 13.

Dear God yes, hard working tax paying Californian's deserve better than a make-believe Governor

I

[nee]

What about only spending what you have?