More for the Daily Armageddon Report: California

Subject: Sign the pledge to reform California's broken budget process.

Friends -

California's budget is broken -- and we need real long-term reform to fix our state's economic crisis.

The problem is not one of overspending, or of out of touch legislators (though some surely are). The problem is that California plays by rules so extreme that only two other states follow them. These rules take a situation made difficult by a severe recession and make it literally impossible. We have to change the rules.

Currently, there must be a two-thirds vote in the legislature to pass a budget or any new taxes. This rule has allowed a small cabal of ideologues to hold the state hostage to their demands. The majority of legislators made a number of major concessions in efforts to woo a sufficient number of Republican legislators to pass a budget in February. They slashed many critical public expenditures, gave up on raising taxes on those most able to pay and were willing to transfer power to make budget cuts to the governor. At all times, a majority of the legislature, elected by voters, were prepared to adopt a tough but sensible approach to the budget. They were thwarted repeatedly by the two thirds rule. We had an expensive special election yesterday due solely to the demands of a single state senator, without whose vote we would have had no budget. This is insanity.

Every other state but two (Arkansas and Rhode Island) passes its budget with a simple majority. California needs to change the two-thirds vote rule for budgets and taxes so that anti-tax zealots can't override the will of the people year after year.

I just signed a pledge to fight to allow the legislature make fiscal decisions by a majority vote -- I hope you will too.

Please have a look and take action.

http://act.credoaction.com/campaign/reform_california/?r_by=4106-1068490-QrRhfAx&rc=paste

Thanks!