CALIFORNIA’S BUDGET

In 13 out of the last 20 years, California’s Legislature has missed the June 30 deadline for the annual budget. Does the deadline come as a surprise to them every year? Why do they wait until the last moment to start working on it?

Back in the days when I belonged to a union we had five-year contracts and even though the negotiators had five years to begin work on the next contract, they would wait until the final week to even start talking to each other. We would end up working without a contract for as long as it took for both sides to agree and have the contract ratified by the members.

However, we did keep working, so this didn’t really have any adverse effect on our paychecks.

But when the state does this, it has huge ramifications. There are millions of children, elderly, poor and disabled Californians who are affected because Medi-Cal funds are frozen, child care providers, adult daycare centers, medical transport services and hundreds of hospitals are not receiving any state support.

Before 1978 the California Legislature was out of control with new taxation running rampant. To help put an end to this, the people came up with the infamous proposition 13 which added the two-thirds majority rule for the passage of any tax increase.

Perhaps it isn’t fair that California (along with Rhode Island and Arkansas) are the only states that need a two-thirds majority to pass the budget. Some say this makes the one-third the real majority.

However, the Legislature always does eventually come to an agreement, even in those 13 out of 20 years, so why not start a little earlier with a more alert eye to the deadline and the people who will be negatively impacted by its non-passage?

And just to make certain that the legislature keeps focused on the best interest of the public, I would suggest that they forfeit one day’s pay (and per diem) for each day the budget is late. That way they can actually feel some of the pain the people most affected by the lack of an on-time budget feel.

The California Curmudgeon