If President Obama can do it, why can’t the California Legislature?
The
White House, as part of a broad policy review, has
asked business leaders to "identify specific regulations that they
believe are obstacles to job-creating private investment."
The
Administration is responding to an increasingly forceful chorus of criticism
from national business organizations and individual companies, including a comprehensive,
54-page catalog of legislation and regulations prepared by the Business
Roundtable and Business Council.
The organizations claim that these measures’
"cumulative effect will help defeat the objectives we all share –
reducing unemployment, improving the competitiveness of U.S. companies, and
creating an environment that fosters long-term economic growth."
Do 11 and 14 Add Up to 25?
Prop 25, the November ballot initiative to permit budget bills to pass with a majority vote instead of 2/3, also represents something of a referendum on two recent voter-approved measures, Prop 11 and Prop 14.
Prop 11, the redistricting reform initiative passed in 2008, and Prop 14, the just-approved top-two primary, were pushed through in hopes of creating a legislature that would be more effective, representative, and ultimately trustworthy.
But do voters, having changed how legislative districts are drawn and candidates are elected, feel better enough about the legislature to give them more room to maneuver?
The Budget Challenge
July 1st has come and gone and California still does not have a budget. This is all too reminiscent of last year’s painful three-month long negotiation process, and it seems almost certain that we are in for another grueling budget resolution season.
While our legislators are grappling with issues of deficit reduction and increasing revenue, "California Budget Challenge" helps Californians understand the state’s economic woes. The California Budget Challenge is an easy-to-use nonpartisan online tool that simulates some of the tough choices our legislators face ranging from education spending to corporate taxation.
With each choice, users are given the option to learn more about the issues and to see how their decisions are closing or widening the state’s deficit with a "budget meter."