Sneaking Tax Measures on a Special Election Ballot?
Governor Jerry Brown has stated that he wants his tax extension proposals to be placed on a special election ballot by a bipartisan effort. However, Brown and others have hinted that if Republicans don’t go along there may be other ways to put the tax increases before the people with a simple majority vote.
In his column yesterday, the Sacramento Bee’s Dan Walters suggested two ways the majority vote method might be accomplished. One way would be to amend previously passed statutory initiatives. Loren Kaye has expounded on this possibility a number of times on this site.
The second approach would rely on the recently passed Proposition 25, which allows a budget to be passed with a majority vote along with permitting budget implementing legislation to be passed with a majority vote.
The Missing Piece of the Budget Puzzle
The 2011-12
budget plan introduced by Governor Brown on Monday includes major pieces of the
fiscal puzzle that at long last will hopefully bring fiscal balance back to California.
Unlike prior
budget plans purporting to close the state’s widening deficits, this one
actually proposes long-term structural changes to bring California out of its
fiscal hole. One big difference is the budget proposed by Governor Brown does
not rely on one-time spending reductions or gimmicks. It seeks to permanently
change the makeup and extent of state spending to balance revenues and
expenditures. It is important to recognize that the plan anticipates extending
temporary revenue increases to get important state services – such as education
and health and human services – through an economic condition that is
improving, but not quickly enough.
The Relevancy of the California Conservation Corps For 2011
The California Conservation Corps (CCC) will be 35 years old
this year. It is going strong and in fact is poised to expand. Its experience
is most relevant to a debate in California workforce circles today: what are
the needed job skills in the emerging California economy, and how young
Californians can best achieve these skills.
The Corps was founded by Jerry Brown in July 1976, who
described it as "a combination Jesuit seminary, Israeli kibbutz and Marine
Corps boot camp." It sought to bring together California youth of various
backgrounds, income levels and races. The youth would be placed in residential
settings, outside of urban areas, and put to work on conservation tasks that were
real work: fire containment, trail construction, stream restoration, tree
planting. In this work, the youth would contribute to the California community,
and also develop the skills to navigate in the job world and in life.
Deasy – A Strong New Leader for L.A. Schools
Los Angeles and the state of California have never faced a more serious challenge regarding our education system. With our flat global economy, the success of our students has never been more important. Dramatic improvements to our education system must be made.
Last century, the United States had the highest college enrollment rate in the world, but by 2008 our standing had fallen to No. 16. Here in California, for the first time in our history, the current generation is expected to be less educated than its predecessor. Major cutbacks signaled this week in Gov. Jerry Brown’s budget add to the challenges local school officials face. This collection of issues calls for outstanding leadership. The Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) Board of Education displayed that leadership this morning when it announced its decision to select John Deasy as the district’s next superintendent.