Do you think it’s too difficult to raise taxes in California?
If you do, the problem is pretty clear: the state constitution. It’s full of rules that require supermajority votes for the legislature, or local voters, to raise taxes.
Do you think spending and budgeting is out of control in California?
If you do, the problem is pretty clear: the state constitution. It’s full of spending mandates and formulas that combine to juice some spending and cut others. And those formulas make long-term planning and budgeting virtually impossible.
Do you think pensions are out of control in California?
If you do, you might want to do something about cutting pensions for current employees. The trouble with doing that? The constitution again. Its promises on contracts may make it legally impossible to alter any promised or expected benefit for current employees, without their consent.
How do we fix any of those problems?
Definitely NOT by revising the constitution.
Yes, taxes, spending and pensions are all a mess because of constitutional problems. But all the wise, reasonable and realistic people in the state – of left, right and center – will tell you that constitutional revision is just too radical, too hard, too dangerous.
So how do you fix these problems without fixing the constitution?
I have no idea.
And neither does anyone else.