Arount the Water Cooler: Should California repeal Proposition 1, which requires a two-thirds vote of each house of the Legislature to approve the state budget?
Sep 25, 2008
THIS WEEK'S QUESTION:
"Should California repeal Proposition 1, which requires a two-thirds vote of each house of the Legislature to approve the state budget? "
Yes: 9
No: 3
■ Karen Anderson: No. Compromise is messy but I like to think the end result is better in the case of the budget.
■ Bert Berson: Yes. I favor a super majority of 55 percent.
■ Chris Bryant: No, however, penalties for legislators and automatic spending adjustments should be put in place for when a budget is not passed on time.
■ David Cohen: Yes. It's the first step in fixing the broken budget process.
■ Dennis Kennedy: Yes! Let's end these ridiculous budget delays.
■ Julian Mancias: Yes. This year was a prime example of what happens when a two-thirds vote is required; it places unnecessary hardships on state agencies.
■ Hank Miller: Yes. Here are the choices: A) Stick with two other trend-setting states, Arkansas and Rhode Island, which require a super majority and face constant approval turmoil; or B), join the other 47 states and bring some sanity to the budget approval process. I'll pick B.
■ Linda McNulty: Yes, I think it should be majority rules just like in life. Other measures which could help in getting a balanced budget are accountability, consequences, and possibly Proposition 11 - redistricting, which would create more balanced districts in terms of voter registration and increase accountability of elected officials.
■ Lisa Pampuch: Yes. The current system is de facto minority rule. A few legislators can - and do, every year - hold the entire state hostage. A simple majority should pass the budget.
■ John Quick: Yes. The two-thirds majority vote is anti democratic. We would also benefit from a two year cycle on the budget. This combination would allow recipients of tax money, like the schools, to actually plan their spending in a sensible way.
■ Emily Shem-Tov: Yes, along with other reforms to change the dynamic of the budget process that has gotten us into our current crisis.
■ Steve Staloch: No. "A house divided against itself cannot stand," and without this strict requirement, individual accountability of our representatives is diminished.
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