If you were to look up "dysfunctional legislature" in the dictionary, you’d a photograph of the California State Capitol. We’re now a couple of weeks into the fiscal year without a state budget, and outgoing Senate President Don Perata has apparently dismissed Senators from Sacramento, advising them to be "on call" to come back and vote on a budget on short notice.
Last I checked, we are paying every single member of the State Senate, and also the State Assembly for that matter, a full-time wage. If there is no state budget, the last thing that I want to have happen is for all of the legislators to go back to their districts, and leave budget nogotiations to small group of legislative leaders, to primary take place in a back room. Frankly, every legislator has a responsibility to be in Sacramento, at the Capitol, and working together to try and solve this overspending crisis.
State government is huge, and complex, and the negotiations surrounding an income and spending plan should be broadly approached by our legislators. Democrat and Republican State Legislators should be rolling up their sleeves, taking portions of the state budget (maybe pairing up with counterparts across the aisle), and producing solid ideas about how we can scale back government programs, services and areas in order to bring the state’s spending levels back in line with its (very large) level if tax revenues.
It seems like Don Perata and Assembly Speaker Karen Bass are all to pleased to have a process where there is minimal ongoing, substantive input by individual legislators. Our Republican Leaders, Senator Dave Cogdill and Assemblyman Mike Villines, should ask all of their GOP colleagues to stay put in Sacramento (yes, I know this means forgoing per-diem check) and form working groups. GOP legislators should be calling their colleagues around the state to come back to the Capitol and work… And every day, Republicans should gather for a press conference, demonstrating they are in the Capitol — and aren’t leaving until there is a budget.
Care to read comments, or make your own about today’s Daily Commentary?
Just click here to go to the FR Weblog, where this Commentary has its own blog post, and where you can read and make comments.