The following letter went out yesterday from California Democratic Party Chairman John Burton. The topic is one which every Californian needs to take action on.
Dear Californians,
A small minority of Republicans has held the entire California budget process hostage year after year.
Their ransom? They refuse to vote for the state budget until deals are made to eliminate environmental protections, decimate programs that help the poor and middle class, weaken worker safety, and rollback consumer protections. Even in good years when there is plenty of revenue to go around, Republicans still hold California hostage until they get what they want on issues that have nothing to do with the budget.
They’re able to do it because of an outdated loophole that allows just 33.4% of legislators to block any budget from passing, rather than the majority required for other votes.
It’s undemocratic. It’s outrageous. And it’s ruining our state.
A group of teachers, firefighters, and nurses (whose mission is to serve Californians) recently launched a petition drive that would put a majority vote budget on the ballot this November.
This “superminority” of hostage takers occupies safe seats in districts where the elections are usually determined by the Republican primary.
And those primary voters would never let them vote for any compromise.
That means the budget of the entire state of California is determined by just over a third of legislators, who come from just over a third of legislative districts, where they represent just the interests of just a single far-right segment of the population.
Does trusting our budget to that sliver of the state sound like democracy to you?
California’s budget determines so much of what our state does and how our people live.
We cannot stand by while this minority uses an anti-democratic loophole to hold the state budget hostage year after year over issues that have nothing to do with budgeting.
Peace and friendship,
John Burton
Chair
California Democratic Party
California has a $20 billion budget deficit with its 2/3 vote requirement to pass a budget; a simple majority vote will lead to higher and higher deficits until the day that California defaults on its bonds and other debt instruments.
Then, – California’s government shuts down.
Then, – no social services for anyone.
Then, – anarchy, food riots, water riots, riots for the hell of it.
If this budget petition passes Californians will get what they deserve.
Think before you download.
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