[AVNevis]

Wow! 2 Articles on Free Republic by Sen. McClintock were posted within 54 seconds.

[CBart95]

Yikes! Anything that starts with a reference to the Magna Carta is bound to lead to balderdash!

[SweetCaroline]

BUMP

[calcowgirl]

Ping.

[calcowgirl]

This is the heart of our separation of powers, and the most important single mechanism to check the excesses and abuses that occur whenever mere mortals are spending other people’s money.

He's singing your tune!

[EternalVigilance]

Sounds like California has adopted the corrupt Illinois legislative budget process. A coupld of big hitters in a back room...

[John Lenin]

McClintock will kick Arnies butt and should run against him in the primaries. Arnold doesn't know his arse from a hole in the ground when it comes to hardball politics.

[Carry_Okie]

The “Big Five” began replacing the constitutional structure about the same time that term limits took effect. Before term limits, the legislature had a much stronger institutional identity and tradition that made the surrender of basic constitutional prerogatives unthinkable. Term limits removed that stability and we must now look to other devices to restore it without impeding the free and necessary communication between the executive and legislative branches.

This is the crux. No matter how bad the legislature was, term limits made it worse. Instead of ensconsed and corrupt professional politicians, we got a batch of ignorant put-ups, beholden only to the interests who funded their run, and often not caring about re-election, therefore both clueless and not accountable to the people.

There was an excellent discussion of term length and re-election in Federalist 53.

[ken21]

"...the public is afforded direct input into the expenditure of their money."

yeah, right!

many are stuck on the clogged freeways, talking on their cell phones, and rear-ending the vehicles ahead of them.

when they get home, their concerns are: sex, eating, alcohol, drugs, hollywood movies, sports, shopping, and gambling.

meanwhile, at the local californios library some bolshevik has ordered books in spanish, cambodian, vietnamese, chinese, etc., and books you want to read are NOT available.

si.

[DoughtyOne]

Through the initiative process, I'd like to see a law passed that would require the Legislature and Senate submit a budget to the Governor by June 15th. Failing that, the Legislature and Senate seats would be vacated. Special elections would be held within weeks and a new interim session called at once, to pick up where the previous incompetants had left off.

Sounds rather harsh, but I'm guessing future business would be handled in a timely manner.