AM Alert: Green light {Initiative to make it easier to raise taxes}

SacBee: Capitol Alert ^ | 7/31/9 | Torey Van Oot

[SmithL]

The Secretary of State's office has given the green light to begin gathering signatures for a ballot initiative to lower the vote requirement for passing a state budget or increasing taxes from two-thirds to a three-fifths supermajority.

The man behind the initiative, Berkeley-based attorney and editor Robert Denham, says he figures that a three-fifths majority would prevent gridlock over the budget but still be palatable to voters wary of dropping the requirement to a simple majority.

"I thought voters are more likely to sign off on something that doesn't make it too easy," said Denham, a Democrat. "That sort of puts it in range of where a current or broad majority of the center-left could get together and make some reasonable decisions and about the budget and about taxes."

Denham's proposal would put the bar needed to pass a budget and raise taxes at 48 votes in the Assembly and 24 in the Senate -- right under the number of seats Democrats now hold in both houses.

[SmithL]

Fish gotta swim,

birds gotta fly, and

RATS gotta tax!

[screaminsunshine]

Beware of cornered Rats..That is when they are the most dangerous.

[Uncle Hal]

Didn’t the voters just turn down a similar scheme a few years ago.

[FrdmLvr]

Do you think they care?

[bgill]

Berkeley. ‘Nuff said.

Junior is having to read a government text over the summer and was having problems understanding the author skipping from one topic to a unrelated topic and basically making no sense. After a week of listening to his complaining, I had him bring me the book. Two seconds later I saw the problem - a Berkeley author and a flip to a random page was quoting Ginsburg.

[DPMD]

Almost, but their own stupidity got the best of them.

Several years ago, the Democrats submitted a ballot proposition to amend the state constitution to permit the raising of property taxes by a simple majority, erasing the two-thirds requirement. That one was defeated. Next year, they resubmitted, this time raising it - barely- to a 55% majority, and the voters thought that was just fine. But don’t worry; the proposition also called for audits, and severe - SEVERE, I TELL YOU - consequences for any abuse of the funds, which are supposed to help only schools.