CA: Backslapping legislative opener just prelude to a political war

State legislators old and new convened briefly in Sacramento on Monday to formally launch the new biennial session, and, as usual, it was marked by ceremonial pomp, backslapping bonhomie and photo-snapping by proud family members.

Lawmakers had best remember the day, because it may be the session's high point of conviviality. Given the makeup of the Legislature and the enormity of the state's budget deficit, countless months of partisan and personal rancor lie ahead.

Isn't it nice to have the hammer!!!

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There is another diaster shaping up for California in the northern third of the state that will have major consequence on the Valley farmers and state revenues. This region has received only a third to one half of normal precipitation leaving Lakes Shasta and Trinity and other water storage lakes at low levels.

As if girding for that battle, one of the first Democratic measures introduced Monday was a constitutional amendment that, if enacted, would eliminate the two-thirds vote requirements for budgets and thus erase the Republicans' hammerlock. It won't pass the Legislature because it would require a two-thirds vote itself, but unions and other liberal groups are already planning to place it on the March 2004 ballot via an initiative -- possibly accompanied by a measure to increase state taxes by billions of dollars.

This is very interesting. The primary election always has a more conservative voting block, I don't understand why they would put liberal measures on the ballot then (I think they will be more inclined to put it on the November 2004 ballot). Although, if they were on the general election ballot, it would mobilize conservatives, apolitical people who care about taxes, people who don't normally vote, and this could cause the Democrats to lose more seats in the presidential election year -- coupled with a popular president up for re-election.

Interesting. I don't see these passing in March, and I don't see these passing in Nov. But they must have something up their sleeve, so we'd better watch out.

During September, October and most of November, the water was released from Lake Shasta into the lower Sac at summer levels. I guess that they were generating electricity.

There should have been minimal releases for crops and ranches since those are harvest months.

This has been tried several times before. The attempts to over-ride Prop 13 have been soundly defeated at the polls, losing even in highly liberal enclaves like San Francisco. By contrast, ballot initiatives aimed at selling bonds to raise money for the doomed and ineffective public school system have passed each and every time.

The RATs are in a heap of trouble; Davis, of course, has presidential aspirations (possibly because he's self-deluded), so he must be careful not to endorse a major tax hike. I think even the stupid RAT-bastards realize that the LAST thing to do in a recession is raise taxes. Still, they will find a way to stick it to the tax payers through raising "fees". Without a major turnaround in the high-tech market sector, we are in for some tough times in the once great Golden State. I hope the RATs take it right on the chin.

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