I Have A Propostion For You

There's another election here in California. We won't get to toss a governor out or make way for a new era of hope and change. This time we're going to try and decide upon the best way to untangle the budget mess that is currently keeping our state from catching any kind of relief. We, who are not professional legislators, are being asked to make sense of a problem that has apparently confounded the pros in Sacramento for several years now. My hunch is that no one wants to be the person who says, "I have an idea: Let's raise taxes."
As a homeowner who happens to be a public school teacher as well, I am always conflicted on these matters. But then again, it does give me a shot at choosing when I get a raise. If only it was that simple. None of what we are being asked to vote on will actually fix the problem. Like Arkansas and Rhode Island, the California legislature require a two-thirds vote to pass a budget. This does not happen with any kind of regularity or speed. Months pass and deadlines pass until some semblance of a compromise can be shaken free long enough to get two out of every three lawmakers to agree on it. Forty-seven other states make this process a simple majority.
We are not being asked to fix that. Instead we are sorting out things like a "rainy day fund," and tobacco taxes. I do like that we have the chance to keep lawmakers from voting themselves a raise when the state is running at a deficit. Since every election we have costs the state millions of dollars, calling for voters to make these choices seems to only exacerbate the lack of funds.
But what about those schools? The state's teachers' union is asking its members to support the first two propositions, while my local union is advising against them. The message is clear: This is precisely what it feels like to be a senator or representative. Conflicting information and opposing views cause us all to simply shut down. When the going gets tough, the tough go on vacation. Who's with me?