#proposition 31

Proposition 31: No

What does it change? It’s complicated, but the main changes would: 1. Change the state’s budget cycle from yearly to a two-year budget cycle. 2. Gives the Governor some power to pressure the Legislature during “fiscal emergencies”: if the Legislature doesn’t act within 45 days the Gov. can make budget cuts without the Legislature. 3. Require legislators to come up with funding for any new programs or tax cuts that would cost the state more than $25 million. 4. Establish “Community Strategic Action Plans” that review performance of all Govt. programs (state & local) and establish performance benchmarks tied to budget allocation.

What’s good and not so good? Sounds pretty good. It makes the Govt. pay-as-you-go for new programs that would help the state from accruing new debt and gives the Governor the power to make spending cuts if the Legislature won’t act in a state of financial emergency. Oversight for existing programs is a great idea, but managing and funding it is too big an undertaking to squish it in here. Prop. 31 is trying to do too much. The fact that the “Community Strategic Action Plans” will cost tens of millions to establish and maintain is the least of Prop. 31’s problems.

What happens if you vote yes? You set the state up for failure and consent to more bureaucracy, bigger government (Community Strategic Action Plans). Though a yes vote would give the Governor the ability to act when the Legislature won’t work together in times of financial crisis and force legislators to identify revenue sources before starting new programs or cutting tax revenue (at least when the program or tax cut would cost more than $25 million a year).

What do I think? If I thought it would work I’d vote for it, but at it stands now Prop. 31 is an hodgepodge of potential government improvements without the built-in support mechanisms necessary to live up to that potential.