Although 10 days have passed since the governor signed an amended budget, the state controller hasn't stopped issuing IOUs.
As Assemblyman Jared Huffman told us during a meeting with the Press Democrat Editorial Board this morning, the IOUs are costing the state $25 million a day.
The controller cannot stop issuing IOUs until he determines that a budget signed into law provides all the money necessary to help the state pay its bills. Given the gimmicks in this revised spending plan, that's a tough call.
In addition, it's unclear - possibly unlikely - that the budget will bolster the state's credit rating, which is the worst in the nation, better only than that of
"I don't think we know yet just how seriously Wall Street will take this budget," Huffman said.
Like his caucus colleagues, Huffman, D-San Rafael, placed much of the blame for the budget fiasco on
He said the state would have saved money if many of these budget cuts had been made earlier in the year. The state also might have avoided issuing IOUs and seeing its credit rating plummet. Getting out front on those cuts also might have helped build support for increasing revenues, at least through fee increases. The governor was already on record supporting some of those, Huffman noted.
"We knew we were going to have to make these cuts back in the spring," he said.
"We empowered a small Republican minority by our own delay."
In the end, Huffman believes the idea of a constitutional convention deserves more discussion than it's getting from the Legislature. He points out that the Legislature would be in the driver's seat because it would appoint the delegates to such a convention and determine the rules for how delegates are determined. This would allow them "to weed out the zealots and the activists."
"It's distressing that the Legislature is largely a bystander" on this issue, he said. "We should own it."
- Paul Gullixson
A constitutional convention. So the plan is to let the idiots that spent us into this mess rewrite, or seriously alter,California's constitution? Am I the only person that thinks this is a worse idea than watch the Legislature craft a budget?
If these clowns can't sort out a budget (like the rest of us "little" people), who is their right mind would support the idea that they can magically transform the state by mucking with the constitution?
At some point, the editorial staff is going to have to evacuate the "ivory tower" and interact with some normal people. It may be a severe shock, but you'll be better journalists for the experience.
Um, perhaps you didn't know that the legislature doesn't actually do the constituitonal "re-writing" -- it's a bunch of independent delegates, which is why it could work. The lack of "control" over those delegates is precisely why most legislators oppose a constiutional convention - and why, frankly, I'm impressed that Huffman is supporting it. Other legislators should be called to the carpet on this issue. As the saying goes, those who stand in the way of reform make revolution invevitable.
Huffman states the Legislature picks the delegates to the convention. Do you really believe they will not pick former legislators and political cronies who will look out for them?
I seriously doubt any input from regular Californians will be presented at such a convention.
Liberals keep blathering on about a constitutional convention simply because the want to do away with the the two thirds majority in order to pass a state budget to their liking. Sure, why not? Let them take over completely. After all, the Democrat party has controlled the state legislature for over 25 years and they have done a wonderful job.
"Um, perhaps you didn't know that the legislature doesn't actually do the constituitonal (sic) "re-writing" -- it's a bunch of independent delegates..."
Um,um..."independent delegates?" Delegated by whom? It will be a slobbering swarm of liberal wonks.