Well, that was a loathsome election yesterday. Everything lost about two to one, except the proposition to freeze legislator salaries when the state is running a deficit, which won three to one. It was so bad, Schwarzenegger fled the state entirely yesterday, choosing to hobnob with Barack Obama about car emissions in DC instead. The progressives are spinning it as “give us a real budget and not a fake compromise,” the conservatives are spinning it as “stop providing services,” and the only voters that showed up were hoppin’ mad.
So what happens next? Well, we’re back to a budget stalemate. The Republicans will not raise taxes, and we have a $21 billion shortfall in revenue, so everything is getting cut (schools, services, prisons, salaries, everything) and it’s going to become Mad Max in the Thunderdome in the Golden State. Basically, Schwarzenegger campaigned for the propositions on the “vote yes or I shoot this dog,” so now we have to see if he’s actually going to shoot the dog. [note!: This is only a metaphor. The Appeal does not condone actually shooting dogs.] Or maybe we’ll get an actual workable compromise — though given the legislature’s track record, I’m dubious.
You know, this is an asinine way to run a state. Voting yes felt dirty, voting no felt irresponsible, and nobody is happy. HATE.
Photo: Ted Weinstein, via SFist
