In the upcoming election, California voters will face a tough decision on Proposition 56. Basically, Prop 56 will

1. lower the vote from 67% to 55% of the State Assembly to pass any budget related tax increases

2. require 25% of extra state income go into a reserve

3. force the legislature to stay in session until a budget is passed

4. force the Assembly and the Governor to lose their pay for each day the budget is late

In principle, Prop 56 would seem to be a boon for Californians, but in practice, it may prove to be a deadly nightmare.

To begin with, we are sacrificing cooperation for the mob mentality. Lowering the vote from 67% to 55% of the State Assembly to pass a budget related bill certainly fits into the "majority rule" belief; however, this leaves us susceptible to immediate passions and biases of mob rule. If the majority always rules, what happens to the rights of the minority? Fostering bipartisan cooperation is paramount because it forces us to consider the impacts on all people. More importantly, working together usually allows us to develop better solutions than working on our own. Teamwork is an important component in any successful venture. We should not lightly toss it away just so we can just pass any budget.

While Prop 56 will make it easier to pass a budget on time, this does not mean that California is getting the best budget. The idea of withholding pay for the State Assembly and the Governor is a good one. However, lowering the percentage to pass a budget related bill is

not the best course of action because it gives politicians an easy way out of any potential budget delays. Rather than taking the responsibility of passing a serious budget initiative, we are handing our state politicians a "get out of free jail card" with Prop 56. In the interest of having a timely budget (and getting paid), the politicians can force a substandard budget through the Assembly because they will need less Assembly members supporting the bill. That is, we are reducing the incentive for the state politicians to negotiate effective budget measures.

With a budget deadline looming, Prop 56 provides more incentive for the politicians to take the easy route and propose tax hikes and/or inconsequential cost cutting moves instead of taking the time to actually identify and eliminate wasteful spending. Most Californians want our government to have the state budget passed on time, but we do not want time passing our budget. This shortsighted thinking will only force our dilapidated economy to collapse even further.

While I applaud the attempt of Prop 56 to bring order to our state budget process, it falls short of what we really need. Should we keep the forfeiture of pay? Yes. Should we force the State Assembly to stay in session until a budget is passed? Yes. Should we place 25% of excess state income into a reserve? Well, there does seem to be any excess income to reserve, and what exactly classifies an emergency? Should we lower the State Assembly vote from 67% to 55% for budget related bills? No.

I urge all Californians to vote NO on Proposition 56. Regrettably, it is only a half-hearted solution to a very serious problem. Let us unite and send a message to our state representatives that changes are needed, but Prop 56 is not enough! Our system is broken, and we need more than a band aid to fix it.