He agrees with me on the rest, it seems, and even makes another point against 1F though: 1F gives legislators incentive to raise taxes to raise their own salaries.

As for a conservative Governor… too bad we haven’t had one since Deuk. I’m not even old enough to really remember him.

Even though I’m a lib, I prefer a conservative Governor (not Arnold) to check the excesses of a liberal legislature. California seems to work best in this configuration. Doubt the legislature make up will change but a conservative Governor is doable.

California may be down right now but we are far from out.

Hence, the importance of the GOP to use the upcoming Souter replacement hearings to educate.

Do you live here?

The quickest way to see a rebound in Republican fortunes in CA is to remove the 2/3 budget requirement, and let the loony Left in the Legislature start indulging their budgetary and fiscal worst impulses to their hearts’ content.

I guarantee, even some deep blue voters in this state would quickly change their tune if that happens.

The kind of people Janice refers to are all over this state, and are totally immune to reason or persuasion.

And it’s not just about abortion – many, many California’s are true blue socialists (or worse) in every sense of the word.

That said, I’m personally hoping that the current residents of CA make it so unlivable for themselves that they all decamp to Mexico and Europe, allowing a bunch of newcomers to come to the state and start over…

If we could get past that insane, unconstitutional polarization on abortion, we’d be much better off.

Besides, even if these measure pass, the state still has a growing budget deficit to deal with.

Now I recognize that someone may argue that voting these measures down will lead to the next step by the Democrats of putting an initiative on the 2010 budget to end the 2/3rds vote on budgets, which would open the door to massive tax increases and remove that last bit leverage the Republican Party has in the state (barring an unlikely conservative Republican win in the 2010 governor’s race).

But the left is going to put such a initiative on the ballot anyway – even if the propositions pass – so this is a red herring. And also, elections have consequences – if the people succumb to deception and vote for fiscal apocalypse and one-party dictatorship, so be it. I just hope I could find a way to leave the state in time in that case.

There is such a disconnect here. When I remind my liberal brother, who complains about high taxes and illegal immigration, that it is is liberal democrat policies that have bankrupted this state, he tells me I’m wrong and I just don’t understand how government works. My fear is that the majority of people in this country see things just the way he does. This country is doomed to follow California’s example, especially with the little tyrant in the white house.

Maldonado should be at the top of the list.

NO…1a through 1f