Podcast: Plan B

April 1, 2011, 12:01 am • Posted by John Myers
Comments (2)

The only thing we may have learned this week about the state's budget saga is that Governor Jerry Brown's Plan A -- an early June special election on extending taxes -- is now an official no-go.

On to Plan B.

This week's Capital Notes Podcast is kind of sifting through the clutter of a week where talks blew up and everyone had a theory as to why. Anthony York of the Los Angeles Times and I examine what lies ahead... and why some are advocating that Brown ditch his special election idea altogether.

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About John Myers

John Myers is Sacramento Bureau Chief for KQED Public Radio and "The California Report," heard daily on 23 public radio stations across the Golden State.
  • Max Neiman

    As for the election idea, Brown did commit to asking the voters for any tax increase, and he will be attacked by the media and by his political opponents should he not seek an election. He really has no choice in that regard. The whole notion that a minority party should seek to govern on an extensive political agenda via the budget process is an unacceptable institutional feature of California's "broken" system. It's a pretty ugly set-up. Great discussion, gentlemen.

  • hello

    I agree with Max. Brown has to take take it to the vote. Because (and this gets lost in all the talk about taxes) it's not just (or even mainly) about the taxes; it's mostly about the level of service we, Californians, expect. And, if we expect that level of service in our coomunities, are we willing to pay for it? The voters have to have a chance to say whether or not they want the public services we now receive. Because if the majority of us don't want those services, then maybe we shouldn't be getting them. Maybe we do want fewer cops, firefighters and teachers; maybe we're not that bothered about people being let of prison. I suspect that's not accurate but the only way I (or Brown or anyone else) will know for sure is if we put it to a vote.