Sen Simitian - When you spend money like a monkey on crack with a stolen credit card, you will quickly run out of money for the things you really need. Look at the run-up in the state budget over the last few years. Seriously, look at it. Web Link You ran up $30 billion in new spending in the last three years, and now you complain that the cupboard is bare. Wow. How about paring back on some of that new spending to free up funds for higher education?

Also, we already have more than enough rules and regulations. Do you really need to be soliciting people for more ideas on how government can run our lives? How about "There Oughta not be a Law" contest where people can give you suggestions on how to reduce unneeded and costly regulations that could be removed to make our lives better and to free up some money for higher education?

I have a different take: The outraged complaints about many, not just this one, budget cuts merely exposes the truth that the government is giving us the services we want; we're just not willing to pay for them.

Thanks Doug - Your voice is common sense. A society needs services - right neo-cons? - and taxes (especially those from corporations and sales) have not kept up with the cost of reality. Education is crucial. Since 'USA' wants to text and drive - please let us know when you are behind the wheel so the rest of us are safe! Blood from a turnip?
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If you are getting the services you want, then you can voluntarily pay more taxes for them. Most of us disagree which is why the majority are not willing to raise TAX RATES until these inept politicians learn to control their spending. Tax revenues are tied to growth and have grown but can not keep up with the increase in spending by politicians that are bot and paid for by special interest groups.

Simitian is typical of the problem. Runs a contest each year to increase bureaucracy. Hey Joe, how about reducing bureaucracy and allowing CA to grow and stop chasing companies out of CA