Marin Voice: Fixing the Bay Bridge - and state government

THE BAY BRIDGE foul-ups and the long-running California budget fiasco have much in common.

[Michael Hartnett]

Don't blame Prop 13 for our budget mess - same liberal mantra. Tax revenue, including property tax revenues, have outpaced population growth and inflation.(I'm not sure about the last year - because of the depression) Spending has outpaced taxes, however.

The 2/3 requirement to pass a budget has been in place since the early 1930's. Whe the state built its university system, freeways, and water projects in the 1940's and 1950's, this rule was still in place. What was absent were partisans like you and Huffman. We had Earl Warren, Goodwin Knight and Pat Brown as governors - It was about getting things done. We had cross filing, too, so that candidates had to appeal to the center, something that's missing today.

I agree - fix the constitution, but fix what's wrong - partisanship. Gerrymandered districts, excessive money in campaigns, not lack of revenue is harming the state.

Rubin and Huffman support desalination - we need to stop them.

[ex Eurekan]

close the bridge down and get the new one up now spend all that extra money on the new bridge. give bart the extra fare money for awhile .