Today's Fresh Meat

[courtesy of The California Majority Report]

This year's 52-day late budget adds to the allure of switching to a majority rule, which is the law of the land in all but California, Alaska and RhodeIsland, the Sacramento Bee reports. Even conservative Republican Sen.Tom McClintock (left), one of this year's 14 crusaders has suggestedthat the two-thirds rule does not induce better budgets. Rather, it washas allowed wavering GOP legislators to vote "aye" in exchange fordistrict pork.

Lost amidst the partisan gridlock over the budget is the fact that someprograms that cost a lot now could save us a lot down the road. The LosAngeles Times reports that rehabilitation programs aimed at thementally ill homeless took a $55 million hit, a cut Sen. Darrell Steinberg called "unconscionable." Helping peoplerebuild their lives is expensive, but if we succeed, we've saved a lotfor next year and possibly saved lives too.

Reminding readers that the budget is a moral document that in a sense reflects the values of the people, formerAssemblymember Hannah Beth Jackson points out in the CaliforniaProgress Report that the state's yacht owners (which include Senate GOPLeader Dick Ackerman) received a $45 million tax break. Yacht ownersfavored over the mentally ill homeless. Some values.

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Photo courtesy of Flash Report.