Source: Times reporting, California Department of Finance, Legislative Analyst's Office | Credit: David Lauter and Evan Halper | Flash: Sean Connelley
You balance the budget
Try your hand at closing California's budget shortfall, now estimated at $26.3 billion. Its not easy, but it can be done. Cut spending, raise taxes and/or borrow to get the state out of the red. For each choice -- drawn from proposals from across the political spectrum -- weve tried to give some sense of the effects. As you craft your proposal, the Deficit Meter will show your progress.
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Save more than 
Try this on for size, no cuts, freeze the 2010 budget at the existing 85 billion, pay off the deficit via an expiring tax surcharge occurring over four years. Once paid for, ammend the State Constitiuion requiring a balanced budget. There, the budget fixed in four lines.
mygale (02/01/2010, 2:35 PM )