From Either Side of the Aisle, Prop. 140 Stands for Profound Change : OTHER COMMENTARY : Fresh, Able Faces Will Rattle Cages

The budget process is likely to suffer most from the combination of ultra-short terms and staff cuts. A rookie legislator--even the best--has a limited understanding of the budget after two years. The next two years provide a little seasoning. Finally a third-term Assembly member must become the chair of the Ways and Means Committee--and then for only two years! Meanwhile, a limited staff will be hard-pressed to provide the intense level of budgetary scrutiny and institutional memory to develop an accountable budget.

The result will inevitably be an Administration-dictated budget with little effective legislative review. The budget will soon reflect the perspective of the permanent state bureaucracy, since the same agencies that receive and spend the money will determine their own budgets. Short-term legislators will be unable to challenge Administration claims, so real review and accountability will be minimal.

The outside influence on the Administration will come from lobbyists; those who represent interests that are well-connected to the current Administration will get their programs funded. But the voices of many grass-roots advocates--those who actually provide services or represent local constituencies--will not be effective, particularly when their views are at odds with state bureaucrats.