Lots of reasons for budget mess

Re “Governor threatens hundreds of vetoes,” Sept. 17

Article 4, Section 12 (c) 3 of the California Constitution reads as follows: “The Legislature shall pass the budget bill by midnight on June 15th of each year.”

Our Legislature is failing us. This loyalty to party, at the expense of the citizens, must be broken.

We voters are responsible for this failure and have a duty, in the spirit of the Declaration of Independence, to correct this failed governance.

I propose an amendment to Article 4, Section 12 (c) 3 of the Constitution to read: “The Legislature shall pass the budget bill by midnight on June 15th of each year. Failure to pass a budget by midnight on June 15th will render every legislator ineligible for reelection to the legislative body they currently serve.”

If the seated Legislature cannot act, then a new Legislature should be seated to carry on the work of the people.

Charles Lomeli

Fairfield, Calif.

The writer is the treasurer-tax collector-county clerk for Solano County.

There is plenty of blame to go around in the budget mess. Some of the blame must be placed on the voters of California, for two propositions that were passed.

One is term limits. Just when legislators learn how Sacramento works, they are termed out. As a result, the Legislature is peopled by ideologues who don’t realize that compromise is part of governing.

Second is the requirement for a supermajority to pass a budget. Because of this, a minority can hold the state hostage. This is what has happened this year.

Add to this mess a governor who also doesn’t know how state government really works, and we have the recipe for a governmental logjam with no real end in sight.

Jim Goodenough

Canoga Park

Regarding Arnold, as Mr. T. used to say: “I pity the fool.”

When he is called to the next world and must account for his life on Earth, he will have to defend bad movies, steroid use and worse budget leadership than Gov. George Deukmejian.

William E. Raabe

Fountain Valley