Mailbag: ‘Yes’ on Prop. 25 will solve a lot of problems

‘Yes’ on Prop. 25 will solve a lot of problems: I was surprised to see a column by Zanku Armenian (“Think Again: Political irresponsibility,” Sept. 21) and letter by Joy Lang (“Gatto needs to focus on the job,” Sept. 22) both addressing the difficulty in passing a budget in California.

What was most surprising was that they both seemed to point the finger at the Legislature for the difficulty, without mentioning that there is a solution on the ballot for the coming election: Proposition 25.

Neither writer mentions that the whole difficulty started with the passage of Proposition 13 in 1978, which began the experiment with needing a two-thirds majority to pass a budget (and made it difficult to correct since it is a constitutional amendment).

Almost no other government body on the planet has this requirement. And since California passed Proposition 13 more than 30 years ago, none that I’m aware of has followed in our foolish footsteps.

Proposition 25 will fix the problem by returning to the sensible approach used everywhere: Pass budgets with a simple majority. It is time to stop making scapegoats and address the root problem.

Rather than writing letters blaming legislators for problems they didn’t make, it is time to do our part as voters and correct the problem by passing Proposition 25.

Scott Peer

Glendale