Think Long – Another Hat in the Ring
If you have been following California politics for the last decade then you know that California governance process is broken. From a recall of a Governor to annual budgets that do not solve underlying issues, California is surviving in spite of legislative gridlock.
Ever since the passage of Prop 13, California has relied on its growth to cover up unsustainable budgeting practices. However. the dot-com bust and the housing collapse have exposed the shortcomings of a legislative process that required 2/3 votes to pass a budget. As a result, various organizations have sprung up to propose solutions to California’s governance process.
From the Bay Area Council proposing a constitutional convention to incremental approaches from California Forward, the recommendations to solve California’s governance problem run the gamut. The latest group to throw its hat in the ring is the Think Long Committee for California.
In a 23 page report issued this week, the Think Long Committee is proposing a comprehensive set of measures to address revenue and governance issues. The three parts of their proposal are: 1.) Empowering Local Government and Regions, 2.) Citizen’s Council for Governmental Accountability and 3.) Broad Based Tax System.
The broad-based tax system would generate an $10 billion in revenues for California. According to their report $1 trillion of California’s economic output is not taxed due to an outdated tax code. K-14 education would receive $5 billion of the proposed tax restructuring.
However, the additional revenues does not come without proposed strings. Proposed changes to teacher tenure, teacher and principal evaluations, and non-seniority layoffs have led to the California Teachers Association opposition to the Think Long proposal.
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