FInally, talking about tax increase

We have not been devoting a whole lot of space here to budget news, partly on the theory that it has been premature to get too excited about it. Back in March we saw the storm clouds brewing and knew it was looking bad, but too early to really see in clear detail.

Well, now it is May. The budget gap is getting bigger. Layoff notices—which in most years never amount to much—are no joke. The gathering storm is breaking over our heads. The rainy day is here and it looks every bit as bad as predicted. Maybe worse.

Yet Sacramento continues to dither. Arnold and the legislature continue to play a game of chicken with our schools' future. Any fool can see the state needs to find more revenue, yet no one seems to be willing to be the first to stand up and propose the obvious—we need to raise taxes. So this LA Times article provides an interesting perspective:

Californians divided over new taxes for schools, poll finds:

Californians want their public schools protected from state budget cuts and are willing to tax the rich to make that happen. But despite the threat of schools taking a beating in next year's state budget, residents are sharply divided over whether they would support higher taxes for themselves, according to a statewide poll released late Wednesday.

Letting the axe fall on our kids' heads is not an option. Raising taxes will be difficult. It's time for the legislature and the governor to get serious about the hard work of hammering out this budget. Playing chicken is to no one's advantage.