>>The root of the problem is the fiscal crisis, which itself
>>is rooted in the idiotic ballot system that California has.
>>In other words, the problem is democracy i.e. mob rule which
>>makes any progressive policy impossible.
>
>I'm not sure that's true in general, but I don't think it's even
>true in California. It's not the mob-on-the-street we have to worry
>about, it's the mob in the Capitol we have to worry about.
Yup. Those ballot measures WS points to become popular because of screwy Capitol mob action, or lack of it. A nimrod like Howard Jarvis, who repeatedly ran for public office and never won an election (including multiple failed runs at mayor of Los Angeles) would never have been able to get any traction on Prop 13 if something had been done to address the problem in Sacramento.