Some of those commenting above offer nothing except to resort to the 2 most common reactions of the empty headed idealogues – insults, vague and unsupported generalities and a rewrite of history.

Such arguments are virtually identical to the ones made when the vote was denied to blacks, American Indians and, less than 100 years ago, to women.

California’s budget deficits are not attributable to commissions. Instead, they are attributable to conservatives who did not reinstate the full auto licensing fee, which alone would have generated $ 5 billion annually. The deficit is attributable to conservatives who passed a 3 strikes law plus prohibition-like drug laws that require taxpayers to bear the huge financial burden of keeping people in prison for life. The deficit is also attributable to the downturn in the business cycle that was supposed to turn up with conservative-sponsored tax cuts and laffer curve (no one is laughing.)

The deficit is attributable to the fact that unlike most other states, California barely taxes cigarettes and has NO taxes on oil extraction fees.

We need the commission Rose talks about and we could afford it and much more if conservatives were less hell bent on borrow and spend policies that impoverish our quality of life and mortgage our children’s futures.

Those are the facts that conservatives seek to obscure with name calling and by calling for personal responsibility while they advocate for policies that continue to subsidize wealthy individuals and corporations.