Ezra Klein Archive: California

The Role of Prop. 13

James Fallows reminds us that California might be a liberal state, but it's constrained by the mother of all conservative tax structures: Proposition 13. Pre-Prop 13 (as Benjamin Schwarz points out in his review of the great new Kevin Starr...

Fiscal Responsibility vs. Fiscal Conservatism

Robert Samuelson's column this morning is a good reminder that there's a difference between being fiscally responsible and fiscally conservative. The subject of his argument, at least ostensibly, is California's budgetary crisis and the need for government to manage its...

The Politics of Taxes in California

One of the big problems in California is that raising taxes requires a two-thirds majority in the legislature. Republican legislators are rare in California, but not that rare, and so their unified opposition to tax increases means there are never...

California: Still Ahead of the Curve

Few Golden Staters would deny that California has a tendency to believe itself the center of the universe. But even they would be impressed by the California-centrism on display in Ryan Avent's post outlining the difficulties facing a third...

Will We Follow California Into the Abyss?

I'm not sure exactly where Mark Leibovich got the idea that the budget crisis and political turmoil currently wracking California is funny. But he's managed to write an 8,000-word article on the half-dozen candidates vying for the office that...

So You Say You Want a Constitutional Convention?

New America's Steven Hill had an interesting op-ed in the Los Angeles Times yesterday. California, he said, needs a constitutional convention. Yep. At this point, that's about as controversial as saying Jon and Kate's kids are going to need therapy....

Older Entries in This Category »

Crisis in California, Ezra Klein , June 16, 2009

California Leavin', Ezra Klein , June 15, 2009

Blame Prop 13!, Ezra Klein , June 2, 2009

Is California Getting a Raw Deal?, Ezra Klein , June 2, 2009

As Goes California, So Goes the Nation?, Ezra Klein , May 26, 2009