FROM SACRAMENTO — California voters sent Sacramento a mixed and somewhat contradictory message Tuesday. But the politicians' response should be unequivocal. They should fix the budget themselves, right now, and not dither over any pain it inflicts.
All those steamy summers of squabbling over unconstitutionally late spending plans without honestly making ends meet finally caught up with the policymakers when the electorate emphatically trashed their convoluted offering.
The one common message from diverse voter groups was that they don't respect or trust their elected state representatives. The public isn't buying what the politicians are selling.
Restoring public confidence so they can start to lead California in a new direction should be their first order of business.
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger must follow through on his pre-election doomsday threat to slash and burn if voters wound up rejecting the budget fixes, or they'll never believe another word he says. They hardly do now, based on the election results and previous polling.
The nonpartisan Field Poll last month found the lame-duck governor suffering from record-low popularity. Only 32% of surveyed voters approved of the way he was handling his job. Fellow Republicans approved of him even less than Democrats.
The Legislature's job approval was a stunningly abysmal 14%.
If there had been a measure on the ballot Tuesday to demote the Legislature from full-time to part-time status, it probably would have passed. In fact, a group filed a proposed initiative Wednesday to create a part-time, so-called citizen Legislature.
To begin to earn any credibility, the Legislature must pass a balanced budget by July 1, start of the new fiscal year. No months-long posturing and childish games.
And what's to argue about? After Tuesday, it's fantasy to think there could be enough support in the Capitol for another tax increase.
Liberal groups Wednesday were dreaming again of eliminating the two-thirds vote requirement for passage of a budget and tax hike. Good luck, but that and other needed reforms are years off if ever.
Meanwhile, Sacramento is projected to run out of cash by mid-July if the governor and Legislature don't clean up another $21.3 billion in red ink so the state seems safe enough for investors to buy its bonds. Treasurer Bill Lockyer says a legitimate budget must be signed at least by July 1.
