The Daunting Challenge for California Ahead

Governor elect Jerry Brown along with new and incumbent Californian politicians alike have much to deal with in the very near future.

The big questions on everybody's mind: "Where the money at?"

Jobs, the economy, housing market, and most importantly, the record-setting budget deficit (the one that ties it all together) --> The politicians are being served a full plate of problems with the budget as the main course.

The passing of Proposition 25 will make it easier for State Legislature to pass a budget with a simple majority. However, the Passing of Proposition 22 (limits on money borrowed from local governments) and 26 (increases difficulty in raising fees) is making it harder as well.

The governor elect will find somewhere to sleep in Sacramento while on the job as he tries to keep his home in Oakland. On a humorous remark at a press conference, Brown shows us that he too is like any Californian. "[He's] not selling this house until it retains it original value"

Something's got to give at some point. The simple way out looks like the harder way out to most of us--> Raise taxes to fill the hole in the budget..but if it's not that simple, there must be some many other variables that do and don't matter that must be keeping us from doing it in such a simple manner. Prop 22 and 26 however demonstrates California's unwillingness to put their own money. Most of the change to close the deficit will have to come from budget spending cuts that would translate to fewer and lower quality government services. Yes, it's our hard-earned cash, I'd like to keep mine too, but I feel like were screaming "HURRY, MY CAR HAS A FLAT TIRE, FIX IT SO WE CAN GET BACK ON THE ROAD!" while saying "sorry, I don't have a spare tire and I don't know how to pay you back, can you still fix it?!"

I don't know about you, but I am trying to go to college. I'd like to see the CSU and UC systems keep the quality of education as it is, and stay like that so I don't have to spend 5 years to get a 4-year degree.

I'm not saying the education is good or bad at the moment, I'm saying I do not want to see it get worse. With the looming issues with the budget, nothing is promised.