Is a constitutional convention the big fix for Californias budget crisis?
California is so broken that when a rumor circulated that Hewlett-Packard Co. was so fed up with state politics it was leaving the Golden State for Texas, many feared it was true. It’s not, and HP representatives laughed when asked to comment. But it shows just how low the state has sunk when the unthinkable sounds plausible. It also explains the force driving the call for a constitutional convention to fix California’s dysfunctional state budget system. “Political gridlock” and “financial insolvency” are the words Andy Ball, president and CEO of San Mateo-based Webcor Builders, used to describe his frustration. “Our revenue is dropping as companies are leaving the state to escape the bureaucratic red tape and the high taxes, while other states are welcoming them with open arms and a basket of incentives,” Ball said. A constitutional convention could address what he called in an e-mail, a “broken and outdated government” to lead the state out of its “self-imposed mess.” Ball is not alo
