Even by the standards of this polarized age, Sacramento has to be one of the state capitals least prone to bipartisan comity. Most of the time California's regnant Democrats are decrying members of the GOP as unthinking obstructionists, while the barely-relevant Republicans are accusing the majority party of taxing, spending, and regulating the Golden State into penury. That's what makes yesterday's events so remarkable.
At a Capitol press conference, the Republican leaders of both chambers of the legislature -- backed by members of their caucus -- announced their support of Democratic Governor Jerry Brown's pension reform plans, noting in a statement, "We have not changed one comma, one period or one word. This is his plan as he wrote it, and we will stand with him to see it passed."
At a Capitol press conference, the Republican leaders of both chambers of the legislature -- backed by members of their caucus -- announced their support of Democratic Governor Jerry Brown's pension reform plans, noting in a statement, "We have not changed one comma, one period or one word. This is his plan as he wrote it, and we will stand with him to see it passed."
Brown's plan -- which would, amongst other things, introduce "hybrid" defined-benefit/defined-contribution plans, raise the retirement age for most public workers, up employee contributions to both health care and retirement plans, and end pension spiking -- isn't perfect. But it's an utterly reasonable first step towards getting the state's metastasizing public sector under control.
Given their slight numbers, the Republicans' support won't be sufficient to pass Brown's proposals into law. But it does lay down a marker for California's legislative Democrats, who risk looking absolutely beholden to labor interests if they can't get behind relatively modest proposals supported by both a Democratic governor and Republican legislators. If it takes that kind of shame to overcome the Democrats' recalcitrance, so be it. California's fiscal health hangs in the balance.
Given their slight numbers, the Republicans' support won't be sufficient to pass Brown's proposals into law. But it does lay down a marker for California's legislative Democrats, who risk looking absolutely beholden to labor interests if they can't get behind relatively modest proposals supported by both a Democratic governor and Republican legislators. If it takes that kind of shame to overcome the Democrats' recalcitrance, so be it. California's fiscal health hangs in the balance.
