SAN CARLOS, Calif. (AP) - Fed up with the budget crises and partisan battles that have paralyzed California for years, some influential voices believe it's time to tear open the state constitution and start anew.
Once dismissed as a hokey gimmick, support for a proposed constitutional convention has been building in the nation's most populous state. Even Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, a Republican, has indicated he would back an effort to retool the document to make state government function more smoothly.
Opponents of the step say it's just a ruse to raise taxes and could expose the constitution to a host of ideological and special interest-driven changes.
Exactly. The only reason the budgeting process doesn't run smoothly is because the Democrats can't stop spending and a balanced budget is required in California. Opening up the constitution would eliminate many of the safeguards that keep the legislature from running completely amok (they're close to it now), and you can bet the first thing to go would be the language supporting traditional marriage.
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