The sole legitimate reason for opposition to federal aid to help “donor nation” California to deal with its budget crisis is that by rewarding failure and will invite all sorts of other states to line up for similar largesse.  Governor Palin is among those who have raised the prospect of such a perverse incentive.

I think that I can solve that problem (and I know this isn’t a new solution):

As a condition of aid, the Obama Administration should require Governor Schwarzenegger to resign.

To be fair, the Feds should probably also require Speaker Bass and Senator Steinberg to resign from their leadership positions, although I say that with regret, as I have little real animus towards them for their desperate attempts to deal with the current situation.  That just may be what’s required to make things look “unbiased.”

They should also require California to take serious steps to resolve its budget crisis, including requiring a a simple majority budget and a constitutional convention to address the question of taxation.  Money should be deployed in such a way that the greatest benefit comes only when the strategic solutions are implemented by voter approval.

Take that sort of hard-nosed, pragmatic line — punishing failure and demanding real reform — and I promise you that the line of other states seeking to follow suit will be very, very short.

So, with that objection out of the way, I renew my call for federal assistance to this state before, to liken economics to the fate of the Pequod, we drag all surrounding boats into the salty deep in our wake.

I’m willing to see Arnold resign as a condition of saving our economy.  Is he?