Oddly, Governor Brown’s budget agenda appears to be framed for failure.  

Much discussion concerns the plan’s proposed broad and deep cuts.  With the exception of higher education, however, the prevailing response is “a sigh of relief”, as the governor’s plan proposes to sustain existing spending levels.  

The caveat, of course, is that sustained funding depends on passage of as-yet-undefined tax extensions in mid 2011… a far from certain prospect.  Unfortunately, Brown did not propose the deeper cuts that are required based on existing revenue projections, which would have gutted–and galvanized–educational interests.  

By assuming passage of a measure similar to one that failed just last year, and that has yet to be even placed on the ballot, Brown’s spin may have effectively sidelined what should be the largest base for an effective field operation for passage of the tax extension.

It’s no surprise that Brown’s revenue strategy does not offer leadership for tax justice to produce enough revenue to adequately sustain public services in CA.  It’s likely that leadership on that score will have to come from elsewhere, and is unlikely to produce ballot options before 2012.  But in the short term, we are dependent on Brown and the CA Democratic Party leadership to craft a special election strategy that can win in mid-2011 while building public consensus and coalitions and on-the-ground field capacity to effectively support public services going forward.  It’s alarming to consider that, whether intentionally or ineptly, they may instead be framing this fight for failure.