No! The California budget impasse is appalling and an embarrassment nationwide.

Part of the political process is the art of compromise, and yet we have a minority party that seems unwilling to deviate from its ideology to actually govern and reach a compromise.

The need to have a two-thirds majority to pass a budget is problem No, 1 and needs to be shelved ASAP. It is incomprehensible that we voters would allow a small minority to hold the rest of the state hostage.

In a bad economy the last thing we need to do is throw thousands more people out of work and refuse to issue tax-refund checks to taxpayers who need the funds.

The solution worked out by the Assembly and Senate leadership to spread the pain through one-third revenue growth by increased taxes, one-third by service cuts, and the rest through borrowing makes sense. It is practical and realistic.

State senators who want more concessions are irresponsible and selfish. I hope voters will remember this intransigence when they go to the polls.

Robert V. Zimmerman

Lafayette

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