The Los Angeles Times has a fun California state budget balancing tool. See if you can accomplish what the state’s elected officials cannot. You get to choose which spending cuts and tax increases will eliminate that pesky budget shortfall. I was able to knock out the shortfall with lots of cuts and a broadening of the sales tax base to include services and industries that until now have enjoyed an unwarranted tax-free status (a $1.1 billion tax increase).
