Is the Tea Party an extension of the Republican Party, or has it become a movement all its own, a lone wolf among hungry, established packs?

This week, Senate and Assembly Democrats released their respective budgets for 2010-2011, each relying on a mix of taxes and borrowing to deal with state’s budget crisis while preserving critical education and social services that the Governor proposed cutting earlier this month.

The California ballot proposition system, instituted in 1911, was meant to be a form of direct democracy where ordinary voters could bypass the legislature and go directly to the voters via an initiative. What we have now is far from that.

The Legislature should quickly make it easier for candidates who don’t state a party preference to run for state office, advocates of Proposition 14, the so-called “Top-Two” open primary proposal on the June ballot, told reporters May 26.

In light of onerous ballot signature requirements for Decline to State candidates, the California Independent Voter Project is challenging the state legislature to remove these unfair barriers that shield the two-party system from legitimate competition.

Of the 535 members of Congress, only 2 are Independents.  This represents a meager 0.4%, while polls continue to reveal that 35-40% of Americans consider themselves to be Independents, unaffiliated with either major party.