Imagine if, in your personal life, you ran a budget deficit for 18 consecutive months.  Or, imagine if you owned a business, and you ran a budget deficit for 18 straight months. 

In either scenario, you wouldn't survive.  Your family would suffer, your employees would suffer, and you'd be caught in the grip of punishing financial hardship. 

The tea party movement expects to make another big splash on April 15.  With turnout anticipated to be in the millions, tea party supporters will take to the streets in an effort to revive the long-forgotten concept of fiscal conservatism.

As has been widely reported, the decision in November 2009 by the University of California to increase student tuition by more than 30 percent set off a wave of criticism and protests throughout the state.  Unfortunately, this significant jump in tuition is something California students have been grappling with for several years. 

The ballot initiative process, infamous for being dominated by controversial measures, special-interest funded projects, and the occasional jot of policy wisdom, looks to be set for a truly explosive set of options this November.

CAIVN contributor and independent blogger Bob Morris wrote that as many as 29 measures could be on the November ballot, a high number to begin with, and a buffet of options whose outcome for the California political system is anything but certain.

California’s proposed fire sale of what the offering realtor describes as “an 11 property, 7.3 million square foot sale/leaseback portfolio located in the San Francisco Bay Area, Los Angeles and Sacramento” has generated considerable skepticism around the state. 

In spite of an increase in the number of commercial food processors and a rise in foodborne illness outbreaks – one of the largest a result of Central Valley spinach producers – the number of food facilities the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has inspected has declined significantly over the last decade. The number of violations identified by inspectors has also fallen.

The Reason Foundation is a libertarian, non-profit, public policy organization that was established "to advance free minds and free markets." This month, they published a report by David Osborne, a policy analyst and former Clinton Administration official, who says he has a solution to California's budget problems.

In his report, entitled "The Next California Budget" (you can read the whole thing here), Osborne quickly assesses the problem:

On Tuesday April 6, Senate candidate Tom Campbell shared his vision for the economic future of California. Campbell unveiled his plan “A New Direction for American Prosperity,” and explained that in order to get the economy back on track, “We need to return to free market principles and return fiscal responsibility to Washington.”

According to a report from a Santa Barbara television station, the immigration debate is making its way onto a local UC campus, becoming a prominent concern with students seeking to hold President Obama accountable on the issue.

“[Immigration reform] is an urgency” said one student. “Families are getting separated, students are being barred from education [...],” said one high school student in the report.

Despite the rising number and growing influence of California’s Decline to State voters, the major political parties can still shut out them out of the primaries if they choose. 

Operating on what is known as a modified closed party system, the state's six official political parties - American Independent Party, Democratic Party, Green Party, Libertarian Party, Peace and Freedom Party, and the Republican Party  - determine 135 days prior to the date of the primary for each election cycle whether or not Decline to State voters can participate in their primary.