Now that California's embarrassing budgetspectacle is thankfully over, it is reassuring that many of the GoldenState's elected officials and opinion leaders seem to be on the samepage about one thing -- doing away with the state Constitution-requiredtwo-thirds majority vote to approve budgets containing tax increases.

And now something completely different: an "open" primary, in more ways than one!

Republican California Sen. Abel Maldonado is to thank for the possibility of the open primary, an amendment to the state constitution known as SCA 4 or "The Top Two Candidates Open Primary Act." The deal-sweetener of February 19's budget, this act would provide a much-needed form of transparency, and may give innovative independents and conservatives their first real chance at meaningful and possibly majority-drive statewide leadership in many years.

The Top Two Candidates Open Primary initiative is based on Washington State’s primary system, which has already been approved by the US Supreme Court (Washington State Grange v. Washington State Republican Party).

Los Angeles Times Editorial - February 20, 2009:

The American Recovery and Investment Act of 2009, better known as the stimulus package worth a heaping $787.2 billion, sought in part to put Americans back to work. With $71 billion stipulated for energy and environmental incentives, and another $20 billion for green tax incentives, that funding has the potential to create a better environment, and the jobs--in California and beyond--to work toward it.

And so we take the first step toward one-party rule! In a blistering blast of naivete, State Senator Abel Maldonado has defected to the cause of the budgetary compromise with one condition attached to his move: there must be a proposal for nonpartisan primaries on the ballot.

California officially has a budget-yes! Now that that order of business has been taken care of, let's turn to another pressing local problem: water in the time of drought.

California's fiscal future lookspositively dire. The budget deficit isexpected to soar to more than 40 billion (more than 1,000 per resident) overthe next year. It is the perfect stormof falling tax revenues caused by the popping of the equity and real estatebubbles, and soaring unemployment claims. But the Legislature and the governor are not the only ones to blame;just look at the results of the last election.

Voter ignorance is in large part to blame as well.

In a rare instance, Democrats and Republicans have an issue to unite against: open primaries.

February has been an exciting time for California and the nation. It has also been an unsure one for many California residents, while we waited for a final agreement by state leaders on a 2009-2010 state budget. By Tuesday, February 17, it was expected that the California Senate and Assembly would vote on a final proposed budget on Saturday, February 21, 2009. At the same time, on Tuesday, February 17, President Obama signed into law the $787 billion federal stimulus program, which is supposed to help alleviate the economic hardship in California.