Sacramento must put fiscal discipline first

California lawmakers must heed the lessons of history when crafting the state budget for the coming year. As easy as it is for state lawmakers to dream up new spending plans or expand existing programs, doing so without an eye to first ensuring the state can weather an economic downturn is fundamentally irresponsible.
With the state projecting budget surpluses and a modest reserve, it’s all too tempting for members of the Legislature and the governor alike to want to spend just a little bi