Live Within Means: Radical Conservatism?

California's "Live Within Our Means Act," a voter initiative proposed for this fall which would require the state to spend no more than it raises, is profiled as a dangerous proposition in this morning's LATimes. Really? It seems rather straightforwardly correct.

LAT referrs to the supporters as "ideologically conservative ... anti-tax activists ... hardline fiscal conservatives;" in other words, people who put their pocketbooks ahead of hungry, uneducated children.

Posed against these hard-hearts, according to the LAT, are "liberals." Just that; liberals. Not radical, not anti-anything, not hardline. Here's their quote:

The American Legislative Issues Exchange, a policy forum made up of thousands of liberal elected officials, has warned members that the spending restraints would "decimate education, healthcare, parks, highways and the very infrastructure of state government."

We might call to their attention that the word "decimate" comes from Roman days, when defeated and shamed divisions suffered the death of one in ten of their ranks -- at the hands of the Roman leadership as a punishment for messing up.

Liberal policies are defeated and shamed. A little decimation of the liberal leadership and liberal policies is due, so the people who are being hurt by these policies can be freed of their chains.