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California governor-elect Jerry Brown leads a briefing on California's state budget.

Governor-elect Jerry Brown told a budget forum in Sacramento yesterday that California’s projected deficit next year will reach 28-billion dollars. Both Brown and Governor Schwarzenegger say that the state’s intractable budget problem demands immediate action. But lawmakers have avoided the really tough choices over the last decade, enacting only temporary “solutions” that didn’t last. Now, Brown is considering putting it to voters – approve new taxes or other revenue in a special election, or live with far fewer government services. Will voters be willing to make the necessary sacrifices? Given how out of balance this budget is, what would you do to solve this crisis?

Guest:

Evan Halper, Sacramento Bureau Chief, Los Angeles Times