Comment of the Day: on "Neoliberalisms", Left and Right: "Brad raises the issue of the strength of the magic wand he's given...
Here's my Reasonably Very Strong Magic Wand:
You're advising the Democratic governor of a large, strongly-Democratic state. The governor is extremely popular, at the beginning of her last term in office, and isn't running for any other office. The state legislature is controlled by Democrats with ample majorities in both houses. The state is running a large and previously-unanticipated budget surplus which is now anticipated to last for at least several years. The Governor tells you she wants to do something big - what should it be?
This might sound like a lot of political room for maneuver but I think that's the idea for the magic wand, while still being somewhat realistic. And the scenario is actually fairly close to the situation in California, except for the issue of needing to pay off past debt and some remaining supermajority requirements in the California legislature.
