It will take a constitutional amendment. Right now, the legislature and governor could unanimously vote to cut spending, and any idiot can put it right back on the ballot and get it put back in the budget with one vote more than 50% of the popular vote.
Dan,
Perhaps counties can't go bankrupt in the legal sense, but the reality is that sure they can. They can lock the doors and send everyone home because they can't make the payroll. They can tell the state to take over (worse than nothing). If it gets to that point, the legislature has no ability to tell the county to do anything if there is no one left to tell what to do.
And yes, I remember when I started that the CDF line troops were 'rangers' and until POST came along were able to make arrests, carry weapons etc. as well as fight wildland fires. They like every other fire department adapted to the needs of the day (people calling them for medical help because the FD learned it to take care of their own, which evolved into medics, staffing ambulances etc.). It sounds like a cliché, but most folks (at the ground level) aren't there for the paycheck (a job) they are there because they want to give back to their neighbors and are honored to be given the chance to do so.
I've noticed that CalFire (here, contracted by the CSD) doesn't do a lot of (any) business inspections (double dumb, it's making the place safer while at the same time exposing the line folks to what fire load is out there); they don't do many school visits (true fire prevention) but they have enough knowhow to stay upwind, uphill and away from haz mat responses (calling for specific out of county teams when that happens). That is to their detriment if they only have one song to sing; it's hard to justify the expense.
Each county has helped, as you said, dig themselves into a hole by allowing people with more money than sense build in a place without proper access or resources or in a safe manner. In a perfect world, the counties would have learned how to say 'no' a long time ago, but money talks, favors are done and it was allowed. Since almost every county of the 58 has done that, it means that the state code system should have been used to effect safer change, but now it is a state problem. In the same line that if CA fails, it then becomes a Fed problem (which isn't looking so good either).
Another issue is that (as Newnetboy said) the influx of folks (legal or not) here that don't pay property tax, yet can vote for services they want (public trough) while (again) not paying for them. If it isn't your money going in, it means less to you about how it's spent. No I don't want to see a return to land owners controlling it all, but the attitude that homeowners can pay more taxes because they can afford a home is retarded, um, greatly lacking in any form of sense. If you don't pay the bill, how is it that you can decide what is put on the plate? That's socialism and we don't play that here (in theory). That's as close to the political side as I'll get here.
The cause isn't the primary issue at this point, it's more important to figure out how to make it right than it is to apportion blame (although finding the cause is part of that process). The essence of the fix is much like what any responsible person must do; decide what is the absolute minimum required to survive (services); what would be nice to have and what is over the top. It might mean hot dogs and beans and a tent instead of a castle, but in most cases it should allow for a dribble of funds to be set aside for debt payment and for when things get REALLY tough (and it will).
I can get specific, but that enters the political issues too deep for this list. Let's just say I don't have a bleeding heart, I own a house (well the bank says I do) and I'm beyond unhappy with the folks we hired to manage our affairs. They have failed at their job.
Rick
[Rick's rule for election time: If the incumbent hasn't done SOMETHING to make me recognize the name as someone who is trying to do the public good, I vote for a newcomer to give them a shot at improving things. Simplistic yes; but I don't believe in anyone having a 'political career', unless they're truly worthy of the task (and most aren't).]
From: Dan Waterhouse
Rick--counties can't declare bankruptcy. Cities can, but counties can't. And, the legislature may make it more difficult for cities to do so.
You probably will disagree with me, but Cal Fire was never intended to provide urban type services. It has found itself forced to do so.
A board member for Fresno County Fire Protection District wanted to take the district out of the EMS business several years ago. His position was the purpose of the district was to provide fire protection, not EMS. The County of Fresno pays American Ambulance to provide EMS service to most of the county. He felt it was time for the Board of Stupes to require American to provide full services, including extrication of patients from crushed cars out on I-5. He got nowhere, and so he resigned.
Many of the counties have helped create this service crisis, by approving subdivisions in areas ill-suited for them. Since the counties wanted this housing, why should the state have the day-to-day burden of protecting it. Let the counties assume their responsibility.
--dan
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