Proposed Special Election Could Be Mail-in Only

In his campaign for Governor, Jerry Brown said he would never raise taxes without a vote of the people. Now, faced with a $25 billion budget gap, he wants to cut $12 billion in budget cuts, matched with $12 billion in revenues by extending increases in income taxes, sales taxes and vehicle license fees enacted during the Schwarzenegger Administration. Brown is proposing an election, one that possibly might be conducted exclusively by mail. Phillip Matier is half of the team of Matier and Ross at the San Francisco Chronicle.