It may sound like a Saturday Night Live skit, but an organization is asking for your help with assistance budgeting. Next10 has a fairly easy to understand budget calculator simulator that lets you do just that. You have a choice about 4 or 5 questions in much of the areas that impact the government’s budget. You have choices like adjusting the spending on Education, Health Care, Jobs, Environment, Criminal Justice, etc. You then have to make some tough choices on revenues like income tax, sales tax, corporate taxes, etc. Even if you aren’t from California, it’s very educational (although somewhat depressing) to play a big game of Would You Rather…? It only takes 5-10 minutes.

I gave the simulator a shot and I almost reduced the state deficit in half, while increasing K-12 education to the national levels. In order to do that I turned the state into a toxic waste dump and drove out every corporation with raised taxes. I think I also had to raise the sales tax from 9.25% (in my county at least) to around 78%. Oh and I had to let all the criminals go free. Maybe the companies that make bars for windows will stick around… not that anyone can afford them with the sales tax.

I’m making a big joke of the situation in California, but it’s no laughing matter. The state has some serious issues and people are going to be negatively affected (they already are). I need to commend Next10. I’ve always been a fan of crowdsourcing a solution and while that would be nice, the education that Next10 is giving Californians is a step in the right direction.

Did you try the simulator? Tell me the choices you made in the comments below…