WHO: Gov. Schwarzenegger and the state Legislature

WHAT: With the ink still wet on the long-overdue state budget, there is already talk that next year’s negotiations are likely to be worse. Reported estimates for next year’s deficit start at $1.6 billion but are already reaching $7 billion and higher.

WHY IT’S HAPPENING: The issues that made it so hard to reach a budget deal this year remain essentially untouched. The requirement for a two-thirds majority makes it easy for minorities to obstruct the process, and both parties remain committed to hardline stances that make it difficult to make a deal.

WHY IT’S A BAD IDEA: California’s budget process has been a joke for years; it’s just not funny anymore.

WHERE TO VENT: Bay Area Council officials are calling for a constitutional convention to amend the budget process. For more information on their efforts, visit www.bayareacouncil.org.