I hesitate to hector California voters with the standard line that although Proposition 1A and its buddy measures are truly horrible, Sacramento will fall into the sea if they do not pass. If the five measures fail, the Capitol will survive.

Then Sacramento surely will agree on a worse way to come up with the $20 billion. I've talked to stalwart Repubs who think that if voters reject the Big Five, Sacramento will get the message and balance future budgets with cuts alone. They argue that if Schwarzenegger had reined in spending from day one, there would be no need for extra taxes. They don't notice how amazing it is that the Democratic Legislature agreed to broad taxes that every Californian -- not just businesses, or "the rich" -- will pay, instead of passing more overly progressive taxes that, because they are so volatile, have put the Golden state on a boom-and-bust rollercoaster.

They also do not notice that their party is in the minority.

Likewise, hard-core Democrats seem to think that if the five measures fail, there will be a golden age as Democratic leaders go after the requirement that two-thirds of the Assembly and Senate raise taxes.

Folks, that is not going to happen -- not when the latest Field Poll showed 58 percent of Democrats supporting the two-thirds mandate. Democrats may send big spenders to Sacramento and complain about spending reductions, but they still don't want to pay for all that stuff. They want someone else to pay -- and there aren't enough smokers and millionaires to get there.

Proposition 1D and 1E opponents complained to the Chronicle editorial board that the Legislature was stealing money from funds that exist because authors had the "courage" to ask voters to tax minority groups to fund their programs. Courage? The sponsors only won because they told most voters their programs were free -- while expanding the tax base and further tying legislators' hands. It was easy money -- so of course strapped politicians decided to steer it their way. Let this be a lesson to other interests who want to referendize -- I made up that word -- their own pot of gold.

A sixth measure, Proposition 1F, would prohibit state elected officials from receiving a pay raise when the state is facing a deficit. According to the latest Field Poll, this is the only popular measure on the May ballot. A mere 24 percent of voters oppose it. If I could figure out who they are, I would make a list and sell it.