Some new figures released by the Census Bureau yesterday—in advance of the full 2010 Census, due out by December of this year—suggest that the under-18 populations of states like New York, Michigan, Ohio, and Pennsylvania have shrunk significantly over the last decade, while in California and six other states, black, Asian and Hispanic children now constitute a majority of the under-18 population, with white kids under 18 in the minority for the first time. The change in demographics is attributed both to migration and immigration into western states like California, Texas, and Arizona, and higher birthrates in non-white families in these states.

Paraphrasing demographers, the NYT suggests that "changes in the voting-age population, coupled with disparities in where people are aging faster, may portend a divide between an older, whiter electorate and a younger total population that is more Hispanic, black and Asian and has a different political agenda."

View more news videos at: http://www.nbcbayarea.com/video.

The cruel, cruel Governator is expected today to use his line-item veto power to make further cuts to social programs--particularly those serving the poor--as he signs off on the State of California's latest budget. To highlight his cruelty, local news stations have concentrated on possible cuts to in-home care for people with cerebral palsy, and to insurance for poor families with cute little children like Jacob in the video above. As KCBS reports, even these cuts are not expected to improve the state's shitty credit rating (currently a BBB while most states have AAA or AA), because the budget is "filled with accounting tricks" too.

UPDATE: The budget got signed, and it sounds like it's the state parks people who are commanding the most headlines today, and not the disabled and poor.

You've probably heard that some California counties are fuming over the new state budget, which borrows $4 billion from county budgets and will mean major cuts in local services from health care to public works. Rich Gordon of the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors says this budget will, once put in practice, "fall apart."

Paul MacIntosh of the California Association of Counties speaks to Cy Musiker on KQED in the audio report below about the counties that are considering suing the state over this new budget, which they say violates the state constitution. They claim that two things -- the extension of redevelopment area time limits by one year and the diversion of gas taxes -- violate state law, and they're fucking pissed. Now, obviously the money had to come from somewhere, and some creative accounting had to come into play. But can we get back to the issue that the San Mateo County guy brings up in this broadcast -- namely that these cuts will mean more homeless and mentally ill on the streets? Is that even possible in San Francisco? Like, aren't they all here already?

In this clip from Russia Today, an English-language news program based in Moscow, the suave and accented anchorman speaks with an American correspondent about the fiscal crisis in California and the "meaningless pieces of paper" the state is now issuing to vendors in lieu of cash. Is it just us, or does this dude have a certain smirky, bemused attitude toward the idea that this state with the 8th largest economy in the world is bankrupt?

Not sure how much this budget-by-ballot blitz just cost us, but with 17% of precincts reporting, five of the six ballot measures in today's special election appear to have failed, with 60%+ of voters saying NO to propositions 1A through E.

Proposition 1F, which gives a small fuck you to the legislature and curbs their salaries until this mess gets cleaned up, has so far got 75% saying YES. Good job, everyone. This has been fun.

7:45 AM UPDATE: Percentages stayed pretty much the same by the time all votes were in, with the NO votes on 1A-E actually rising a bit to 66% is some cases. The Governator has noted your frustration, Californians, and says, "Now we must move forward from this point to begin to address our fiscal crisis with constructive solutions." Wonder what those'll be... a few more ballot measures and another special election in the fall? We can only dream.

John Myers at KQED's California Report did a report about this very unspecial Special Election we're having today, in which some TBD tiny percentage of the state's population is going to arrive at polling stations and probably vote down the Governator's budget balancing ballot measures. Whether or not any of the ballot proposals are valid, it appears people are tired enough of special elections, and tired enough of everyone losing all their money that "No, no, no, no, no," is the most natural response. Regardless, no one knows what the hell they're voting on anyway.

Here's the full audio report over at KQED.

PREVIOUSLY: KRON4 Makes Jay Leno-esque Argument For Eradicating the Ballot Measure System

At the risk of sounding un-democratic, we hate the whole voter-approved proposition system and we think you do too. Even the most educated voters don't tend to know enough about both sides of issues -- particularly when it comes to esoteric accounting procedures and the issuing of multi-billion-dollar bonds -- to vote intelligently, let alone voters who don't like to read, or think. Prop 8, and all similar discriminatory propositions in the state's history (Prop 6 in 1976, which figured in the Milk film, and Prop 14 in 1964, which was overwhelmingly approved and which allowed landlords to discriminate based on race) are perfect examples of how easily the system can be abused, and how dangerous a role it can play.

And when the state decides to have a special election -- like the one we're having next week, on May 19, in which there are only 6 propositions that no one has even heard about because barely anyone has bothered to spend money on ad campaigns -- it begs the question, why do we even bother having an elected legislature if we still have to vote on all the big decisions?