It's no surprise that California, even more than most states, is in quite a bit of financial trouble these days. With a budget shortfall eclipsing the GDP of several former Eastern Bloc nations, the state is facing the herculean task of having to find money where it doesn't even exist. Which is why it's so amusing to find a potential solution to these problems not in the Governor's mansion or in the hallowed halls of Sacramento, but in a simple City Council meeting in the hippie enclave of Santa Cruz.
