That source doesn't have figures after 2005 and doesn't break it down by area. The skew is the population figure versus infrastructure and defense. I would imagine that the continued flooding will change the figure also.
California needs to get ahold of its pensions, no one can fix that but themselves.
My point is the comparison based on this one stat is pretty invalid due to population differences and basic moneys allocated to infrastructure and military by the federal government (I also bet they count the 4 reservations in the ND number which adds to the skew).
Federal money spent within a state (especially military) doesn't usually interact with the State budget. It's like saying you just can't be in debt - your employer is making a profit.
That's what just gets me about people exhorting everyone to vote when even such a supposedly well-informed group as HN has only the vaguest idea of how this country actually works.
shows it to not be #2 but close to the top.
And I think the point is still valid that CA could balance their budget if we had that nice ratio.