Yesterday, California lawmakers passed a budget for the 2011-2012 fiscal year. It calls for reducing the judicial branch’s budget by $150 million. This is on top of a $200 million hit the courts took last March. Tani Cantil-Sakauye, Chief Judge of the California Supreme Court, described the cuts as “devastating and crippling.”
Since it’s clear now that the courts need to cut back on the services they provide, why not send all employment cases directly to private binding arbitration? Let’s not worry about the presence of enforceable arbitration agreements and other niceties. The time for action is now.
So that’s my proposal. To quote Jonathan Swift, “I profess, in the sincerity of my heart, that I have not the least personal interest in endeavoring to promote this necessary work . . .”