While we're on the topic of taxation, the shortfall verses the brand new California budget is already substantial.  Part of the challenge is described very well in the Saturday, October 22nd, Wall Street Journal article on high earners

During the past three recessions, the top 1% of earners (those making $380,000 or more in 2008) experienced the largest shocks in percentage terms of any income group in the U.S. according to research from Jonathan A. Parket and Anette Vissing-Jorgensen at Northwestern University.  When the economy grows, their incomes grow up to three times faster than the rest of the countr's.  When the economy fails, their incomes fall two or three times as much.

And it goes on to note "Only 27% of America's 400 top earners have made the list more than one year since 1994, one study shows."  That is to say that three-quarter of the very top earners were on the list only once in 25 years.

This week's Economist Leaders column has some advice that account for that volatility:

Make sure the rich pay their share, but in a way that makes economic sense:  you can boost the tax take from the wealthy by eliminating loopholes while simulanteously lowering marginal rates.

It will be interesting to see if Gov. Brown comes around to that way of thinking since he still has quite awhile to be in office and the higher marginal rates don't yield stable enough revenue to make his term comfortable.