Ronald George, chief justice of the California Supreme Court, is scheduled to take on what he calls "the dangers of direct democracy" in a speech today in Massachusetts to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, according to the Sacramento Bee, which appears to be have an advancy copy. (There's no copy posted on the court web site).

It's a daring speech, for no other reason than the fact that California justices face so-called "retention" elections every 12 years in which voters are asked whether they wish to retain judges. And George is up for retention next year.

Among the highlights:

-George comes out against the state's requirement of a two-thirds vote to raise taxes, a key provision of Prop 13. He's right, of course, for reasons that have nothing to do with taxes and everything to do with governing and accountability. (Two-thirds vote allow minorities to block budgeting choices and allow majorities to duck full responsibility for budget and taxation questions). But for a judge facing the voters, saying this is a huge political risk.

-George criticizes California voters for approving the Prop 8 ban on same-sex marriage (overturning the decision he wrote legalizing such marriages) at the same time they enhanced rights for chickens, through approval of Prop 2, the Humane Society initiative to regulate farm animal confinement.

-That it's too easy to put an initiative on the ballot in California -- so easy that direct democracy is a threat to representative government. "Californians may need to consider some fundamental reform of the voter initiative process."

Before anyone dismisses this as predictably liberal claptrap, know this: George is a Republican appointee (of former Gov. Pete Wilson).