California's budget has exploded over the past decade, which is bad news for taxpayers and good news for government union members.

• California's state budget has doubled in the last 10 years.
• Government unions are the top donors to Governor Gavin Newsom and other Democratic politicians.
• That donor power lets unions push for bigger pensions, richer healthcare, and more spending.
• The result is a budget crisis driven largely by union-backed costs piling up year after year.

Outlook: With unions still dominating state politics, spending and pension costs are likely to keep climbing.