The “Man in the Middle.”  That’s what you could call Mac Taylor. 
He’s the state’s non-partisan legislative analyst.  Taylor’s in charge of keeping accurate budget numbers and he’s a policy analyst for lawmakers as they work with the governor to erase California’s
24-billion dollar deficit. 

Capital Public Radio's Steve Shadley recently visited Taylor at his office to talk about his role... 
  
Interview with Mac Taylor

 
State Legislative Analyst  Mac Taylor speaking with Steve Shadley.
Taylor was appointed to the post by the Joint Legislative Budget Committee last October.  This week, he’ll be monitoring the budget conference committee as it continues to review a long list of proposed spending cuts to help California overcome its fiscal crisis.