This morning’s First Read asks:

Ironically, the budget situation and the governor's approval rating (at about 33% or 34%, per recent polls) aren't much different than they were when Gray Davis was governor. Which raises this question: Is California ungovernable? It’s worth asking when you consider the state’s property-tax laws, its overloaded ballot-initiative process, its term limits for state lawmakers, and the fact that it takes a supermajority vote to pass budgets or tax increases. Meg Whitman, Steve Poizner, Jerry Brown, Gavin Newsom -- you really want to be governor?

The same question could be asked about Massachusetts. And of those who have their eye on a potential bid for the Corner Office.To be sure, the budget situation isn’t as dire as California’s, comparatively speaking. The budget hole over there was $40 billion before about $12.8 billion in tax hikes. There are no term limits here, or a wild ballot-initiative process, and a supermajority vote isn’t needed to pass budgets or tax increases.

But the governor over here has similar approval ratings. And he’s currently dealing with a Legislature that can turn aside his veto threats pretty easily, and has been wary of his proposals to tax candy and soda, and raise the gas tax by 19 cents. The Senate is just now appearing to embrace proposals he filed in 2007, giving cities and towns the ability to raise meals and lodging taxes. It's not clear whether the House will do the same.

The Legislature's veto override capability affects any governor, whether he or she is a Democrat or Republican. The Legislature, overwhelmingly Democratic, overrode Patrick’s vetoes to past budgets just as they did Romney’s vetoes during his one-term tenure. They also left a number of Romney proposals on the table.

But here’s an interesting response to the question of “Who rules Beacon Hill” as asked on the Hiller Instinct in the segment that ran last night:

Hiller: "Do you control Beacon Hill?"

Gov. Patrick: "No."

Hiller: "Does the legislature control Beacon Hill?"

Gov. Patrick: "Nobody controls Beacon Hill, but I will say..."

Hiller: "But wait, if no one controls it, that means it's out of control."

Gov. Patrick: "No, that's not what it means."

That’s a very different answer from the one he gave while on WTKK radio last Wednesday. When asked about the status of his gas tax proposal, Patrick said of the legislative leaders in the House and Senate: “They’re feeling like they don’t have the votes.” Then there was a very long pause before he added, "You know, the leadership have the votes when they want."

That sounds a lot like somebody controls Beacon Hill. And it isn’t the governor, bully pulpit or no.

So yeah, that whole capital gains dependence? We're still paying for it, so to speak. With 55 days left in fiscal 2009, the Department of Revenue's mind-blowing press release speaks for itself:

Monthly collection is nearly $1 billion less than one year ago; steep capital gains decline pushes revenues $456 million below benchmark

Revenue Commissioner Navjeet K. Bal today announced that preliminary revenue collections for April 2009 totaled $1.781 billion, down $953 million or 34.9 percent from last April.

Total tax collections were $456 million below the benchmark corresponding to the April 15 revised FY09 revenue estimate of $19.333 billion. The decline was due largely to income tax collections, which fell $905 million or 40.7 percent from April 2008, $420 million below benchmark.

FY09 year-to-date tax collections total $15.187 billion, down $1.936 billion from a year ago. Taxpayers received $382 million in refunds in April, up $77 million or 25.3 percent from a year ago, $64 million higher than in the monthly benchmark.

The Senate's budget chief was on NECN tonight: the Senate's version of the fiscal 2010 budget will have "no new taxes" and based on existing revenues. (Such as they are.) Like in the House, a tax increase will be up to members. "I'll tell ya, there's no consensus on that at this point," he said. His odds on a tax increase - "50/50."

"May and June look to be chaotic months with a new set of proposed cuts from the governor, a House budget based on a now unrealistic number and the Senate offering it’s first version of a fiscal year 2010 spending plan in two weeks."

WBUR sets the scene right there for the Monday afternoon meeting of the Big Three. (There may also be some teasing, 'cause the guv ain't going anywhere.) That's assuming they didn't have a special Sunday meeting at the State House. Though, considering what happened after the last one, that's doubtful. And it's going to get a lot worse. The budget that is - relations are already as bad as they can get, barring the release of another YouTube video, the distribution of administration talking points to members, or something tantamount to ceremonially refiling the fiscal 2010 budget proposal. The Lowell Sun reported over the weekend in its Sunday column: "THE REPO man made a stop at Lowell Superior Court last week. The Massachusetts Trial Court drastic cuts included pulling the plug on free water for employees. If you are heading into court for a hearing or jury duty, remember: BYOW (bring your own water)." Not a bad idea for everybody heading into the Big Three meeting, either.

The Massachusetts GOP is getting what it wanted from Christy Mihos...albeit 3 years after it asked. Mihos is apparently running as a Republican in the upcoming race for governor. (He's expressed interest in running before.)

The convenience store magnate was pressured in 2006 to enter as a Republican and face off in a primary with then-Lt. Gov. Kerry Healey. Healey's convention chair, House Minority Leader Brad Jones, even went so far as to guarantee in a letter to Mihos that he would get the 15 percent needed at the convention to get on the primary ballot.

As we know, Mihos ended up saying, Thanks, but no thanks, and ran as an independent, to the chagrin of the Healey camp and entertainment of the press corps. (He ended up getting 161,000 votes to Healey's 779,807 and Patrick's 1.23 million.)

My favorite funny moment? When Mihos called into WRKO while Healey was getting interviewed.

Jokingly identifying himself as "a private citizen named Christy calling in," Mihos was met with dead air when he asked Healey, "How are you?" (SHNS)

Now onto more important questions: Are we going to see the return of ChristyVision? Reagan Mihos, the canine coordinator? His newest website doesn't include them.