Posted on 10/23/2005 4:20:05 PM PDT by NormsRevenge
SAN FRANCISCO — Some of California's most forward-looking thinkers gathered the other day to offer their assessments of where the state is headed, and the conclusions were pretty depressing. They described a state with a short attention span and a dysfunctional political leadership incapable of dealing with the complex problems of the 21st century.
And the experts don't see things changing anytime soon. Their hope is that Californians — so far disengaged in any comprehensive discussion of the state's future — will meet the challenge by demanding more from their elected representatives.
But until that happens, California's problems will be compounded with even more people demanding government services. Already at 37 million people, the state's population will expand by 10 million over the next two decades, according to Mark Baldassare of the Public Policy Institute of California. That's roughly the equivalent of adding the population of Ohio to California.
--snip--
The special election on Nov. 8 was cited as an example of the dysfunctional government presided over by California's leaders. The eight initiatives on the ballot could have been resolved through the legislative process if Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and the political leaders had worked together on them.
But that would have required the state's leaders to put aside their political bickering and commit themselves to the difficult work of solving the state's complex problems. Unfortunately, it's easier for the politicians to name-call in dueling press conferences than it is to craft workable compromises on policy issues.
There's another trend getting in the way of fixing California. The state's political leaders have turned over their power to surrogates who control them through campaign contributions. Quite simply, they have outsourced state government to insurance companies, public employee unions, gambling tribes and the other special interests that rule Sacramento.
--snip--
(Excerpt) Read more at fresnobee.com ...
Welcome to the real world. - Morpheus.
Forward looking thinkers? You can't negotiate with Terrorists and you can't negotiate with the Democratic leadership in California.
Complete dysfunctional breakdown with the California Democratic leaders led to this Special Election.
What planet are these Forward looking thinkers from? The land of Oz, with Hillary, Kerry, Gore, Kennedy, Schumer,etal, as the Wizards.
Okay, I demand that they fix everything, my toilet, my watch, my car, my headache, my old saddle, my bathroom light.
Now I feel better.
But nothing has changed.
I can fix most of those items for a slight fee. ;-)
Go rustle yourself up a day laborer. Problem solved!
When you wipe away the political rhetoric, you'll find that California government continues to cater to the powerful and ignore its poorest citizens. It's all in the $117.5 billion state budget if you'll take the time to analyze the details emerging about the document.
Here's another headline from one of his OPs attacking Republicans:
Governor's popularity dwindles even in Central Valley
Yet the article refers only to the results of a highly suspect statewide poll with no reference to San Joaquin Valley breakouts because they don't exist. Typical McClatchy.
When Boren says that the politicians in Sacramento need to all get along to solve the state's problems he conveniently forgets to add ...."and raise taxes".
I hear ya..
Those pesky Republicans that keep refusing to rollover and play 'nice' must be assimilated.
Such is the plight of the California resident.
Many have threatened to buck McClatchy but the profit margins for a printed dailys is now so small that smart money won't touch them.
Even at a national level it took the amassed fortune of Murdock to buck the MSM system and many of his affiliates are hard core liberal.
Fox's affiliate in Fresno is an example. The owner could, but won't, run FoxNews against the MSM during the dinner hour. He won't even run the program; period.
Many conservatives in the valley have a copy of the Wall Street Journal at their doorsteps each morning.
Thanks
With such a large state population , one would think a conservative newpaper would be viable.
I know sometime back Richard Riordan had discussed publishing a paper to go against the LA Times.
I haven't had a paper delivered in years here but used to get the WSJ and the Mercury, thank goodness for the internet.
...don't forget Pelosi, she is on another planet....
The only way to do that would be to fire the incumbent liberals and replace them with conservatives.
I dumped the Sac Bee last month after twenty years. Why pay to be insulted?
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