Posted on 09/05/2006 9:59:08 AM PDT by NormsRevenge
The current session of the Legislature wrapped up last week with an orgy of back-slapping and congratulation-swapping. Assembly Speaker Fabian Núñez and Senate President Don Perata joined Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger in trumpeting an “extraordinarily productive” year in state government.
Much of the media joined in this chorus of “Sacramento the Beautiful” in analysis pieces and editorials asserting times had changed on the state government front.
Don't believe a word of it. On the most important issues, nothing has changed.
A credible argument can be made that the governor and the Legislature did far better on the process front this year – passing a budget on time, negotiating in good faith and cutting deals on divisive legislation, maintaining amicable relations, etc.
But the importance of process is dwarfed by the importance of substance. And – with the exception of crafting a package of infrastructure bond initiatives to put before voters in November and undertaking a highly dubious anti-global warming crusade – the governor and the Legislature continued to ignore California's biggest and most profound issues.
The budget is still multibillions in the red and no one with any real power seems to care.
Perata and Núñez blithely broke their word and killed redistricting reform.
Education reform was once again ridiculously defined as spending more on education.
Pension reform wasn't even seriously discussed.
The coming crisis over the cost of public employee retirees' health care was laughed off.
The state's pressing need for more energy to keep the lights on in coming years was ignored.
Really, who cares if the process by which leaders ducked these issues was unusually smooth?
This cowardly refusal to face up to state problems and punt them to future officeholders is par for the course for the Legislature. Yet we expect more from the governor. Obviously, the failure of his reform measures in the November 2005 special election, coupled with his hope to be re-elected, meant he had to find a new approach.
But the problem with the approach chosen by Schwarzenegger – constantly telling voters that California is getting better every day in every way – is that it encourages mass complacency, and at the worst possible time.
The governor may have been rebuffed by voters in November 2005, but it wasn't because he was wrong on the issues. Schools do need fixing. Spending must be controlled. Public employee unions are too powerful. Gerrymandering has been so successful that without redistricting reform, democracy itself sometimes seems under siege.
Against this backdrop, here's the pabulum Schwarzenegger offers up: “It's official. California is back. California is shining once again. California is No. 1 once again.”
Call this what it is: More mush from the governor who didn't used to be a wimp. Californians deserve better – much better.
What a crock.
Well amen to that .....
This is the problem. It's all about "winning" and staying in power--both individual politicians and parties play this game. All effort is to avoid talking about issues and solutions, instead turning everything into a political campaign with 10-second soundbites and party talking points, kicking the problems (and HUGE debt) down the road for someone else to deal with.
“It's official. California is back. California is shining once again. California is No. 1 once again.”
Only to those who aren't looking. We're worse off than ever before.
They knew it before, true. But at least they are vocally saying so now.
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