My positions on these propositions may surprise long-term readers of my posts, but I have to note that I would gladly pay for many of these programs IF there is a way to do so. Currently, there is not. There are too many sacred cows in the holy herds of both major parties to allow for necessary alterations in our social fabric. As unions get hammered, so should the businesses who think they are to reap a windfall from reduced wages. If sucking off the public teat is bad for the working class, so it should also be so for the business class. If labor is to stand on its own two feet without any government support for redress of grievance, so should it be for business. Until those who suck up to business agree to submit their clients to the same sacrifices they expect of the labor force, then I will continue to espouse serious reductions in their excessive power. They have abused it long enough.
Sic Semper our legislators. They have abused their power and privileges for far too long, and it is long past time that We, the People reclaim our national political birthright and actively take control of the governance of our nation. They either do the job we elected them to do, or we replace them. Damn Party affiliation to Hell! Turn off the TV! Vote the issues and not the party!
I strongly urge my California readers to vote against Propositions 1A-F. The rest of you can learn from our mistakes if we don't.
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Article comments
1 - Bliffle
Words to live by:
"Damn Party affiliation to Hell! Turn off the TV! Vote the issues and not the party!"
You are exactly right. Until voters realize that their principles are only mimicked by cheap politicians currying votes, the politicians will continue to victimize us with fakery.
Politicians come and go, but the evil they do lives on long after them.
In CA Arnold has used a trick developed long ago in DC: separate all spending into 'contracts' and 'entitlements'. 'Contracts' are the no-bid handouts to your friends that are backed by 'Full Faith and Credit' and cannot subsequently be cancelled or re-negotiated. "Entitlements" are programs for the general public or needy groups in the public who have weak political influence, like children, aged, disabled, crazy, etc.
Then, later, when the budget squeezes come, you say "we can't cut or negotiate those contracts, they're backed by Full Fail And Credit. But those 'entitlements' are charity to the leeches, let's cut them!" So, school budgets are cut, tennis courts closed, city parks deteriorate.
See, it's easy to be a swindller: study politicians.
The only way to control them is to reject their dilatory politicking (over junk issues like gay marriage, abortion, etc.) and vote the issues.
2 - roger nowosielski
It's almost incredible how Arnold has squandered his star power. He could have easily broken the California legislature's stronghold on the state within his first two years in office. But it takes a principled person to do it. Instead, he took the easy way out, trying to please everyone.
3 - Bliffle
Arnold was partly victimized by his own naive preconceptions, partly by the absurd requirement for 2/3 legislative approval on budgets, and partly by Grover Nyquist twisting arms on republican legislators to make them SIGN a document saying they will never vote for a tax increase.
4 - roger nowosielski
Well, wasn't he stuck with the "2/3" part?
5 - Bliffle
Yes, Arnold was stuck with it.
I think the CA finances have become so screwed up that the state has to be divided up into several new states (which would also improve our representation in the senate - if the damn thing has to be retained we should at least get better representation equity).