California's Stuck Rudder
Theories abound as to how California got into its current mess -- and by "mess", I'm talking about its disyfunctional way of politics.
Theory One: A bad crop of executives -- Govs. Gray Davis, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jerry Brown (not the son of the guy who governered California in '70s, but the same fella) being to 21st Century California what Presidents Zachary Taylor, Millard Filmore, Franklin Pierce and James Buchanan were to 19th Century America: fiddlers mid-conflagration.
Theory Two: Blame it on the electorate. Voters despise the Legislature; they don't boot lawmakers from office. Californians tell pollsters they want a responsible government; at the same time, those same Californians hamstring lawmakers by engaging in "ballot-box budgeting".
Here'a a third theory: On this, the royal wedding day, look not at who rules in Sacramento, but the powers behind the throne. I refer you to Capitol Weekly's "100 List", which offers a snapshot of Sacramento's behind-the-scene power players:
#2 -- the associate executive director of government relations for the California Teachers Association (translation: more money for public schools; fuggedabout education reform);
#4 -- the secretary-treasurer of the L.A. County Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO (translation: don't mess with the union label; fuggedabout most regulatory reform);
#6 -- the head of the California Alliance for Jobs, which represents 1,700 construction companies and 50,000 union workers (translation: more money for infrastructure; fuggedabout spending caps).
(I didn't mention #'s 1, 3 and 5 -- respectively, the governor's, budget director and executive director -- as they're more about proximity than special-interest influence)
Aside from the head of the California Chamber of Commerce, who weighed in at #9 (but isn't really what you'd consider a "lockstep" or "movement" Republican in that the Chamber adapts to whoever occupies the Governor's Office), the top GOP names on the list are a lobbyist/former state party moneyman, who came in at #18, and a former GOP legislative leader who showed up at #25.
Not exactly a thundering herd of elephants.
Ok, so I have a keen grasp of the obvious: Sacramento is stuck hard aport. And a ship with a stuck rudder? It only goes around in circles.
My question: if you did the same power list for Washington, D.C., wouldn't there be a Republican presence in the top-five (I'm thinking the U.S. Chamber of Commerce)?
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Mar '11
Re: California's Stuck Rudder
NRA, but they also have quite a large democratic backing.
Edited on Apr 29, 2011 at 11:11amAug '10
Re: California's Stuck Rudder
I grew up and lived in California for much of my life, when it really was The Golden State. Theories one, two, and three are certainly valid. But here are some more:
#7: The 'honorable' (cough) ultra-liberal Speaker Willie Brown (D-San Francisco), ran the Assembly like a dictator (and taught Nancy Pelosi everything she knows). He oversaw an overhaul of state government, and put 'his people' in.
#8:Back in the late '80's, early '90's there was a successful push to quadruple the pay of Legislators; the idea being more money would attract a better grade of person. Wrong!
#9: The GOP and real estate interests played along with Democrats because it made them rich.
#10: Schwarzenegger is married to Maria Shriver, who is essentially a Kennedy. Ahnold doesn't have a lot on the ball, and was easily co-opted by Teddy Kennedys. .
Dec '10
Re: California's Stuck Rudder
A stuck rudder would eventually bring us around to where we started. What we have is our seacocks stuck in the open position, turned all the way to the left. We need to turn them all the way to the right to stop us taking on ever more water.
Oct '10
Re: California's Stuck Rudder
In the current issue of the Economist they blame the bad governance on Prop 13 passed in 1978. I guess it was an anonymous Leftist who wrote that article. I think the constitution is all screwed up but I don't see a way to amend it without giving the Democrats and the liberals a more permanent majority. Could it be that reforming the system in their favor will actually be worse for them since it would make them completely responsible for the state's fiscal condition and cause voters to take a serious look at Republicans?
Oct '10
Re: California's Stuck Rudder
Something odd about Californians, they seem to think they are are privelaged and above the rest of the nation. Similar to the arrogance of New Yorkers.
No offence intended, save California faded from grace long ago and now should be on the Fly Over list of states.