Steve Natoli, a history teacher at College of the Sequoias in Visalia, is not amused by what I call the budget "wackenomics" being practiced in Sacramento right now. Well, who is? None of us! When Assembly GOP leader Mike Villines of Clovis was in for an editorial board meeting last Friday, I asked him directly if the legislators were at all ashamed or embarrassed at the late budget. He admitted that they were. So, what we have here is conscious incompetence, which I consider to be far worse than unconscious incompetence. If you don't know what you're doing is wrong, there is some hope for you once your realize what's happening. When you intentionally do wrong, it's sinister.
I fished around a little bit, asking him what was really behind the budget paralysis -- a lack of training, perhaps, for these complex and potentially calamitous problems regular citizens just don't appreciate, something that would stump Nobel Prize winners?
He was blunt. It's simply "political will," he said. Um, OK, isn't that just another way of saying both sides are too bullheaded to compromise? Chilling, considering what's at stake. Meanwhile, the governor thinks he's directing a horror film, playing with people's mental health by threatening their families' financial security. Governor, this is not a suspense movie for real people. We cannot just walk out if we get scared.
Steve's got some strong opinions about fixing this mess -- redistricting, for one, which we at The Bee have long supported. Redistricting would fix that annoying and corrupt system in California where the political parties draw the districts in such a convoluted way that it's almost impossible for their candidates to lose. If we fixed that scheme, the lawmakers would actually have to fear voter rage in the next election and perhaps be enticed to do their jobs on time. Wouldn't that be refreshing? What do you think?
Here's an excerpt from Steve's e-mail:
And of course, the reason no one on either side will budge is because all the districts in the Senate and all except one in the Assembly have been intentionally designed as safe seats for one party or the other. With only strong Democratic or Republican majorities to please in their constituencies no one is being pressured to compromise. Instead, all are rewarded politically for digging in their heels and being as stubbornly partisan as possible.
Two reforms are needed to break this impasse. The first is to allow the passage of a budget by simple majority, as practically every other state already does without calamity. There needs to be a new Proposition submitted to the voters to do this. The second is for the voters to pass Proposition 11 on this November's ballot, which would put redistricting into the hands of an independent commission rather than leaving it up to the legislators themselves. With these two reforms, the majority elected by the people could get its way and pass a budget. That is how a democracy is supposed to work. And with the districts more fairly and evenly drawn, that majority would be accountable. If the budget turned out to be a mess there would be a true opportunity for the people to give the other party the majority in the next election.
The annual budget charade and circus in California becomes increasingly tiresome, not to mention costly. These institutional changes would resolve the underlying dynamics that make the logjam all but inevitable every year. Perhaps this November will finally mark the beginning of solving the mess.
If it can be easily fixed then for crying out loud fix it. Somebody has to step up and cross the aisle to get things done.
Quit your bitching and start a Revolution.The incessant whining is about as useful as our legislature.That goes for the Bee's editorial staff too!
Why not start on cutting the deficit by cutting waste first?
Correcting the broken parole revocation process would save about $.5 to $.6 billion annually. Our very high rates are the direct result of the county jail bed shortage. Previously, technical parole violators were held in jail while the parole agent developed a local program, such as placement in drug treatment and changes in parole conditions. The jail bed shortage required immediate transfer of technical parole violators from jail to prison. Once in prison, there is almost no chance a technical violator will be released without serving a revocation term.
The State could simply release Requests for Proposals for correctional beds to hold technical parole violators. Only about 4% of the California prison population is held in contract facilities compared to 9% in Texas. In addition to saving a lot of money, the state could avoid spending any of the $6.5 billion in AB 900 funds for construction of more prison beds.
Of course, in order to realize such saving, both the Governor and the Legislature would have to be willing to displease the correctional employee unions, some thing they are very reluctant to do!
On today's news, they reported taxpayers will now be paying for home computers for minorities. Is this really a dire need? We already provide computers in schools, in libraries, etc. This is wasteful, and unnecessary spending that should be cut IMMEDIATELY.
Sacramento Democrats and a few Republicans have overspent the budget by 20 billion, and House Leader Don Perado proposes we spend 8 billion more in hand outs, like on such things as free home computers.
I don't have the figures, but I have read that the vast majority of the state budget is for handouts, and welfare--what many like to call 'the redistribution of wealth', or legalized stealing.
Welfares should only be for the truly needy--those who are hungry, cold, and are in this country legally.
We are so far past that point it is insane. If we don't cut unnecessary, and wasteful spending, we will go bankrupt. How long does the bank allow you to withdraw funds you don't have? This is no different.
The Public Employee Unions run the state through our pathetic legislature. Who's side will they be on in the Revolution? While they may be our neighbors and friends their selfish self interest has bled the state dry and the defeat of the Governors propositions to reign in these costs was soundly defeated by this machine that manipulates our legislature and thus runs our state.It's an us against them scenario and those that have grown fat feeding at the trough have no intent of doing what is best for the state and their fellow Californians.These folks are as pathetic as our legislature so don't expect anything to change except your taxes to increase to pay for the ineptness of our legislature and the greed of these folks. Ask your friends and neighbors who are part of these Unions what they are willing to give up to help their fellow Californians out and they give you a blank look then they get agitated.Individually they may be nice folks but as a group they are sinister and disgusting in their self serving greed.I don't know if they'll be on my side during the Revolution.From their current behavior...I'd better watch my back.
Somebodys initials speak for themselves and have BM of the mouth snd SFB in the text world.
Brian, the revolution is over, your buddy's "contract with America" was victorious, they got everthing they wanted and are still lording it over us even though they are the minority in Congress and on the virge of impeachment. Unless your talking about the revolution that I pray for; the one where we get our country back from the corporate criminals that stole it, rewrote the rules, looted it, pirated the money away in offshore-tax-free accounts, or just moved their corporate headquarters to Arab countries where they don't pay tax.( Halliburton,Blackwater, K.B.R.,etc..) How can one explain the $40 billion debt-forgiveness that Ken Lay and Enron enjoyed after they were convicted of stealing us blind, and then essentially 'pardoned' in one of the governor's first official acts...we could sure use that money now, huh?
Mayor Alan Autry served his purpose
He feigned concern over a "water shortage" as his goons annihilated innocent residents while secretly diverting the city's water for development beyond Friant. Evidence of executions, real estate theft and unauthorized destruction/reconstruction of private property to carry this out was met with Mayor Autry having his Dept. of Public Works issue a Restraining Order against the 1 victim who survived long enough to report the atrocities. Autry's Atrocities.
Let him be remembered for the truth, rather than another performance by a paid actor.
http://marlalk.wordpress.com/2008/08/02/fresnos-water-shortage-is-a-set-up-farce/
http://fresnofriantdam.blogspot.com/2008/08/death-threats-behind-autrys-cover-up.html