Vote YES on May 19

Next Tuesday there will be a special election to alleviate California's fiscal crisis. This newest form of participatory democracy was crafted to move the current budget to be signed, and the temporary fiscal gridlock solved. It did manage to raise some taxes, much to the discomfort of some Republican legislators, who now face political annihilation having violated a "No new taxes pledge". It is a historical fact that those who participate in a special election, do so for a specific cause, and the idealists gamble on the lack of interest gives the advantage to the proponents. The vitriolic manner in which the electorate are taking off after the "tax heretics," on the tax pledge, means their interests will be represented loud and clear. After the dust settles, the No side will propel the legislature and the Governor back to the treadmill of budget solutions going nowhere.


Special interests thrive on legislative dysfunction. They can use the power of political contributions to keep control. Perhaps hope lies in the Redistricting Commission which will develop a post-decennial census plan for re-apportionment. You will remember how hard the special interests fought against this measure, so there must be something right about it. Recently, a leader of one of the Senior organizations in California said that the reason seniors lose out in these cutbacks is they have no monetary support behind their positions, in other words in order to play, they would have to pay by way of campaign contributions.

California is too great of state to be governed by slogans like : "No new Taxes," "Cut Spending," or creating ballot propositions to play to the crowd. We need statesman who can plan, be permitted to raise new funds if needed, and reduce spending. It takes the right folks in public office to step up to the plate on the interests of all Californians, and not the interest of the few of either political party. In 1894, Samuel Walter Foss wrote a poem entitled: The Coming Americans. A famous line was: "Bring me men and (women) to match my mountains." A renewal of this spirit can get us through the current trauma.