Californian of the Year
It’s easy enough to be a success in Sacramento: Make an occasional stirring speech and then vote with the party on everything. You’ll generally be on the winning side if you’re a Democrat and the losing side if you’re a Republican, but so what?
In these days of gerrymandered districts, a record of party-line votes is a virtual guarantee of re-election and personal political success.
But politicians interested in actually accomplishing something for the state should remember the words of that esteemed philosopher, Jay Ward’s Super Chicken:
“You knew the job was dangerous when you took it.”
A few thoughts as we leave 2009 and go into 2010
The Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC) recently
released a voter survey measuring voter attitudes in California on various
issues, candidates and incumbents.
In the GOP Primary race for governor, former e-Bay executive
Meg Whitman continues to show a significant lead over her two GOP rivals, Tom
Campbell and Steve Poizner: Whiteman 32%, Campbell 19%, Poizner 8%, someone
else 4% and undecided 44%.
Attorney General Jerry Brown continues to leads all three
Republican candidates, though falling short of a majority support in
hypothetical November election matchups.
Early polls are interesting, but are not always accurate
indicators as to who will win come election time. Ask supporters of Hillary Clinton and Richard Riordan on
that point.
Wheels Coming Off High Speed Rail
When California voters barely approved a $9.95 billion bond measure for High Speed Rail in 2008, they had no idea how soon they would learn the true meaning of the phrase “being railroaded.” As more about this project is revealed, the backlash from the public and political leadership is sure to grow.
For purposes of full disclosure, Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association ran the unsuccessful campaign against Prop 1A (not to be confused with 2009’s Prop 1A, an attempt to raise $16 billion in new taxes). Our most potent weapon was a devastating study by the Reason Foundation which revealed that the proponents’ representations regarding costs, fare price and profitability were pure fantasy. But, from the start, we had an uphill battle convincing voters how poorly thought out this measure was. The California Legislature had already stacked the deck by providing such a biased title and summary for the measure that the issue of that deception is still the subject of litigation today. The deceptive ballot material, in addition to the campaign contributions from those who would profit from the project, was enough to ensure victory at the polls – albeit by a very small margin.
Talking Green, Feeling Blue
Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa traveled to Europe last week to tout Los Angeles as a center for the “clean and green” jobs of tomorrow.
What is it about that guy and green? He can’t stop yammering about that color.
He wrote on his Web site that he told the execs of some clean tech and solar firms in Germany that Los Angeles is a “natural place” to locate any business expansions because we have “a public sector that is committed to making L.A. a global capital of the new green economy.”
Well, that’s fine. But there’s one teensy little problem. Lots of the green jobs he sees migrating to Los Angeles are really blue jobs, as in blue-collar manufacturing jobs. After all, the workers would assemble solar panels and make new-generation batteries and the like. And Los Angeles has a dismal record in attracting and keeping blue-collar jobs.