In light of concerns about elected officials refusing to defend the people’s will and strangling reform, a new oath for California officeholders should be introduced.
Here is a draft.
“I do solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of the State of California against all enemies — foreign and domestic – unless the people approve a ballot initiative that violates those right, when I’ll defend the initiative;
“that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of the State of California, except when the people act otherwise or when Schnur or Sragow say that we need this reform to show bipartisanship;
“that I take this obligation as freely as one can in a world dominated by independent expenditures, without any mental reservation (beyond the fear for personal safety that any California politician must have, given the socially acceptable hatred of our species) or any purpose of evasion (with the obvious exception that I want to avoid primary challenges);
“and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties upon which I am about to enter, consistent with the polls and with what my Big Labor or taxpayer group or Munger funders say is reasonable.”