State Politics
Over the Legislature’s spring recess, I had the opportunity to review some of the more than 2,800 bills my colleagues have introduced this year. A brief review may enlighten you to the unhealthy process here in Sacramento.
A measure introduced by Assemblyman Paul Koretz, D-West Hollywood, would require that prison wardens make condoms available to inmates. Assemblywoman Fran Pavley, D-Agoura Hills, introduced a measure to require online dating services to conduct criminal background checks on users. Assemblywoman Jackie Goldberg, D-Echo Park, has again introduced a measure to outlaw the name ‘Redskins’ as a school mascot.
And Assemblyman Mark Ridley-Thomas, D-Los Angeles, has a measure to require local voter registrars to aggressively recruit inmates and other criminals to become voters. Registrars aren’t required to recruit homeowners or students as potential voters, but would have to proactively seek out felons.
This is but a small sampling of many of the needless bills.
We have many important problems in this state. The budget has been in chronic deficit for four years now. Our roads are gridlocked, due to a lack of capacity and disrepair. Schools continue to underperform even with yearly increases to per-pupil spending.
Gov. Schwarzenegger has convened a special session of the Legislature to address some of these problems. It has been almost three months and little has been done. Imagine that.
Some legislatures in our country only meet for three months in the entire year. California’s process is beset with a culture of procrastination, only reaching compromise on contentious issues at or after deadlines. A budget has not been passed on time in over 20 years. We are paralyzed with inaction.
But the governor does not believe that paralysis should shape our government, and I agree with him. Instead, he has selected some core measures to be decided by voters this fall.
One measure that may be esoteric to some is the proposal to reform our redistricting.
Voters now have almost no choice in who represents them in the California Legislature. An agreement reached in 2001 between Democrats and Republicans created a gerrymander almost guaranteeing control of districts by each party as currently held.
Gov. Schwarzenegger’s proposal will take elected politicians out of the redistricting process and turn that responsibility to a panel of retired judges.
With elected officials more accountable to their voters, we will see a much more responsible and responsive legislature. This is the way representative democracy was designed.
Assemblyman Van Tran
R-Costa Mesa
London Trip
Visiting London recently, I found it to be an exciting time for politics and public policy.
They are on the verge of calling an election there, a process that lasts just one month under Great Britain’s parliamentary system.
Former prime minister James Callaghan died while I was there. Yet the front-page headline of The Sunday Times read, “Charles must apologise for adultery, says top bishop.”
The passing of President Reagan brought our nation to a halt. When President Ford or Carter or George H. W. Bush or Clinton dies the pomp and circumstance likely will be less. But I have no doubt what the headlines will read from coast to coast.
Conservative Party activists are out in force. They stand in front of and near government buildings with yard signs on posts and are glad to engage you in conversation,if approached; they don’t solicit interaction.
A member of Parliament resigned his post as deputy chairman of the Conservative Party because the press reported on a comment he made in a private meeting that should his party come to power, their planned cuts in government would be greater than they have admitted publicly.
Conservative Party Co-Chairman Liam Fox has suggested the Labour Party was infiltrating conservative groups and taping meetings in an effort to bring down Conservative MPs. It seems they were successful.
The Parliament is debating reform of the upper house, the House of Lords, including a proposal to choose members by direct elections rather than the traditional appointment or privilege. I couldn’t help but think how Americans would never put up with such an undemocratic system that rewards seats based on family or church status.
My favorite stories were more analogous to those in the U.S., as they involved the teachers’ union.
NUTs (yes, they’re the National Union of Teachers) are concerned about poor behavior by students,though they don’t fault the kids themselves.
“I don’t blame the children, I don’t blame the parents. It is society to blame,” said a deputy head teacher (what they call an administrator). Some NUT leaders accused soccer players of being bad role models.
The NUTs are demanding a national charter setting forth rules on how to deal with bad behavior,for the teachers’ sake as much as the kids’. One teacher said, “Poor behavior such as when students question authority, leads to lack of confidence and stress and eventually health problems among teachers.”
Another NUTs idea is to stop publishing individual test results, for the stated reason that they can demoralize the students at poorly performing schools. I suspect that what’s really demoralizing to the teachers is that such publication can call into question their own performances.
The NUTs would be right at home in our own liberal CTA or NEA.
Adam D. Probolsky
President
Probolsky Research
br>Laguna Hills
Auctions
Re the OC Insider’s auction of the clock that state finance director Tom Campbell couldn’t accept for speaking at the OC Forum luncheon:
Now you’ve really gone and done it!
Now we’ll probably see Arnold auctioning off the artwork from the state Capitol, or maybe some buildings or trees from the Capitol grounds. Maria already tried to hijack the state museum to turn it into a women’s museum.
Now the whole state could be up for sale. Should we be watching eBay?
Craig Dusenberry
Laguna Beach
Editor’s note: Bidding for the clock is up to $350 (see the Insider, page 3). Proceeds will go toward reducing the state budget deficit. For more information or to place a bid e-mail reiff@ocbj.com.
