Cop-Out Politics

Many bytes have been wasted recently lamenting the sad state of California's budget and the politics that led up to it. In spite of its kooky reputation, California is pretty diverse. In fact, I'd say that the California Republican party has for some time resembled what the national Republican party is starting to look like. They hate Ahnold as much as the Democrats, if not more.

One of the more annoying aspect of California politics is our referendum system. Issues that our legislature is incapable of dealing with, or matters that well-funded interest groups can muster a pathetically small number of signatures for, get tossed directly to the voters. My general practice is just to vote NO on all such propositions, granting a miserly amount of exceptions. I keep thinking this may eventually result in a legislature that actually does its job. Hope springs eternal. This year, since the legislature requires a 2/3 vote to pass a budget and is just shy of 2/3 Democrats, there was a giant cop-out foisted on the voters. Thus, California voters get to decide on Props 1A-1F, a confusing array of budgetary crap that you would think you pay your state legislator to deal with.

Just like the unorthodox alignment of pro- and anti-Bush sentiment that served to defeat naming a SF sewage treatment plant after him, we seem to be lining up for a left-right alliance to defeat of 1A-1F. The left feels the defeat will force right wing Republicans to come back to the table and negotiate (or risk losing their seats eventually), while the right feels the defeat will force the left wing Democrats to come back to table and negotiate (or risk losing their seats eventually). It's always a bad sign when George Will, in his toney Georgetown digs, or Rush Limbaugh in his toney Manhattan digs, take an interest in California politics. But here we are.

And speaking of where we are, the thing that inspired me to write this long blog post was an article outlining the position of aspiring California gubernatorial nominees on Props 1A-1F.

Candidate	1A	1B	1C	1D	1E	1F
Jerry Brown (D)	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y
Tom Campbell (R)	Y	N	N	Y	Y	N
Gavin Newsom (D)	Y	Y	N	N	N	N
Steve Poizner (R)	N	N	N	N	N	N
Antonio Villaraigosa (D)	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y
Meg Whitman (R)	N	N	N	Y	Y	Y

Clear as mud, eh. This of course makes it difficult for me to determine my voting position by voting the opposite of the person I most distrust. Oh well, maybe George Will made that easier.