THERE'S AN EXPRESSION called "Hawaiian Time" which loosely means you get around to it when you can. It's the laid-back attitude of the island of Kauai which I just spent the last nine days visiting. So in the aloha spirit, please forgive my week-late commentary on last week's state budget vote. Also in the Kauai spirit, I dedicate this blog to the island's unofficial birds: the wild chickens that roam loose everywhere on the island.
My fellow Democrats in the state legislature: with some notable exceptions, you generally lack spinal columns. How is it possible that the majority party with all public polling on its side kowtowed to the minority Republicans and our governor in slashing billions to schools, children's health insurance, state parks, the elderly, sick and disabled?
Why, when recent polling showed that over 70 percent of voters, across party lines, supported a cigarette and tobacco tax increase that could generate $1.2 billion a year, did you discard the idea? (We are number 32 in the nation in such fees. Forty-six other states have raised their cigarette tax rate a collective total of 93 times since California last raised its tax in 1998.)
Why, when other polling showed that 73 percent supported oil extraction fees like every other oil-drilling state has, did you also discount that plan? These fees could generate $1.3 billion a year.
Big Tobacco and Big Oil have spent millions fighting these ideas and you let them win.
Why did you instead agree to let the state borrow or take billions away from our cities and counties, leaving local governments to further cut their own decimated budgets? The City of Ventura alone will lose an estimated $2.76 million this fiscal year to Sacramento's budget debacle, according to a calculation tool provided by the Sacramento Bee. These grabs are sure to trigger lawsuits.
Another tip: Our unions want to save jobs, too. Bring everyone to the table to talk and don't let wedge issues like public employee pension reform be used as last-minute ammo by our governor in the next budget talks.
AND NOW FOR THE EXCEPTIONS: Kudos to State Sen. Fran Pavley, (D-Agoura Hills) who refused to vote for the raid on local gas taxes which would cut street repairs to cities, according to Star reporter Timm Herdt. The Assembly fought that one back, too. Pavley also voted no on over $334 million in reductions in state spending for developmental services.
More no votes from Democratic Senators Gil Cedillo, Lou Correa, Mark DeSaulnier, and Leland Yee on the main budget bill forced perennial Republican no voters Sam Aanestad, Roy Ashburn, Dennis Hollingsworth, Bob Huff, George Runner, and Tony Strickland into voting yes. This time around they won't be able to issue hypocritical press releases afterward saying they didn't actually vote for these cuts.
"I think it should be very troubling to the public that a decision that was made through a public process in the light of day can be overturned by a few leaders behind closed doors," Victoria Rome, deputy California advocacy director for the Natural Resources Defense Council said. Nava, who is running for State Attorney General, gathered the support of more than 60 environmental groups, editorial writers and the state Democratic Party in defeating the oil deal.
These Democrats with guts will continue to have my vote.
Marie:
The reason is both simple to understand and brutally honest. Their performance sucks!!
And the most recent job approval ratings given the Legislature by voters polled by the Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC) dramatically confirms that judgment.
Based on the results of PPIC's most recent Statewide Survey, the California State Legislature, controlled and lead by Democrats, have an even lower job approval rating (17%) than our Girly-Man Governator (24%).
Take a close look at the results of PPIC’s most recent Statewide Survey. That survey polled 2,501 adults, 2019 registered voters and 1,457 likely voters. Interviews took place July 7 through 21, 2009. PPIC reports a margin of error of + or - 2%. The results are shocking, but not surprising.
A few highlights:
85% of Republicans disapprove of the job that the State Legislature is doing, with Democrats and Independents not far behind at 74%...
Gender made little difference with 73% of men, and 70% of women disapproving of the Legislature's performance.
There was an interesting range in responses by Race/Ethnicity, with the 81% of White voters; 71% of Black voters; 62% of Asian voters and only 58% of Latino voters expressing their disapproval of the Legislature's performance.
Finally, and most interestingly, household income seemed to attenuate performance ratings markedly. There was 25% swing in the job approval ratings given the State Legislature based on self-described household income ranges. Households reporting annual incomes of $80,000 or more disapproved of the State Legislature's performance by 85%, versus only 60% disapproval ratings given by households reporting $40,000 or less annual income.
The bottom line is this... Whether they were Democrats, Republicans or Independent voters, men or women, black, white or brown, rich or poor, college graduates or high-school drop-outs, no matter how the pollsters sliced and diced the cross-tabs of the demographics, Californians by and large think that their State Legislature is doing a God-awful, lousy job.. And for good reason, they are!
In fact, given the polarized nature of the CA electorate, the only thing that the State Legislature can take credit for is that has unified left-leaning liberals, right-wing conservatives, and libertarian independents, in their disdain and disgust of the job they are doing (or more correctly not doing) in Sacramento.. Quite a feat!!
Until the State Legislature, currently lead by Democrats, regains the trust and respect of the electorate, polling numbers like these will only get worse.
Unfortunately, unlike the Sacramento-elites, Democrats and Republican, most of us working-stiffs can't still keep our jobs if we received 70 to 80% negative ratings on our most recent job performance review from our boss..
NostraDemus
Marie:
A slight correction and contextual explanation of the PPIC job disapproval ratings shown for our Girly-Man Governator..
The job approval ratings for Mr. Schwarznegger reported by the CA voters polled in PPIC's most recent Statewide Survey actually were: 28% amongst all adults, and 29% amongst both registered and likely voters, NOT the 24% that I had reported incorrectly in my earlier blog-post.. (See URL above for the figures)..
Compare that with the approval ratings for the State Legislature, controlled by Democrats, ranging from a high of 17% amongst all adults, 14% amongst registered voters, and a Filene's sub-basement low of 10% amongst likely voters!..
My apologies for having a computer trigger finger quicker than my discerning eye when reading these lists..
Irrespective of the minor numbers correction above, the essential thrust of my earlier post still holds.
The bottom line is this... Whether they were Democrats, Republicans or Independent voters, men or women, black, white or brown, rich or poor, college graduates or high-school drop-outs, no matter how the pollsters sliced and diced the cross-tabs of the demographics, Californians by and large think that their State Legislature, and their Governor, is doing a God-awful, lousy job.. And for good reason, they are!
And more on point, in blunt answer to the rhetorical question you pose as the title of your current thread, "...Why are Democrats such Chickens??" Simple, because their current crop of Legislative Leaders lay such rotten political eggs!...
NostraDemus
If anything positive can actually come as a result of our current problems it's that a younger generation just might realize how politicians (on all levels) function. When revenues are rolling in, their poor performance is barely noticed and often-times viewed as a cute little game of political stand-off. However, when times change and funds dry up, it becomes painfully obvious that these folks (regardless of party) are basically non-productive and have created a safe haven of operation which is, of course, sustained by taxpayer monies. This is what happens when people are allowed to play with free money.
Although stated with a partial tongue-in-cheek, I'd suggest that we cut everything except Highway Patrol, CalTrans and maybe a few other critical services and start over with a clean slate. Oh, and State Politicians will be paid with those great IOU's (you know, the kind that banks, merchants or even mafia loan sharks won't honor.) The California state government is merely a microcosm of our national government- the one great difference being that a state cannot print currency - maybe Arnold can get around that. What a ride we'd be in for then.
Last year, I frequently posted on this site regarding my disgust with local politicians and their inability to deal with our beach sand problem. Since then, our nation's problems have increased exponentially and taxpayers are witnessing their government's inability to perform responsibly. During good economic times this behavior might be merely embarrassing. During bad times, when people are losing their homes and jobs, it's nothing short of shameful.
Why tax tobacco in the first place?
As a citizen of the United States and one of God's children, you should be able to enjoy a smoke without a bunch of government thugs shakin' you down for tax money....that will go up in smoke anyway....
These government thugs and lazycrats will never have enough of your tax money....never...as you can see since we have doubled both the state budget and the ventura county budget in the past ten years......they are taking twice as much tax money from us, as they did ten years ago.....and it still ain't enough for these thugs
Ventura County sure has a lot of low IQ idiotic right wing nutjobs.
Crazed right wing nutjobs at work:
http://www.ktla.com/news/landing/ktla-obama-posters,0,940643.story
http://www.calbuzz.com/2009/08/some-suggestions-for-the-impotent-democrats/
Check out the great post above on CalBuzz. I was delighted to find it tonight.
Nostra, I see you are making the rounds of many blogs these days.
Marie:
Yep, you can't create a working-class Democratic pearl without irritating the Democratic oyster-elites..
Especially the ones in Sacramento who've abandoned the principles of working-class solidarity for the all to seductive pleasures of hob-knobbing with ultra-rich, political-contributin Hollywood and Silicon Valley corporate elites..
Besides, as they say, "...democracy IS dialogue.."
NostraDemus
"...bypassing long-established procedures and public decisions in a hurried budget deal is wrong...."
Funny - that "bypassing" concept sounds like what D'Ohbama promulgates on a daily basis.
Comment: Democrats are weak because their end justifies their means - whatever is the expedient thing to do at the time rules the day. Democrats have no backbone because they have no principals beyond winning the next election. At the present time, the Whitehouse is calling those denouncing the Obamacare concept as a "mob" for expressing their First Amendment rights. Obama has lied regularly on almost every issue on which he campaigned: that's a major sign of weakness. Recently the voting public of California voted down all five of the measures cobbled together by the lib-controlled legislature - giving Arnold a free hand - and most of that voting public are democrats. You guys need to learn to think outside of your box.
re: John Stewart's comment "Democrats have no backbone because they have no principals beyond winning the next election." How much of the magic GOP punch did you drink? You don't think that the Republicans (at all levels) are any different? Bush and his boys actually got the God-fearing middle Americans to do the unthinkable - to vote against their self-interests in the name of God, Country, apple pie and tax breaks for the wealthy. Also, while they preach morality, it seems that the Republicans tend to place themselves above the law. Look at the number of scandals in the past several years - seems that the GOP leaders breath a sigh of relief if a scandal involves an adult female as opposed to.......well, you're a Republican, so you can easily fill in the blanks.
The 2-party system hasn't failed us, but the politicians who are elected to it have. Leaders of both parties have forgotten their basic responsibility of representation. Our state government is merely an ego-inflating spectacle for all concerned and, at the Federal level, let's just say that the Bush Boys left the biggest trail of crap behind them that this country has ever witnessed. At least we don't have to wait for the historians on that one - it's blatantly obvious.
"...the biggest trail of ... the country has ever witnessed...it's blatantly obvious..."
Bill: I assume you are not extolling the virtues of over 50 months of continuous economic expansion under Pres. Geo. W. Bush... that is blatantly obvious and it is documented that this did occur...I am a Republican and I have filled in that blank. The historians will no doubt give George W. much higher marks than you have. Colin Powell voting for Barack Obama for president and then saying he is a Republican does not do much to encourage his credibility nor does Obama stating he will not tax those making less than $250,000.00.
President Bush launched the President's Malaria Initiative (PMI)in 2005. That's the one and only thing he did right - everything else was botched. General Powell correctly identified himself as a Republican - the Bush gang merely used the GOP to launch themselves into the White House. As for President Obama, he may not be perfect, but he has the respect of those who sincerely care about our country. Let the historians write what they will. Those who still support Bush should at least get out of the way and let the current administration tackle the enormous job of repairing the damaged nation those fools left behind.
While I don't fly a flag over my house or get all misty when they play the national anthem, I am a decorated combat veteran who volunteered for service in Vietnam when it was very unfashionable to do so in 1967. This is a great country and can be even better if we keep it on track. Problem is, sometimes the wrong people end up behind the wheel. I just hope we have enough time to clean up their mess before they return.
Great post Bill. Thank you for writing it.
Bill: I think you should regularly preface your remarks with "in my opinion". Bush kept this country safe for 8 years while saving about 15,000,000 lives in Africa with his government-religious partnerships fighting AIDS and, yes, malaria. He supported pro-life legislation while Obama is promoting the continued killing of hundreds of thousands of babies around the world at taxpayer expense. Obama voted down charter schools in DC, preventing 2000 black children from getting better education in deference to the Teachers' Union, while his daughters attend the $30,000.00/ year Friends School in that city. I was a Marine boot in 1963 when Kennedy was shot; served in that organization for six years thereafter as a cpl./machine gunner. My father was a battalion surgeon in the Battle of the Bulge. We have all done our service, Bill. Everyone has already gotten "out of the way" to let this narcissist run loose; he has overstayed his welcome and the introduction of Communist Socialism is not something the thinking natives of this country are going to give him a backslap over. A client from Moscow says his friends in Russia are laughing at the stupidity of Americans who voted for D'Ohbama - they have already lived it - have you, Bill ?
Anytime a Republican sees something done for the American people they call it socialism. Corporate welfare that's o.k... but if a hungry child get's some food it's socialism.
John,
the GOP doesn't care about you. They don't care about any veteran. I don't know who your "client from Moscow" is... (LOL! It just sounds so Mike Gibson... Hahaha) anyway...hehe he probably isn't a good source of information for what's going on in America.
John:
"Bush kept this country safe for 8 years," with one exception: 911 which, of course, happened on his watch. As for Obama promoting the continued killing of hundreds of thousands of babies around the world - that's absolutely absurd (& how many children have died horrible deaths or severe injury as a result of our "pre-emptive" invasion of Iraq?
I'm not going to address the rest of your remarks, as I realize that you have God himself on your side (does he really have gray hair?) You go your way, I'll go mine. You cling to mysticism and Fox news releases and I'll spend my time trying to improve the lives of fellow humans. Sadly, it seems that your type must merely be tolerated for a while since you seem immune to change. Cling to the past, but keep in mind that 1958 with US world domination, Ozzie and Harriet, monster Buicks and 25 cent cigarettes just ain't commin back no matter how hard you & Carl Rove wish for it. They threw out their line of lies and you took the bait. You gave them your precious vote and look what they did with it. They even had the audacity to include God in the mix. Well, thank God those 8 years are over and those of us not under the magic spell can start moving forward again.
Respond as you see fit, but this is my last entry on this thread.
Don't worry Bill. They are minority in decline, losing all power and while gasping for air they're spewing what misinformation Faux news can feed them. Everything they've touched has gone to hell. They just don't realize how wrong they are because they surround themselves with those who think like them.
I would commend Faux News to you both if you want some objective reporting on the healthcare situation. There should be a writing class to teach libs how to make a comment without coming unglued.
Dorothy Rabinowitz in today's Wall Street Journal:
[ "Obama's Tone-Deaf Health Campaign" ]
" "The president has a problem. For, despite a great election victory, Mr. Obama, it becomes ever clearer, knows little about Americans. He knows the crowds - he is at home with those. He is a stranger to the country's heart and character.
...He seems unable to grasp what runs counter to its nature. That Americans don't take well, for instance, to bullying, especially of the moralizing kind, implicit in those speeches on health care for everybody. Neither do they wish to be taken where they don't know they want to go and being told it's good for them. ...." "It is not, in the end, the demonstrators in those town hall meetings or the agitations of his political enemies that Mr. Obama should fear. It is the judgment of those Americans who have been sitting quietly in their homes, listening to him".
I'd love to see some of those anti Obama medical plan protesters sign a statement which permanently gives up their right to any Medicare benefits.
John,
G.W. Bush is your idea of being in touch with the American people? LOL. John please listen to what you're saying.
What if Clinton was friends with the 9/11 terrorists families? What if President Obama took better care of the terrorist relatives than the American people? What would Faux News and today's "Wall Street Journal" say about that?
Your hatred has hijacked your sanity. Reality is going to give you a hard time for the rest of your life unless you smarten up.
"...your hatred has hijacked your sanity..."
This is acceptable dialogue in the world of Marie Lakin. I seem to recall writing a harmless comment in response to this very comment in this very space yesterday, which was subsequently removed with no comment. there is neither "thoughtful" nor "lively" nor elevated discussion generally in this space.
John, I haven't deleted any of your comments. I am having some technical trouble with comments lately. Some are ending up in my spam filter. I try to fish them out in a timely manner. But yours was not among them. Just post again.