Thread: CALIFORNIA : NOT HOW IT IS DONE

Not how it's done

By: North County Times Opinion staff

Our view: Sadly, Golden State is no longer a model for the country to follow

The Sunday before Christmas is usually a time to turn one's thoughts to peace on Earth, goodwill toward others and a reflection on all of the blessings that have been bestowed upon us as the temporary inhabitants of this singular and miraculous planet.

But several recent events remind us that all is not well in our little corner of the universe.

Last week, with all of the fanfare usually reserved for great military victories or national achievements such as a moon landing, Gov. Schwarzenegger and Democrats in the Assembly breathlessly announced the passage of a health care reform package.

On the eve of this "groundbreaking" event, Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez, D-Los Angeles, crowed that passage of the bill would mean that "California can once again show the nation how it's done."

That comment, and others like it, show just how disconnected from reality the elites who run the state have become. For it has been a long time since California has been in a position to show anyone "how it's done."

This unfamiliarity with the real state of affairs in the Golden State became evident before the week was out. On Friday, the governor announced that next month he will declare a fiscal emergency and call for a special session of the Legislature to address a current and future budget shortfall projected to run into the billions.

A day before, the administration floated the idea of releasing 22,000 nonviolent prisoners to help address budget woes. If carried out, it would be the largest early release of prisoners in U.S. history. The prison system's health care operations are already in federal receivership because they've been deemed unconstitutional.

If this were the extent of the state's dysfunction it would be cause for celebration. Unfortunately, there's more.

Despite $20 billion in new infrastructure money for transportation that's slowly coming online, it's not enough to make up for the decades of neglect that has made the state a nightmare for commuters.

Then there's the state's failing education system. According to national tests, California's fourth- and eighth-graders score below those in nearly every other state in math and reading achievement. This despite the fact that at least 40 percent of the state's $100 billion-plus annual budget goes to K-12 education.

To make matters worse, any attempts to improve that failing system are stymied by a union-controlled state Legislature that makes reform nearly impossible. Our heralded system of initiatives and referendums, meant to allow regular citizens to go around the Legislature, has become the tool of corporations, politicians, special interests and demagogues who use the initiative process to advance their own narrow agendas.

Add to this list high housing prices, a potential water crisis and a fragile power system that nears collapse whenever temperatures go above 90 degrees and it's no wonder that for the first time since the early-1990s more people are leaving California than are coming here from other states.

None of that is to suggest that California is a complete loss. We have a great university system that attracts the best minds in the world. Our agriculture sector feeds millions. Our thriving communications and technology industries have made the state a byword for innovation. Vibrant immigrant communities throughout the state keep the American Dream alive. The state's incredible natural beauty is a gift to us all.

Despite these great strengths, and many others, our state is no longer a model that others should follow and we must acknowledge that fact. The sooner we do, the sooner we can make the changes that will allow us, once again, to show the country how it's done.

http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2007/12 ... ogcomments

Our heralded system of initiatives and referendums, meant to allow regular citizens to go around the Legislature, has become the tool of corporations, politicians, special interests and demagogues who use the initiative process to advance their own narrow agendas.

Replace the bold with: "Our heralded U.S. Constitution"...and it pretty much sums up REALITY of the entire United States.

Our country is no longer an example for the world. At least in the sense that it once was.

Vibrant immigrant communities throughout the state keep the American Dream alive.

Yeah right..... More like turning the American Dream into the American Nightmare.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR


Gutting the fence bill

I find it very telling that Sen. Boxer's choice of e-mail topics doesn't include the border fence issue. So far this year, the Democratically led Congress has tried to dupe the American people with myriad bills, like "Shamnesty" and the DREAM Act. Their approval rating has plummeted to the lowest of any Congress, ever, yet they persist in their covert betrayal of their American constituents. Do they really think Americans are too stupid to see their repeated, blatant treason?

Prior to the '06 elections, a double-tiered fence, along all 1,700-plus miles of the southern U.S. border, was approved. Now, they try and bury the gutting of that bill in an omnibus spending bill to further betray their constituents. How do they possibly sleep at night?

Their very obvious betrayal, obfuscation and duplicity will ensure that their reign at the helm of California and America is over. No longer will Californians allow voter fraud to keep Boxer and her fellow traitors in positions of power. The elitist few just don't have that large of a voting bloc. Maybe they can get jobs in the American consulate in Mexico, on the other side of the double-tiered fence Americans want.

Mari Hayden

Oceanside

http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2007/12 ... _14_09.txt