In 2010 California Must Resolve to Dump Bad Habits

 
2009 was a dismal year by just about anyone’s standards. But hey, that’s why we have a New Year, I suppose. As we move forward into 2010 and begin a much needed new decade, even with little promise and few signs of things getting better anytime soon, we should resolve to be optimistic about our future. But success (as this state has painfully learned) will not happen automatically. There is always room for things to get worse. If California wants to move forward, we must learn from our mistakes and make the changes that are necessary to ensure a bigger, better and brighter year (and years) for California. Here are the top 10 resolutions our state – its constituents (that’s you!) and our legislators can use to make this  year a turning point for California.

 

1. Ignorance is not bliss: Californian’s should educate themselves about the legislature and the politics and policy of this state. We have paid the price (literally, hundreds of billions) for being slow to learn and quick to point fingers. Familiarize yourself with the following terms, their history and their impact: Ballot-box budgeting, 2/3 majority vote, Big 5, SEIU, Prison Guard Union, initiative process, direct-democracy versus representative democracy, Prop 13, Prop 98, AB 32, term limits, open primaries/closed primaries, lizard shaped districts.

 

2. Why Can’t We All Just Get Along?!:  Get to know your Assemblymember and your State Senator. Track their voting record, call and write to them on issues of importance, attend their “meet the member” breakfasts, town-hall meetings and other various events they hold in your district. This is YOUR government– if it’s not working for you… its working for someone else.

 

3. No More Purple Shirt Threats: Democrats need to figure out a way to wiggle out of SEIU’s golden-handcuffs. We can’t afford …nor is SEIU entitled to all of their demands. Get real.

 

4. Talk to the Hand: Republicans need to turn off the worst of their talk radio – All of it.  Shockingly, “Shock-Jocks” have ratings in mind…. not the best interests of California. As the saying goes, “If a million people stay a stupid thing…it’s still a stupid thing.” Resolve to get the facts and make up your own mind.

 

5. Arrested Development:  Republicans and Democrats need to tell the Prison Guard Union (CCPOA) to go pound sand. Prison guards are not more important than a fair and effective system. When we have the highest recidivism rate in the country (at nearly 80%) you can’t call it corrections. At a cost of tens of billions of dollars to the state – we ought to be taking the Governor’s recent call to privatize prisons seriously.  There, I said it. And I don’t apologize.

 

6. The “Truth” Will Set You Free: Legislators should be honest with their constituents. Seriously- Honest. If you have a far left constituency, remind them that a strong public sector can only exist with a strong private sector – We have to cut social programs – period.  When you work in the public sector (a noble profession) it comes with benefits (lots of paid holidays and awesome benefits), as well as detriments (having to lean into hard times like everyone else.) On that same note… If you have a conservative base, remind them that CA is $21 billion in debt and cash poor - gutting the public school system and breaking the backs of our states poorest, oldest, youngest, and sickest is probably not the way to go. This legislature is going to have to raise taxes (even if they have to disguise them as "fees"). Things will get better and we’ll get back on track but right now that apperas the only way out. Oil severance taxes and things of that nature should be considered right now. The truth hurts – but this state will keep digging itself further and further into a hole if we continue to refuse to face the facts.

 

7. Bed Time for Bad Laws: Legislators should put a sunset clause (expiration date) on every new bill that establishes any new board, program, or comes with a cost. If it doesn’t do what they promise by the effective date- let the sun-set.

 

8. Pull the Weeds: Every single irrelevant committee (or sub-committee) should be eliminated. Here’s a few to start: Committee on Aging and Long Term Care, Committee on Arts, Entertainment, Sports, Tourism and the Media and the Committee on Veterans Affairs. Each of these committees and many others should be absorbed into other committees.  Same goes for the following sub committees which rarely, if ever meet, but generally keep staff on full time (usually as personal staff).

Select Committee on 9-1-1 Service

Select Committee on Aerospace

Select Committee on Career Technical Education and Workforce Development

Select Committee on Cleanup of the Santa Susana Field Laboratory

Select Committee on Healthcare Workforce Access

Select Committee on Higher Education in the 21st Century

Select Committee on Improving State Government

Select Committee on Inland Empire Transportation Issues

Select Committee on Innovation and the Bay Area Economy

Select Committee on K-16 Articulation, Access and Affordability

Select Committee on Re-Entry

Select Committee on Regional Approaches to Addressing the State’s Water Crisis

Select Committee on Renewable Energy

Select Committee on Safety and Protection of At-Risk Communities in California

Select Committee on Schools and Community

Select Committee on the Census

Select Committee on the Development of the 10th UC Campus, Merced

Select Committee on the Preservation of Californias Entertainment Industry

Select Committee on Wine

Does this solve our budget woes? No. But it does make the legislature more efficient…and a lot less ridiculous.

 

9. Make Them Like you…Really Like you!

The Governor should spend less time in Copenhagen and more time with the people of California – explaining the issues and what we need to be doing. After all, for a Governor with an approval rating hovering at 20% he still manages to turn out a crowd and has a high likeability factor when you see him in person. And the upside of not having a solid partisan support group when you’re governor is that you have nothing to lose. He’s always touting that California has the smartest, most innovative and forward-thinking group of citizens in world – so how’bout spending some quality time with us!?

 

10. Get to Work, Government:  Remember when your mother asked, rather rhetorically, “If they told you to jump off a bridge would you do it?!...” The overwhelming answer at the capitol is “yes”. In 2010, our legislators should stop worrying about keeping their job and worry more about doing their job. Legislators should do away with the “Big 5” –and should vow to vote their conscience – a novel idea, I know.

 

BONUS RESOLUTION: The California Air Resources Board should resolve to get input from the industries they regulate at a cost of hundreds of millions of dollars to California’s businesses. They should visit jobsites and see – firsthand – what the regulations look like to those who actually experience the effects of them. Oh yeah, they should also vow to rely only on studies conducted by those with real credentials and expertise on the subject matter. Come on!

 

 

Happy New Year Everyone!