Now that the smoke has cleared and the
public has spoken against all of the ballot measures that would require any
changes in taxing policies, the question before California remains: how do we solve
the fiscal crisis? A few suggestions follow:
To the Legislature:
-Do your job, and quit asking the voters to do it for you.
Your current approach is obviously not working.
-Grow up. Real adults retreat from fixed positions when they
must.
-Quit trying to satisfy all constituents. You’ve ended up
annoying everyone.
-Resign and let someone else solve the state’s problems.
To the Governor:Stop calling for special elections – they’re
too expensive and don’t resolve the problems.
-Hold the legislature’s feet to the
fire. Force them to make decisions.
-Take special elections
off the table.
-Govern! The state is not so much
ungovernable as it is ungoverned.
Special Interests:
-Shut up.
-Shut up.
-Shut up.
Voters:
-Throw out the people and their parties.
Elect independent, non-partisan candidates who are pledged to fix the
state’s financial crisis without fear or favor.
-Pay attention. What’s happening to your
state will eventually impact your lives in ways you cannot imagine.
Get involved in what’s going on by knowing what’s going on.
-Vote. One non-voter said on KGO (San Francisco) on
election night that she didn’t vote because she was “tired” from the
previous elections. Stop making excuses. Everyone is needed
to fix the problem.
The Media:
-Do a better job of clarifying the
issues. This is particularly important for television, where too
little effort is put into “mediating” the message so it works on the
tube. (Maybe we need to have George Lucas imagineer some
entertaining ways to explain issues).
-Do your homework. Ask follow-up
questions. Write intelligent copy. Be unafraid.
-To talk radio hosts: stay away from
ideology. Be willing to wait for information before announcing your
position.
I know, I know. This is all part of
the ideal world and it will never happen. But who ever thought things
could get this bad? If it’s possible to reach a pinnacle of poor
governance, maybe we can reach the same for good governance.