Now What Do We Do?

image
Author: Alan Markow
Published: 20 May, 2009
Updated: 13 Oct, 2022
2 min read

Now that the smoke has cleared and thepublic has spoken against all of the ballot measures that would require anychanges in taxing policies, the question before California remains: how do we solvethe 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.

IVP Donate

-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.

Let Us Vote : Sign Now!

-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 ofthe ideal world and it will never happen. But who ever thought thingscould get this bad? If it's possible to reach a pinnacle of poorgovernance, maybe we can reach the same for good governance.

More Choice for San Diego

Latest articles

CA capitol building dome with flags.
Why is CA Senator Mike McGuire Trying to Kill the Legal Cannabis Industry?
California’s legal cannabis industry is under mounting pressure, and in early June, state lawmakers and the governor appeared poised to help. A bill to freeze the state’s cannabis excise tax at 15% sailed through the State Assembly with a unanimous 74-0 vote. The governor’s office backed the plan. And legal cannabis businesses, still struggling to compete with unregulated sellers and mounting operating costs, saw a glimmer of hope....
03 Jul, 2025
-
7 min read
I voted buttons
After First RCV Election, Charlottesville Voters Back the Reform: 'They Get It, They Like It, They Want to Do It Again'
A new survey out of Charlottesville, Virginia, shows overwhelming support for ranked choice voting (RCV) following the city’s first use of the system in its June Democratic primary for City Council. Conducted one week after the election, the results found that nearly 90% of respondents support continued use of RCV....
03 Jul, 2025
-
3 min read
Crowd in Time Square.
NYC Exit Survey: 96% of Voters Understood Their Ranked Choice Ballots
An exit poll conducted by SurveyUSA on behalf of the nonprofit better elections group FairVote finds that ranked choice voting (RCV) continues to be supported by a vast majority of voters who find it simple, fair, and easy to use. The findings come in the wake of the city’s third use of RCV in its June 2025 primary elections....
01 Jul, 2025
-
6 min read