Here in California, we invented 'social liberal'. Now we have , for decades, been demanding 'fiscal responsiblity' by using our Constitution and its recall, referendum, and initiative to basically run the Sacramento State government when, alas, both the political parties have not been listening to the voters after being elected !!
We fired Gray Davis for publicly lying to us about any benefit to deregulating home gas and electric power (see dvd "Enron"). Maybe we put too much faith ,again, in a movie star with Arnold,,,but we voters are desperate with the slim choices given us by the 'usual' Democrats and Republicans. No elected official in California is taking their job seriously enough and working hard enough on all our massive state and national problems. Our state election campaigns are full of smears and lies and half-truths, and massive amounts of money avalanching election results,,, even full ballot boxes floating in the Bay.
Go into any state government employee office of the DMV and see what TERRIBLE PERFORMANCE WE GET FROM 'CIVIL SERVANTS' and their bloated votes-for-benes pay and pensions !! This has been going on for DECADES !! And enough is ENOUGH !!
Go into a CalTrans office, more state 'civil service' employees, and try to find out how they could cost California $BILLIONS with their bungling of the Oakland Bay Bridge repair,,,and replacement. The estimate is over $10B but started at near $1B. And this is perfectly 'ok' with most politicians !!?
Not California's voters, who would eliminate both departments in favor of outside contractors, if given the chance. We are still paying ,every day, for service from CalTrans, $Billions for years, and notice how too many potholes we have and too much litter along the highways and freeways we have,,, I have seen several orange CalTran vehicles in a row driving with their flashing lights on the shoulder of the highway but not vacuuming up the debris and trash they are just pushing to the side !! There it sits ,,, and gets scattered all over again,,, causing unnecessary flat tires and wheel alignment damage to not-at-fault cars !!
We, in San Jose, pay among the highest cost for our police, yet if you are threatened by a thief with a gun or knife the police will not come out !! And why are we paying the SJPD for all this 'protection',we are NOT getting !!?
Every election in the past, the candidates have made the public or secret deals with the public employee unions, and gotten themselves much better deals each time ,,,with no better than poor performance. This can not fiscally continue. We can not keep paying people, ESPECIALLY STATE AND FEDERAL WORKERS WHO UNDER-PERFORM/POORLY PERFORM compared to private workers who have to keep improving their performance or lose their jobs !!
I am with you, Governor Walker of Wisconsin. Enough irresponsible pay and especially pension abuse (disability comp. ,,, and getting 80% of your pay for less than 40 or 30 or 20 years of 'service') !! Politicians should not get votes by promising bloated pay and benes to public employees, that we the voters can not afford, especially without PROGRESSIVE TAXATION !!
