Terms of engagement
I’ve written here before about California Assemblyman Paul Krekorian, a political leader I admire. He may be planning a run for Los Angeles City Council, partly because of term limits, which restrict Assembly members to six years in office.
In other words, soon after learning how to be effective in the position, you’re out. Say what you will about then-Governor Pete Wilson and then-Speaker Willie Brown, they knew enough about California’s levers of power to steer us out of our previous economic collapse, in 1991. That’s because they had been on the job for quite a while — Brown for 27 years at that point. I’m opposed to term limits, and I’m surprised they aren’t unconstitutional.
Anyway, while I was out of town the Burbank Leader ran a story about Paul Krekorian’s probable run for City Council, and I took the opportunity to knock term limits. This is a mini-spiel I give as often as possible in the hopes that finally enough of us will feel this way that we can get rid of term limits. Everywhere I’ve gone while here in New Jersey, people have asked incredulously about my adopted state’s budget catastrophe, “What happened to California?” My response: Proposition 13 (which destroyed our tax base), a 2/3 vote requirement to pass a budget (which disproportionately empowers a caveman minority in the Legislature), pay-to-play politics, and term limits. All of which has more of us than ever hoping for a state constitutional convention.
July 11th, 2009 at 8:55 pm
RE: reasons for the collapse of California
You omitted the gerrymandering of districts which enabled the election of the radical fringe from both parties. I would put this at the head of the list. In fact, if I picked only one cause, that would be it.
The reason the legislative branch of California ceased functioning is that the only people being elected were the people who won the primaries, which are dominated by the post-kool-aid true believers.
There’s no need for the moderation or compromise required for governance when the only electorate that matters are the loonies on the far left and right.
July 11th, 2009 at 10:17 pm
Gerrymandering absolutely headed my list — until recently. In November, the electorate passed Proposition 11, the “Voters First Act,” which seeks to redress gerrymandering. So I’m willing to give this a little time before gauging the effect (and while hoping that we address all the other legislative and constitutional problems the state has). For more on Prop 11, check out this site: http://ballotpedia.org/wiki/index.php/California_Proposition_11_(2008)