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Posted on 09/08/2003 12:07:00 AM PDT by JohnHuang2
Step right up! Here's the menu. Whatever you want, it's here!
If not, just ask. The goodies are available – no matter who you are or where you're from – free for the asking.
What a country!
Actually, it not that terrific. It may be free to you, but the truth is, someone has to pay for it. Oops!
But rest assured – it's a "goodie grab," brought to you courtesy of the people with the power to legally steal from honest, hard-working citizens.
Those people who redistribute other people's money are legislators. The people they steal from are those who elect them.
Silly, naïve people. They think the people they vote into office will have their well-being at heart. They actually believe that people elected to government will abide by their oath, fulfill campaign promises and put the country's welfare first.
Silly, naïve people.
You couldn't find a more perfect example of this exquisite farce than California's political scene. Gov. Gray Davis was re-elected to a second term last November. Glib campaign promises fell into the mud as deeply as the state fell into deficit scarcely had he taken his oath – from a multi-million dollar surplus to a $38 billion deficit, in a blink.
Piled onto exorbitant energy costs, rising taxes, licenses and fees, increased costs for workmen's compensation, health insurance and other business expenses, the dot-com crash, the economic drain from terrorism and the war and the falling general economy – it made for a major crisis.
General complaints steamrolled into a statewide recall effort with support from Democrats and Republicans. Gray Davis was (is) in trouble.
Last Wednesday, there was a commercial-free, two-hour TV forum in Oakland, broadcast nationally. Davis got a half hour to defend himself and urge people to vote against the recall on Oct. 7.
He spent most of the time blaming everyone else for California's problems, even though he admitted people are angry and that he "gets" the message. When pressed for what he did wrong and how he might have avoided those errors, he tap-danced away – ever the smooth pol.
The rest of the forum involved questions from three journalists directed at five of the top six candidates for the governorship if Davis is recalled in part one of the ballot.
The media questioners weren't balanced, unless you consider Public Radio, a Spanish language newspaper and a left-leaning newspaper political editor </>balance. In addition, some audience members posed questions, as did the moderator.
The real candidate star power didn't show. Actor Arnold Schwarzenegger preferred to campaign in Southern California.
Gee, Arnold. I thought you wanted to win!
The only Democrat was Cruz Bustamante, the current lieutenant governor. The lone conservative Republican was state Sen. Tom McClintock. Writer Arianna Huffington, the sole woman, fell on both sides of the ideological fence but cracked some good jokes. Businessman Peter Ueberroth said he wasn't a politician and proved it, by being so low key as to seem asleep as he rode his one trick pony – more jobs. Peter Camejo, Green Party candidate, was green indeed, wanting the money of "the rich" to be used to solve the problems of the "poor."
Facing the "big government" platforms of the others, Sen. McClintock showed extraordinary courage by sticking to his conservative beliefs, namely CUT: government spending, fat, expenses, bureaucracy, taxes, worker's comp expenses, the car tax (which Davis just tripled), rules and regulations for businesses, state control over schools. He promises no new taxes.
Peter Ueberroth wavered between liberal and conservative, but stresses the need for jobs.
The other three handed out blank checks, supporting increased taxes and fees; broad benefits for illegals including driver's licenses, in-state college tuition, housing and all social welfare; increasing property taxes on businesses and higher-income homeowners; affirmative action; higher minimum wage; more worker protection; no capital punishment; gun control; abortion; etc.
The only thing everyone agreed on was medical marijuana.
But while they propound on what they'd do as governor, the man who still is (Davis) and who says he feels voters' pain and is listening to them, quietly signed into law bills voters don't want: driver's licenses for illegals, virtual gay marriage, forced indoctrination of foster parents about homosexuality; school sexuality classes without parental notification; more gun control. He already approved in-state tuition for illegals. He's also naming judges as fast as he can.
He feels our pain! He's listening to the people.
Oh. He's a politician and his lips are moving. We know what that means.
We also know what he's doing: giving the state away. And he's got the power.
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