California: Voters must face Gray consequences

Washington Times ^ | July 4, 2003 | Jonah Goldberg

[John Jorsett]

No, this isn't fire and brimstone about how the sinful ways of Californians warrant a plague of locusts, frogs and hairless cats (that's a subject for a future column). Rather, it's my sincere belief that American democracy and republicanism will be severely damaged if Californians are allowed to recall Democratic Gov. Gray Davis.

[jocon307]

"No! The people threw me out, and now the people must be punished." - Ed Koch

Yes, and he delighted to say this often. And, man-oh-man did he mean it, every single time he said it. And, he was right! At least we finally got Rudy.

[John Jorsett]

Ping. I'm getting tired of people telling me that I have to live with Davis until his term is up. Particularly people who don't live here with me. Sure, Californians did a dumb thing in reelecting Davis. Credit them with not making it TWO dumb things by sticking with him when they don't have to. A recall is going to be a signal that there are consequences to lying to the public, and they won't necessarily come years after the fact. We're already seeing the benefit of just qualifying the recall for the ballot: there's significant movement toward the Republican "no new taxes" position on the budget.

[NormsRevenge]

The Noon news on KTVU had a clip of Davi$ saying he is going to put a stake in the Recall effort,, whatever that means. ;-)

Happy 4th :-)

[John Jorsett]

The Noon news on KTVU had a clip of Davi$ saying he is going to put a stake in the Recall effort

He must wake up each morning and ask himself, "What can I do today to make myself even more unlikeable?"

[.38sw]

I am positively giddy with joy at the sight of those charts! I sent in the four more petitions this week. They weren't all completely full - they were signed by people from different counties, but hey, they count!

[freekitty]

Mr. Goldberg, this is not about California being punished. It's the opposite. It's about a very crooked, greedy and incomptent Governor that needs to be kicked out of office and possibly punished.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Right on!!!!!!

The Media helped Davis conceal the truth regarding the State Financial condition and his incredible mismanagement of the Electrical Power Crisis!!!!!!

We the people should have recourse to remove the scoundrels from office!

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[NormsRevenge]

We the people should have recourse to remove the scoundrels from office!

And We Shall, Sir, We Shall!!

Thanks to Hiram Johnson!

[marsh2]

My County Clerk clarified her previous intra-office e-mail as follows:

t's been brought to my attention today that an e-mail I sent previously regarding the Davis recall was confusing to some, so I'm sending this update as clarification.

The California Secretary of State's office has reported to county election officials that as of June 23, 2003, 376,008 signatures have been submitted on recall petitions statewide. This figure exceeds the ten percent of total signatures necessary to qualify the recall for ballot. Elections officials must now verify signatures received.

Recall petitions are still in circulation and signatures are still being gather and submitted to county elections officials by the proponents. The proponents have until September 2, 2003 to submit signed petitions to counties.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

YES!!!!

[Yak]

California must be punished!

Don't 'ya think CA voters have been punished enough? Their public utility regulatory structure seems completely broken and I don't know how they're ever going to dig themselves out from that debt.

But that being said, the author makes a great point regarding the republican structure of our govt . . . the voters elect those who make decisions, they don't make decisions themselves.

[c-b 1]

I don't disagree with the idea of punishing the people for their bad decisions on election day. In the case of Gray Davis, I am all in favor of the recall, it is time people send a message, by throwing the bum out. Hopefully this will be a high profile media event before it is over. If so maybe the message will travel across the country, people will start to realise that we don't have to put up with these bums.

[Bahbah]

"A recall is going to be a signal that there are consequences to lying to the public...."

Good point.

[4Liberty]

The cure to the budget crisis is to privatize all services & cut taxes.
I signed the Recall Petition - but I worry if it's delayed to March, Calif. Unions will get their ilk out to vote in force against Recall -- and they will use as a 'figleaf' to cover this effort, the Union-backed upcoming March ballot proposition to remove the 2/3's requirment for budget passage -- fraudulently called the "Budget Accountability Act." The Unions are between a rock & a hard place with Gray "Gumbee" Davis, since they have spend the last several months protesting him, and getting the base all whipped up against him for attempting to cut the budget. Now, they have a choice to make: silently back the recall, or pull an embarrassing political 180 and back the anti-Recall-effort publicly.

Politically it's hard to push for privatized government services. Public Labor Unions and Teacher Unions dominate Calif. politics. They are well aware that privatization is efficient - but ...they don't care. They only 'care' that they can't milk union dues from the efficient, innovating, entrepreneurial, privatized small businesses which would serve the public sector agencies under privatization - & so they work very ruthlessly & immorally, 24/7, to block privatization reforms and school vouchers with assorted lame, vague speeches and protests crying about social injustice and "risky schemes" etc. -- no matter HOW good private competition will be for the consumers (students & taxpayers). Don't mean to be pessimistic here but sadly this is the truth. Unions take 1% of unionized pay checks, and half of that membership money is used for political (democrat) activities. That is a lot of D.N.C. money, that Dems don't want to lose. As an economist & conservative, I know that this is a bitter political pill to swallow. But it's 'reality.'

Since they (Unions out here in California) obviously don't care about efficiency or competition, perhaps we can use moral arguments and jawboning to convince them to support free trade/private competition - Here: "Unions complain about 'greed' but - THEY'RE the Greedy, protectionist, bastards. They hide behind banners & protest signs with phrases like "Justice!" to cover for the fact that they are labor-market protectionists without a shred of honor & economic decency. They oppose competition among workers (I prefer to call them "small-business people" or entrepreneurs, rather than the socialist term, "Workers"), because they are subconsciously AFRAID of competition. They claim to be protecting employees from "exploitation", but then violently block 'scabs' - workers who WANT to work, and to honorably & peacefully compete with them - from forming voluntary contracts with private & public sector employers.

Sad, sad, sad. Dishonorable & immoral. Unions. What CAN you do with them?? Nothing. Shameful economic bullies.

[freekitty]

Mr. Goldberg, I also believe you are trying to make a point which is clearly debateable.

[breakem]

How did that ole recall clause get in there, communists?

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Thanks!

[John Jorsett]

How did that ole recall clause get in there, communists?

A movement by California Progressives, notably Hiram Johnson, at the beginning of the 20th Century. In order to get rid of the stranglehold that the railroads and other special interests had on the government of California, they put the powers of recall, initiative, and referendum in the state constitution.

[breakem]

Thanx. I know the answer, The question was a sarcastic response to those who say it's undemocratic or not american and that we have to live with the election no matter how many lies someone tells to get elected.