A California Republican

Most Californians - especially those in the Legislature and elected office - would wish 2008 had never happened. There has been severe economic decline and a huge - and growing - budget deficit. There have been extra burdens on the unemployment rolls due to the economic downturn, and housing prices have fallen - leaving many in upside down mortages.

You might ask why I don’t mention those who have lost their houses…well, I don’t feel too much sorrow for them. Those are people who got into bad loans - and knew they were bad loans. Or should’ve read the papers they were signing. There is a golden rule of signatures - always read what you sign before you sign it and if you don’t understand it, don’t sign it. The people who lost on their mortgage gambles knew they couldn’t afford those houses, but did it anyways, gambling that they could sell or make more money before the payments went up. So although many people are left without a house, they can still have a home in an apartment.

But in this age, our issues in California are not improving. California is not a fine wine that improves with age.

The issues of water supply and environmetal quality and transportation and education are in horrid spots. California has done nothing to improve these. And when you do nothing, you get left behind.

So what do we need to do? We, as Californians, need to find a solution to the economic problems. Our tax structure needs to be redone so that it is less volitile…and the budget structure needs to be redone so that the politicians won’t spend the windfalls and create even more budget problems.

This mess has led California’s voters to overhaul the way redistricting is done in California. This may be a sign that voters are recognizing that the political structure of California is broken.  As Einstein said - continuing to do the same thing and expecting a different result is the essence of insanity. It is possible that this year has brought the California voters to recognize what insanity is, and that we need to change to avoid it.

A contitutional convention is also in the debate. At least a constitutional convention to overhaul California’s government is in the political, acemic and media circles. In order for this to happen, the general populace is going to have to get involved too.

The alarm clock has rung. Californians are waking up to realize that we have big problems and that the elected officials aren’t solving them.

But will this carry over into 2009 and into actual reform? That’s the big question.

In addition to a bunch of new laws that will go into effect on January 1, there are fees that will be raised as well. Here is a snapshot for some of the fees:

• $35 for traffic tickets, including offenses such as failing to wear a seat belt or driving while talking on a hand-held cell phone. This makes sense - why shouldn’t people pay more when they are breaking the law. If the tickets aren’t expensive, then people will just keep breaking the law. People respond to things that hit their wallet. So go for it. I think these should be higher. If we are going to have laws like the hands-free cell phone law, it ought to be penalized with a huge fine so people don’t do it. Otherwise people will ignore the law, like they do now.

• $30 to sue for divorce. Sure. Why not? I am just sad that so many people sue for divorce.

• $25 to register for traffic school to resolve a moving violation. Wow. Having had to pay this fee a few times myself, this one is a good one, but is going to hit people. Maybe it will cut down on speeding?

• $20 for backyard-fence disputes, fender benders or other small-claims fights.

• $15 for vehicle fix-it tickets to correct broken or dysfunctional equipment.

• $11 to register cars with the Department of Motor Vehicles each year.

• $3 for not feeding parking meters, exceeding time limits on painted curbs, or other ticketed parking offenses.

Court fees to file the first papers in a divorce, probate or “unlimited” civil action – with more than $25,000 at stake – will rise from the current $320 to $350.

Plaintiffs and defendants will be charged the higher fees.

Criminals also will get socked with an extra $30 in fines for each felony or misdemeanor conviction. Costs may be reduced or converted to community service in some cases, however, based on hardship. Go for it. Criminals shouldn’t ge ta free pass on fees because they broke the law. Hit them harder. Felonies and misdemeanors are crimes for reasons (sometimes not good ones - but they are crimes). So they should pay back to the society whose rules they broke.

Bars, restaurants, liquor stores and other sellers of beer, wine or distilled spirits will pay an additional 12 percent for their annual liquor licenses beginning New Year’s Day. I don’t mind this. Maybe this will result in higher alcohol costs for consumers - although I don’t think anyone will mind.

These are just some of the fees. Because they are fees, they have to go to programs related to what the fee is on, so they aren’t budget solutions. It makes me sad to see that the legislators wasted so much time passing bills to raise fees and so little working on the budget problem. We are going to head into the new year with a bunch of new -and ridiculous - laws, and new fees, and no solution to the chronic over-spending problem that California has.

Dear Governor of California,

You promised me, a citizen of California, a budget solution by Christmas. I know that I didn’t vote to allow the recall and let you in, but once the recall happened, I did vote for you. I voted for you because you were an outsider who wasn’t going t otake special interest money and was going to “cut up the credit cards,” and solve the problems in CA.

You lied on all accounts.

There isn’t a budget solution. There isn’t even meaningful negotiation. The Democrats say they are close. But you are so wrapped up in promoting your next job - whatever that is going to be - that you have forgotten that you need to make nice with the Republicans on this one issue. If you had spent more time being a Republican - which is what you claim to be - and less time being a Democrat (which is what you are), then maybe these budgets and budget solutions wouldn’t be such a big fight. Maybe if you had spent some time cultivating personal relationships with the Republicans, you could get a few votes in return for campaining for them (which you don’t do).

Instead, you separate yourself from them and claim you ahve no control over the situation.

I know how tempting it is to believe that. But you did have control. Yes, the Legislature passes the budget, but you sign it. And you have a line-item veto power over the budget. You could’ve lined out enough stuff in the last budget (which passed late in September instead of by the end of June) that we wouldn’t be in this problem. You call the Legislature “fake” for providing fake budgets, but you don’t veto enough out to make it a real budget. So instead we are in this sticky situation.

Now you want to stick it to the state workers. Great. Let’s cause more money not to go into the economy. It’s not the rest of the state workers’ fault that the Correctional Officers got a good deal a while ago and are a thorn in your side now. I am all for cutting their pay. There is no reason a CO should start at $60k a year, and get overtime, when all they need is a High School degree. The CCPOA says their problem is recruitment, but it isn’t. The problem is training the COs fast enough and getting the background checks done. So stick it to them, not the rest of the workers.

As for the rest of your promises - you lied. You don’t think differently or creatively and you take special interest money.

Instead of being the focus for change, you became the same old stick in the mud.

But would you please solve the budget solution problem so that people can get back to work on roads? The mud around here really stinks.

Thanks.

Here in California there is nothing pressing that legislators should have been doing all year. So instead of working on a true budget, or various budget solutions and economic stimulus packages, the members of the prestigious California State Legislature have spent their time making up new laws. One of my friends from out of state comments that Californians must love having their freedoms restricted, because otherwise we wouldn’t be voting for these members of the legislature. Here are some of the wonderful laws that go into effect on January 1, 2009.

 SB 1567: decriminalizes the practice of attaching GPS devices to the windshield. Not that it matters, but did time really need to be spent on this? Was there such a big problem with attaching GPS devices to the dashboard? Should anything really be mounted on the windshield of a car - the windshield is the big glass thing you view the road through in order to prevent crashes. Do you really want someone on the road with their view blocked?

SB 697: Prohibits healthcare providers from the practice on balanced billing to do this practice on people enrolled in Healthy Families or Acces to Care for Infants and Mothers. I know this practice stinks - but is the healthcare lobby so strong that the rest of us have to suffer with this practice? So only people who cannot afford care on their own are free from this practice. Those of us who pay for it, or who’s jobs pay for it, are free to be billed as much as the provider thinks is the “balance” for services rendered. I am just saying - this stinks.

AB 262: Prohibits banks and credit card companies from giving gifts to students of CSU and UC schools who sign up for credit cards. Not that I think anyone should be given prizes for signing up for a credit card, but this was a waste of time. Not all students, only at CSU and UC schools. And here’s the kicker - this includes if the students sign-up at an off-campus event, like a baseball game. So now the companies are going to charge the rest of us more fees to cover the training for their employees that will teach them to ask each and every applicant if they are a student at the UC or CSU schools. Thanks for a waste of time.

SB 220: Requires bottled water companies to test water at the source and list the source on the bottle. Hum. Just think about the time and staff work that went into researching this, answering committee questionares, and making fact sheets. Talk about a waste.

Other fun laws include more regulations on pacifier and teething toy manufacturers, requiring banks and real estate agents to contact animal control if they know an animal has been abandoned at a house, and allowing chefs to by produce from a farmer. Oh yes - lets not forget banning texting while driving. As a side note - how is the cop going to know that you were texting and not dailing a phone number or using the internet 9which is still leagal while driving - although a very scary thought).

I am just saying - there are important issues in California but these are ridiculous laws. People need to be smarter than this.

If you need more information on any laws, you can find it at www.leginfo.ca.gov.

2008 is coming to a close. We don’t really have that much to show for it. There is a tanking economy, loss of value to the dollar, lowering home prices and such. Then there is the news that the US ranks above only third-world countries (and not all of those) in educating their children on basic principles such as reading and math. So there hasn’t been much good news this year - at least not reported in the news.

But there are some good things. This year, more than ever, there have been more people pulling themselves out of poverty in other countries. There have been elections in countries where no one every thought there would be elections. China actually let the world into their country - although only a part of it and under strict terms - but still they let people in and news out. There was renewed interest by all parties in the UN. The EU is not failing and shines as a cooperative form of government.

But for those of us who need a humorous take, visit this website: http://www.cagle.msnbc.com/news/2008Cagle/1.asp The cartoonist is hilarious, and comments on American political things - from a liberal perspective. But they are still worth a look and a good laugh.

Regardless of all that has gone on this year, the bad and the good, I wanted to say Merry Christmas to everyone.

 Merry Christmas!

 Natasha Wunderlich

I am not a state lawyer. I don’t know all the particulars. But I do know that when someone elects you to the office of Attorney General in California, you ahve an obligation to represent the people - which includes representing ballot propositions that have passed and are now suffering legal challenges.

A few weeks ago, Jerry Brown said that he was going to recommend to the courts that they uphold Prop. 8 because it was the will of the people. He said that he had an obligation to defend ballot propositions that passed against legal challenges.

Imagine my lack of shock having learned that he’s not going to do that. In fact, he’s going to tell the court that Prop. 8 should be invalidated. Brown states that “Proposition 8 must be invalidated because the amendment process cannot be used to extinguish fundamental constitutional rights without compelling justification.” However, that’s not what he said he was going to say.

And that’s not what the job description of Attorney General of the State of California tells him to say.

However, this is what a Governor would do.

Jerry Brown has been running for Governor since he left that office a while ago. He’s made a run on lawsuits that sue cities and counties for not considering carbon emissions in their planning documents. He has made a history out of challenging things to keep his name in the papers, and bring what he considers the “majority” of Californian’s to his side. He’s hoping to win their votes in the next election for Governor.

But in the meantime, he’s the AG. He’s not acting like the AG. So how am I, a California voter, supposed to have any confidence that as Governor, he’s going to act like a Governor and not like someone running for the next highest office? I cannot.

So here’s my advice - stick to the job you have. And do a good job at it rather than trying to use it as a stepping stone to the Governor-ship.

‘Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house

“Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good-night.”

In case you missed it: Controller John Chiang laid out a nightmare scenario today of the state’s resorting to IOUs or costly and uncertain emergency loans if Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and legislators don’t agree on steps to close the state budget deficit quickly.

And while Schwarzenegger and legislators negotiate on health and welfare spending cuts to help close a yawning state budget deficit, the liberal California Budget Project is warning that those “safety net” services are feeling intense pressure from worsening economic conditions.

Those negotiations, meanwhile, could be looking up. Schwarzenegger said he and the Democrats made “some great progress” Sunday.

“It could easily be that before Christmas Eve or Christmas Day that we have an agreement, that the legislators can be brought back between Christmas and New Year’s to vote on it,” Schwarzenegger said.

Later today, the union representing 13,000 state engineers and other construction professionals filed a lawsuit seeking to block Schwarzenegger’s executive order on twice-monthly furloughs, pay cuts and layoffs.

Meanwhile, former Senate leader Don Perata has transferred another $400,000 to his legal defense fund from a campaign account he created to advocate for ballot measures .

The latest transfer means the Oakland Democrat has now taken a total of $1.9 million raised in an account earmarked for ballot campaigns and used it to shore up the legal fund he created to fight an FBI corruption probe.

Cartoonist Rex Babin sees who’s getting lumps of coal from Schwarzenegger this year.

One of the things wrong with school funding is that the formula is so complex, no one can really figure it out. But one thing is clear - of General Fund revenues, almost 50% goes to K-12 funding.

The California Teacher’s Association has proposed a new idea on the sales tax - a 1 cent increase to fund schools. This is to avoid potential cuts that the Legislature wants the schools to take. Both the Democrats and the Republicans - as well as the Governor - have proposed cutting school funding (by different amounts, but schools will still have to take cuts).

The CTA says that just because the California budget system is broken, doesn’t mean that the students and schools should be hit hard. I tend to agree. But the CTA and I disagree on how these cuts affect schools.

I think that the CTA should be disbanded. If you do that, then teachers get to take home more pay and schools can have more flexibility in what to do with good, and bad, teachers. Schools can have more flexibility in how to spend their money if the CTA isn’t involved. Prop. 98 - what guarantees a certain level of funding for the schools, is one of the big problems about why the California budget system is a mess. If you have a constitutional requirement that almost 50% of General Fund revenues go to one program, and that the state has to backfill any losses the local governments have in education funding because of low property tax revenues, then you have a problem with being able to put money where it is needed. Tying up money from the General Fund causes problems - it isn’t a solution.

Creating a special 1 cent sales tax that goes straight to schools (and would have to pass the ballot), isn’t the best idea. Putting more restrictions on what money can be spent in various places isn’t a solution to the budget problem. It is simply adding more restrictions and issues and complicating the budget.

Spending money on solving real education problems is a good start. Spending money in the same old won’t help anything, and certainly doesn’t hurt students and schools.

The only thing, at this point, that can help students and schools is a new system with better teachers.