Jul 03 2009
No taxation without representation
In a kingdom far, far away……wait, it was here in the U.S.A that this happened. Some people decided they didn’t like being taxed by the king in England without having representatives who spoke for them, and their interests, in the court. The rally “no taxation without representation” became the battle cry of a revolutionary war that led to the creation of the United States of America.
The people, then, fought and died to make sure they had freedom. They debated over the proper form of the federal government and decided on federalism - a limited federal government with most of the powers being at the state level. The Articles of Confederation were drafted, and abandoned in favor of the Constitution - the current governing document for the U.S.A.
California joined the union and made up its own Constitution. Today, initiatives can amend the California Constitution. People who don’t care enough to write a letter about their feelings on political issues get to cast a vote to amend the California Constitution. People who don’t care enough to show up to the polls in a special election got to decide issues of constitutional importance the previous fall.
And today there are representatives sitting in the Legislature who don’t seem to represent anyone but the extremes of their parties. Who is represented in the Legislature? What actions do the legislators take to make anyone think they are representative of the people? Instead of solving a fiscal crisis, they develop accounting strategies and other tricks to push the problem into off-years, when “hopefully” the income levels will rise and then there won’t be a fiscal crisis.
The legislators who spend time on bills about cow and space for elephants in cages…but not on how to deal with the failing education system, failing transportation system and failing water storage and delivery system.
Who are these people? Who are they representing?
The rally of “no taxation without representation” can be aptly applied to today’s situaiton with the California State Legislature. They don’t represent who they are supposed to, and instead of dealing with the situation they want to tax the people of California too much.
No taxation, California State Legislature, until you being to really represent those who elected you.
