I don’t think most observers would disagree that the re-election of Governor Schwarzenegger is important to the Republican Party in California. While I generally think of him more often than not as a populist rather than a straight partisan, and regularly disagree with some of his decisions, more often than not he acts as a bulwark against the anti-business interests which dominate both houses of the California legislature.
While it’s often more exciting and certainly more emotional to discuss Sacramento’s actions on issues like gay marriage, or illegal immigration, or getting rid of Indian names in local sports teams, the truth of the matter is that give or take 98% of the legislation that works its way through the legislature is business related, education related, or purely symbolic or honorary rubbish. Generally, as soon as this Governor was elected, much of the most crazed left-wing anti-business bills stopped being written, or started perishing in committee. This is not to say that some bad bills did not make it through the process, and that he didn’t even sign some of them into law, but the raw flood of anti-business legislation that I experienced in the legislature first-hand under one party rule during the early part of this century ended with the election of Arnold Schwarzenegger.
This being said, there is something even more important for the future of California than the preservation of either the Republican Party or the business community: re-establishing the credibility of our political system as a whole.
I realize this is basic government 101, but it’s worth re-hashing: the unsaid ideas behind our Republic, and virtually every other functioning similar system in the world, are that (1) it’s the majority party’s job to govern; (2) it’s the minority party’s job to critique that governance and ofter alternatives; and (3) if the voting population disagrees with the direction of the majority party, they vote to replace that party with the minority party.
California’s problem is point 3. Under the current system of redistricting via politician, and warped legislative district lines, the sheer number of Californians that would have to vote to ‘throw the bums out’ and change the majority party in either house is so overwhelming as to make change much more difficult and it should or can be.
The result is a political system that rhymes much better with a banana republic than it does with the type of system envisioned by most responsible voters. The legislative lines assure a one-party legislature, not responsible to the electorate in any meaningful way (this would be unhealthy regardless of which political ideology was locked into place).
If we agree that the right and practical ability of the voters to change the direction of our legislative branch is an inviolate principle, imperative to the creation of reasonable policy, and vital to the legitimacy of our system of government as a whole, then it’s the responsibility of all voters, regardless of political party or ideology, to demand the system be changed to reflect this principle. After all, the importance of having a credible, stable system in the long-term should be obvious to even the the most partisan of us.
A current bi-partisan proposal in the State Senate would take redistricting out of the hands of politicians, and place this most important civic duty in those of a citizen’s commission. The commission would be bound by both law and personal ethics to draw lines which reflect the need of a functioning Republican to have the possibility of a reversal of fortunes for both minority and majority in the legislature.
In order for this Senate proposal to be placed on the November ballot, the legislature must take action by the end of July. Whether they will or not is anyone’s guess – or more accurately only known to the Democrat leader of both houses.
Partisan politics, in my opinion, are a vital cog in any modern Republic. But more important than those partisan politics is the framework of the Republic under which politically parties function, the rules that the citizen can look at briefly and say ‘I have faith that this system while not perfect is fair." There is simply no comparison between the importance of the aspirations of one’s political party or personal ideology and the sanctity of our Republic.
And while this language sounds strong I don’t believe we can be vigilant enough in the defense of the core principles of our Republic. If we continue to tolerate the chipping away at the sanctity of our Republic at every level, state and federal, by both right and left, and continue to undermine the average citizen’s faith in the system, we condemn by our inaction the present and future citizens of this state and this nation to a rigged system which gives favor to the strong over the weak and the powerful over the powerless, which by its very process kills fresh and new ideas, and which dis empowers our God-given right to to have a fair voice in determining who serves us in our government and what direction our government takes.
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