HispanicVista Columnists

Hey Governor Do Your Job!

By Steven J. Ybarra, JD/HispanicVista.com

June 6, 2005

Notas por La Casa Politica

 For the last few weeks we here in California have been listening to the Gubernator cry and moan about how the California Legislature takes in a buck and spends a buck ten.  All the while he has spent millions of good Republican dollars to convince voters why there should be a special election here in California this fall.  The reality is that the ad campaign has nothing to do with the budget but has a lot to do with his reelection. 

If he calls for a special election in the next two weeks, he gets an additional year of campaigning for the job of governor. 

Here in California we have the line item veto.  The blue pencil is what it is called.   You remember it - the foundation of the Republican mantra many years ago, “if there was only a line item veto then the President could set spending levels that made sense.” 

The governor of California has an absolute right to line out any item that he feels is too much.  However, if the Legislature can get two thirds of both houses to override the veto, then they win – but this never happens.  Even with the votes that the Democrats have now, they would not be able to override a line item - unless it was something (well pick a killer subject) such as dental coverage for old folks.  Now that one is a real headliner.  Kids, on the other hand, well you can cut them to the bone and no one cares, because after all we are pro-life, just not pro-living.  Besides everyone knows that kids do not vote nor do their over stressed parents.

It was your old anti-AIDS Governor Ronald Raygun who talked about the need for good government spending controls.  Raygun, in case you did not know, instituted one of the largest ever tax increases in California.  This historical money grab occurred because he, like the present Gubernator, does not like to face the fact that they are paid to cut the budget that the legislature sends to them. 

You can see the Republicans whining about all sorts of things these days.  Mostly about how the Democrats (see loyal opposition) are not letting them run over Social Security, energy or the courts.  OK, some blue dog Democrats have no spines but just because some folks do not have spines does not mean the rest of us lost ours.

The job now of Democrats is focus the debate and keep it focused.  The Reeps are great at making Dems lose the way out of the dark side.  See what has happened lately.  The price of gasoline has gone over the top, OK in England it is five bucks a gallon but England is the size of New Hampshire for gods’ sake.  There is no place to drive there anyway and you can walk everywhere.  As for France, who cares?  France is the size of Texas and just about as interesting.  If the French have to pay five bucks a gallon of gas, so be it.  So what have the Democrats done about this issue?  Nothing, not a damn thing!

While small businessmen are eating new unaffordable costs, the Dems are nowhere to be seen.  Instead of providing tax relief for small business on gas expenses and providing incentives to turn in gas-guzzlers in favor of hybrids, there is a great silence from the blue side of the aisle.  If the Dems had it in them, they would take the budget fight right to Arnold’s throat on this issue.  Make him use his blue pencil on that one. 

Now is the time for the Democrats to focus its whole agenda on small business and working class people.  Failing to do that will assure it continues to be irrelevant.

So here is the question of the day - who has the espina to make the fight for the benefit of small business and those who (in California are Latino) work for small business?

The answer is no one yet.

©Steven J. Ybarra JD is a retired civil rights attorney who operates a consultant company in California. He is a member of the Democratic National Committee and a long time political activist.  Contact Steven at: sjybarra@aol.com.  This article is copyright by Steven J. Ybarra JD, originally published in http://www.hispanicvista.com/ but permission is granted for reprint in print, email, blog, or web media if this entire credit paragraph is attached.