Political diversity in this state often vests legislative power in the Democratic Party, with just enough Republican power to block legitimate progress.
This form of representative democracy is forced to exist with a form of direct democracy: the initiative process. Californians don’t have two political entities vying for power — we have three.
As a result, political deadlock exists in this state on the backs of Democrats and Republicans and the initiative process only exacerbates the situation.
This problem began when Californians passed Proposition 7, introducing a form of direct democracy.
In 1911, Proposition 7 amended the state constitution to give Californians the right to “propose laws and amendments to the constitution, and to adopt or reject the same, at the polls independent of the legislature.”
This proposition would be great if a majority of Californians knew what the hell was good for them. Unfortunately, we cannot expect Californians to ever know what is good for them. For example, as California Chief Justice Ronald M. George noted in 2009, “Chickens gained valuable rights in California the same day that gay men and women lost them.” The Chief Justice was referring to 2008’s Propositions 2 and 8, which regulated animal confinement practices and defined marriage as a union between a man and a woman. If this isn’t an example of the stupidity of California’s initiative process, we don’t know what is.
In 1978, Californians produced an earlier monstrosity — Proposition 13. While this initiative had more than one ill-advised provision, this editorial focuses on one that required a two-thirds vote of the legislature to approve any state tax increase.
Yes, in California it’s easier to spend money than it is to make money. We saw this in 2008. Amid the greatest recession in recent history, Californians approved the funding of a $40 billion high-speed train that would cost taxpayers about $19.4 billion over 30 years only to vote down the 2009 Special Election’s Proposition 1A, which capped state spending and increased taxes in order to balance the budget. We’re not praising or criticizing the propositions; the two combined results just don’t make sense.
Last Thursday, in a move that highlights the dysfunction of this state’s government, Democrats unveiled a plan to amend Proposition 13 — allowing a simple majority to pass tax measures designed to increase state revenue.
The funny thing is that Democrats need a two-thirds vote to pass this piece of legislation and that means Republican support.
Guess what? Assembly Republican leader Martin Garrick declared the suggestion “dead on arrival.”
Republicans seem to believe that giving the legislature the ability to raise taxes will create more spending — sending the state deeper into debt.
It’s obvious, however, that Californians need to do one of two things: cut programs or raise taxes. Californians are attempting European-style government with no taxes. This may be appealing to many but it’s economically unfeasible.
This isn’t a problem of ideology; it’s common sense. If Californians want to spend, then they have to pay for it. In other words, don’t approve the funding for a $40 billion dollar high-speed train and then turn around and shoot down a tax increase.
The Democrat’s move last Thursday exemplifies California’s dysfunctional government. The initiative process pits Democrats and Republicans against each other in an egregious manner. It allows both parties to capitalize on the stupidity of voters at the expense of all Californians.
In an ideal world direct democracy could work. However, regardless of the state of our world, California’s hybrid government is not viable.
If we give the California constituency the same power as their representatives, what’s the point of representation? Our state’s representative democracy exists because of a need for order. The initiative process disrupts this order and creates the indecisiveness we have in government.
As long the initiative process exists, any Californian should be reluctant to say he or she has a government. This three-party system is a glorified form of anarchy. As long as California’s power to better itself is fragmented in this manner, the state will never prosper.