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Updated 11:31pm - Mar 18, 2010
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Opinion Editorials Coastal Voices Guest Editorial: A voter’s view of Tuesday
Coastal Voices Guest Editorial: A voter’s view of Tuesday
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I was a judge at a polling location in Klamath and yes, about 22 percent of our voting public voted in our precinct. It was a slow 13-hour day at the polls allowing the one or two voters, at any one time, to make comments about the propositions. The sense I got was that they were going to send a message to Sacramento, not to Washington. The message involved fiscal responsibility by our state elected officials. The common theme was a need to reduce and control government spending, reduce taxes and stop hiding government finances in rainy day slush funds or unspecified plans that divert large sums of money to the general fund from existing children’s and mental health funds. Oh, sure we Californians are threatened by our state governor and legislators with reduced services, but like the rest of the country, few will notice any change from the diminished level of service we currently receive.
Yes, California has been hit by year after year of fires, drought,
frost and floods that have been devastating to our communities and rich
agricultural farmlands that ship nearly half the produce to the rest of
the country.
California has been bankrupt because it has turned into a sanctuary welfare state with a poorly managed state budget, inept welfare and SSI programs, state-mandated free education and medical service programs for illegal aliens and the alienation of small and big business failing or moving out of state due to excessive taxation and fees. We don’t expect the rest of the country to bail us out. The media made that one up because of all the other bailouts the federal government has became entangled in. We expect our Californian politicians to do their job and go without a raise until they do. For a start, we want them to take responsibility and eliminate the government programs that are a waste or not working, as well as benefits for illegal aliens. We expect them to punish the guilty, enforce the laws, and protect our citizens, our borders as well as our product, service and employment producing businesses who contribute greatly to our communities, our economy and our country. The voter has said throughout the state that our California state government needs to manage its budget and financial responsibilities more effectively without employing “bait and switch” tactics hidden in ballot propositions. Sacramento legislators need to abandon their “learn nothing leadership attitude” that passes state budgetary failures on to counties with even less funding and resources. The rejection of propositions affecting may have been accomplished in a low-turnout election, but those propositions that failed did so by a consistent percentage throughout the counties in California. The proposition that passed told state politicians that they shall not receive a pay increase as long as California has a deficit. This time it was their pay … next time it may very well be their job. Paul Crandall is a Klamath resident. |
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