Our view: Take a holiday from thoughts of Sacramento

Independence Day couldn’t have come along at a better time, and if you’re reading this on the Fourth of July, you’re within range of a great place to celebrate the holiday.

For one day at least, Crescent City’s annual extravaganza of small-town Americana is just the antidote for a citizenry that may be wondering if its politicians, especially those who ply their trade in Sacramento, have what it takes to lead us through tough economic times and a flat-out meltdown in state government.

Wave to your friends and honor the veterans as a noisy, colorful parade proceeds down H Street. Check out the diverse treasures of artists on display in the Cultural Center. Immerse yourself in the daylong cornucopia of vendors and entertainment spread out at Beachfront Park. And cap it all off by finding a good spot to take in a seaside fireworks show tailored to explode mostly beneath any clouds that may come our way.

Tomorrow is soon enough to resume worrying about Sacramento.

That’s the day that the New York Times magazine will run a piece titled “On the coast of crazy,” with this bit of East Coast musing:

“California always seems to produce more spectacle than anywhere else in the country, and that goes for its meltdowns too. Calamity is just part of the equation here, as if God gave California so much glamour and grandeur and great weather that he had to throw in some apocalyptic menace to provide a little balance. Earthquakes, say. Or Sacramento.”

Forget for a minute that the observation comes from a city second to none when it comes to spectacular calamity in a financially struggling state where Democrats and Republicans also mud-wrestle for control beneath a capitol dome. Because the New York writer is right: This time the Golden State has truly outdone itself in twisting its state government into knots, and we shouldn’t be surprised that the rest of the country and the world is watching us in morbid fascination like gawkers driving past a car wreck.

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger provided the latest theatrics by accusing legislative Democrats of being unwilling to cut spending as deeply as they should because they are in the back pockets of labor unions.

There may be some truth to that, but it’s counter-productive to pretend that the governor’s proposed cuts in education and social programs hurt only state employees.

Bottom line: Both the majority Democrats and the minority Republicans have the votes necessary to prevent a budget fix. But only a compromise can actually accomplish anything, and no one’s budging.

They don’t deserve it, but even most state legislators are taking the holiday weekend off, with instructions to be on call to reconvene quickly if the heavens open and a budget deal is revealed.

It’s the Fourth of July. Time to celebrate what’s right about America. Come to think of it, Sunday may be too soon to resume worrying about Sacramento. Let’s take the whole weekend off.