----- Original Message -----
From: "Margaret Coleman" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
-The only problem with using a reasonable (?) solution to California's
problems
-as a way to tout democrats over republicans is that it was the democrats
who can
-be blamed for creating the problem in the first place.
No, California's deregulation strategy was bipartisan and created under a
GOP governor who would have vetoed any progressive approach. My point is
that divided government makes real responsibility unclear, since all results
are based on what is possible given the check and veto of the opposing
party.
California right now has a small amount of check in the form of
initiative-based rules forcing two-thirds votes for many revenue decisions,
thereby giving the GOP in the legislature some leverage, but in general the
Dems now have a pretty free hand and therefore responsibility for what
happens. This is a rather remarkable reality that has not really existed in
any large state for quite a number of years, since all the large states have
had some branch of government controlled by the GOP. Now, we have
California controlled fully by the Dems and we can see the results.
In the past two years, the Dems have actually passed some remarkably
progressive legislation: free university tuition for almost all students,
banning almost all strike injunctions, expanded health care rights, agency
fees for all public employees in unionized sectors, the recognition of
graduate student employees, restored benefits for immigrants and a number of
even more progressive bills passed but vetoed by Davis.
But utility reform is the first real crisis with real capital conflict
dimensions, so the results will be instructive. I've never claimed that
the Dems are socialist or an unconflicted good, but I hope the results are
strong enough to justify my lesser-evilism faith. We shall see.
== Nathan Newman
