While I would agree that Mr. Davis was a blatant pay me if you want me to listen type of guy, I do not believe that is why our present Governor was elected. He has accomplished quite a bit, my workmans comp rates went up 500% from 2002 to 2004, with no claims on the policy in 30 years. He has at least gotten people to think that perhaps something can be done.

The problem we have here is that Californians are selfish freakin' morons. They want top shelf everything, but ***** if they have to pay for it. They are "environmentalists" that freak out if a power plant is proposed, then drive Suburbans and keep their homes at 65* in the summer. Gee, wonder why there is a problem with electrical supply. They limit the State's income with Prop 13, then mandate a high percentage of the state money be spent on schools. When income from State Income Taxes drops, there is not an efficient mechanism for spending to be reigned in. We also are blessed with huge agricultural areas that produce a large percentage of the country's food. This of course attracts large numbers of folks, happy to come here illegally, send their kids to our public schools, use our roads and get free healthcare. Of course, none of these things are free, so if the State's income suffers a dip, we are hosed.

Our elected officials, with the exception of perhaps one or two people, have no interest in doing what their constituents want. Without fair redistricting, which none of the politicos want, unless another Rep or Dem is running against them, the seats will not change hands, they certainly will never change parties. We have two insane women representing us in the Senate, that no one likes, but they will be re-elected until they die.

I don't see this mess ever getting straghtened out. The People are unwilling to do what needs to be done, as clearly evidenced by the recent election. The state needs to fire all elected officials, declare bankruptcy and start over.

Remember when we Californians all had to vote on the massive bond issues that Arnold used to paper over the budget deficit? This was a year or so ago, I think.

I voted against them. I wanted the state to be thrown in a massive fiscal crisis, with schools and firehouses and parks and hospitals shutting down, etc.

My view was, and still is, that CA needs a genuine crisis to motivate the voters to take the pain that will be necessary to reform the state's budget system.

Something got lost between you and your keyboard because this doesn't really make sense to me. Rate +500%, this is an accomplishment? :-)

Moses is right, the patient doesn't want it's medicine but there is more to it than that. The patient doesn't trust where that medicine is coming from. I think it is safe to say that most californians want reform in the state government, I think it is also safe to say that Arnold was a mistake.

I can say that because I did not vote for him and I did not vote for the recall. It put us on a path of change for the sake of change, this election reflects that same sentiment.

These propositions were not well thought out changes, they were change for the sake of change. They were attempts to change it because "it can't get any worse."

Well, it can and it will unless real rational change happens.

The redistricting law had good sentiments but was poorly timed and poorly executed. The Tenure law was poorly thought out and poorly executed, the union proposition was a blatant attack on a significant population of california voters. It was biased and it wasn't a fair law.

I'm for campaign finance reform - I am almost to the point where a very simply crafted law would do the trick. To commit money to a campaign you must live or work in the represented area for that compaign and you MUST BE A TAX PAYER. No soft money, no hard to track money. Only from businesses and individuals...but that's just a thought - a hasty and reactionary one at that. Still, it seems better thought out than these propositions were.

Arnold is the wrong person because he has an attitude that from day one had the other politicians on the defensive. He's unprofessional and treats his new peers without respect - of course they don't want to work with him and of course they still have a job to do but he came out swinging. What are the politicians supposed to do - just take the punches like bags of sand?

Granted, they haven't done a good job and they may not deserve the respect but I couldn't go to my office tomorrow and start attacking the job that everyone around me was doing and be well received or well thought of. It would also destroy my productivity and make me a target and an easy scape goat as to why things weren't getting done.

The current politicians, the unions and now Arnold share a lot of blame for the problems today in CA but the biggest share of blame goes to the voters for putting them there and perpetuating the "change for the sake of change" mind set.

We need a revolution, who is with me? We need people in sacramento who have respect and can give respect to the other folks in sacramento because they deserve it. They represent their districts and such and that position deserves respect (maybe not the person) and in the end when you go home at night that person is ultimately your neighbor and I think a lot of people these days are forgetting that.

SmileWavy

Kids, even those in high school, can't go on a field trip w/o parent's consent yet they can have an abortion w/o prior notification given to their parents. What's wrong with this world?

Debated ad nauseum here http://forums.pelicanparts.com/showthread.php?threadid=247595

Apparently the unstated right to an abortion is one of the few Constitutional rights we afford minors. The can't vote, drink, drive, enter contracts, or even go the dentist without their parents OK, etc.... but they are perfectly capable of deciding life/death for their unborn child.

This just plain makes NO sense to me.

Thanks for the link, John. Just got through reading it, whew! I still have not changed my position and I am not a religious man, in case you're wondering.

My girlfriend and I accompanied a friend to an abortion clinic when we were all 16 and there were no adults with us. I swore I would never do that again. The explosion of emotions before, during and after the procedure was too much for a teen girl to take. We couldn't console her. In the end, she wished her parents were there.

It's just a PROCEDURE cantdrv55, just a medical procedure...like getting your teeth cleaned. Don't you get it?

Except you need parental approval to get your teeth cleaned.

That's her choice. Nobody should dictate whether they should be there or not.

Right, cause by the time your 13 you've got life figured out anyway:rolleyes:

Insane