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by Randy Shaw, Feb. 22, 2008
In the spring of 2003, right-wing activists seized upon California's massive budget deficit to launch a recall campaign
against Governor Gray Davis. Although Davis had faced voters and won re-election the preceding November, he was charged
with making such a financial mess that a recall was essential. Arnold Schwarzenegger soon led the charge against Davis.
The successful actor argued that he had what it takes to restore the state's fiscal health, and to end the gridlock in
Sacramento.
But after five years in office, the Governor has broken all his promises to the voters, (and to injured workers for
example) and the state is in a much worse financial predicament than when he took office. So why are there not efforts
to recall Schwarzengger? This may sound drastic, but with his "no new taxes" vow ensuring the state's continued
insolvency, we should either get rid of him or allow the destruction of the state's schools, health care system, and
California's longtime image as the Golden State.
One of the biggest differences between conservatives and progressives in California is the willingness of the former to
try to achieve goals through the ballot box that they could never gain through the legislature or through the regular
election process. Proposition 13 in 1978, term limits in 1990, Prop 209 in 1996 and the recall of Governor Davis in 2003
are all examples of conservatives pursuing objectives that were originally described as crazy, but which ended up
prevailing at the polls.
When an ill-conceived conservative measure loses at the polls - like the phony eminent domain initiative in 2006 - they
do not give up. They come back with an even more odious Prop 98 for the June 2008 ballot, which adds the elimination of
rent control and environmental depredations to the bad ideas rejected by voters in Prop 90.
Progressives, on the other hand, have never given voters the chance to meaningfully reform Prop 13. Our pollsters tell
us that such a measure cannot win, so we do not even try. When we lose a ballot initiative for single-payer health care,
we don't try again - unlike conservatives, who keep throwing junk on the ballot year after year until they get lucky and
prevail.
In the pre-Internet age, the right's greater resources could explain this distinction. But Howard Dean and Barack Obama
have certainly shown how progressives can win the money battle through small contributions donated on-line.
So what is holding progressives back from moving to recall a Governor who has no political support in Sacramento, and
whose 2006 re-election was largely made possible by a subprime-loan generated housing bubble that has since burst?
I think there are three factors holding this off.
First, the focus on 2008 is getting a Democrat in the White House, and a November 2008 recall election of California's
Governor would be seen as a distraction. This factor, along with the state legislative races in November, makes deferring
a recall move understandable.
Second, progressives support reform, but a surprising number believe strongly in working through the established rules.
While the right to recall is enshrined in the California Constitution, many progressives see such a move as unfair - or
in bad faith - even though conservatives have no such reservations.
Third, many progressives do not pay much attention to state budget issues, and likely see a Democratic President and
Democratic-controlled Congress in 2009 as greatly helping California's financial woes. The feeling is that Arnold will
be out of office at the end of 2010 anyway, so why bother recalling him a year early.
Here's why it still makes sense. Replacing Schwarzenegger in a spring 2009 special election would allow the 2009-10
budget to protect schools, health clinics, public transit, and other vital services. It would also allow the 2010-11
budget to include the income tax hikes and vehicular license fee increases that are necessary to keep the state
operating.
California has a $16 billion deficit and a Governor that refuses to raise taxes. Allowing him to stay in power means
three more years of draconian budget cuts, and/or even more mortgaging of the state's future by funding operations
through high-interest loans.
This makes no sense. Progressives are likely to be riding high in the spring of 2009, and will flock to the polls to
recall the Governor. In contrast, the California Republican Party is in financial disarray, and neither its legislative
members - nor many of its constituents - support Schwarzenegger.
Organized labor proved the Governor's vulnerability in the 2005 special election, when they led the fight to defeat all
of his ballot initiatives. A similar campaign could be waged in the spring of 2009 - if grassroots activists push the
state's progressive leadership hard enough.
Progressive activists have used MoveOn.org, Daily Kos and other Internet resources to greatly increase their influence
in national politics. Now this resource can be used to rescue California from a Governor who is increasingly out of
touch with reality.
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