What is that Commission up to?

One of the most important current commissions in California is the Commission on 21st Century Economy (COTCE) appointed by Governor Schwarzenegger late last year. The Commission is charged with the task of making recommendations to fix California's dysfunctional tax system so the state will not have to go through the periodic crises that have beset us for the past thirty years. Dependence on personal income tax to pay 49% of the state's expenses has made our budget subject to unexpected rises and falls whenever the economic cycle changes. A better balanced tax structure would smooth out some of the spikes and let California's leaders make sensible plans for funding the state. The Commission has been holding hearings at state universities--the next one will be at UC Davis on April 9--and League members will find it useful to follow the discussions of the Commission's website. The task is complicated and it is tempting to shrug our shoulders and give up, but the future depends on setting California's economy on a more sensible path. It's a worthwhile use of our time.

Health care vs. the tip

Restaurant owners in S.F. are fighting desperately to avoid having to pay for employees health care and have figured out several ways to go about it. Their case against mandatory healthcare charges lost in the court and they now want to take it to the Supreme Court. But now an alternative plan is being suggested--a tip credit that will allow employers to pay less than the city's minimum wage to waiters who receive tips. Naturally this has caused a battle between the union and the employers over whether the move is necessary to save restaurants from bankruptcy or just another excuse to reduce workers' wages. The whole issue of tips for service is a troubling one. Supposedly customers pay extra for good service, but actually everyone knows a tip is mandatory, not optional. Tips are uncertain, and as the economy grows worse, some customers may cut back on the tipping which is such an important part of restaurant workers' pay. Why is it that many other countries can maintain a system of service charges for restaurants while Americans have always insisted on tipping? Wouldn't it be better to try having a set price for service making cheating on tips and the temptation to evade taxes less likely? Let's have restaurant costs paid up front to promote fairness in pay and to allow reasonable costs for healthcare for waitstaff.

How much do elections matter?

S.F. voters will remember that in November they voted on whether or not the School Board should reinstate the Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps (JROTC) in S.F. high schools. The majority voted in favor of the measure and now the Board of Education is re-examining their 2006 policy of phasing the program out. How much will the voters' wishes count and how much will depend on the results of the election of new members of the Board? No one knows for sure, so people interested in the program will no doubt crowd into the Board meeting to express their opinions on the topic. That's the way California's democracy is supposed to work. We elect representatives to make decisions about specialized issues such as education and if their decisions don't please us, we give them a nudge in the direction we prefer. In the end it is up to the Board. If they are taking their responsibilities seriously, they will consider all sides to the question and come up with the answer that seems best for our students.

How healthy is Healthy San Francisco?

The Healthy San Francisco ballot measure was easily passed by voters, but some restaurants are now bringing a lawsuit arguing that it is unfair to charge them to pay part of the costs of healthcare for their employees. The restaurants' response to the measure is mixed, according to a S.F. Chronicle article, which quotes a number of restaurant owners who say the added fee is not a burden. Some businesses have added a 4% surcharge to bills, others charge a flat $1 per person to diners. Most say that diners do not complain and most are happy that restaurant workers are getting health coverage. It's encouraging to think that people are willing to help their neighbors get the health insurance we all need. Still, increasing costs of healthcare will make the payments more burdensome and may be very hard on some restaurants. We all suffer when local businesses are forced to close. The solution, of course, is to get some kind of federal healthcare system that will ensure coverage for everyone. Let's all keep the pressure on our legislators to make sure this issue is not lost in the swirl of other news. Healthcare for all is one of the most important components of a healthy society.

New style fireside chat

We know that times have changed when one of President Obama's most important political appearances during his visit to California will be his appearance on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno. It's difficult to visualize how some of our former presidents, even Franklin Roosevelt who was famous for his informal fireside chats, would handle an interview by Leno. Far more people will know what the President said by viewing the show on TV or seeing clips of it on YouTube than will read about it in the newspaper. No wonder big city newspapers are worried about their futures. Who needs a newspaper when citizens can get a sense of their leaders in the informal setting of a late night show? We all need to rethink what kind of media we and our children will be watching and what this means in terms of how citizens interact with their government.

Will we have more guns?

San Francisco votes have been, on the whole, in favor of strict regulation of guns in the city. Several months ago when the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the Second Amendment protects the rights of individuals to carry guns, many people were afraid all sorts of gun regulations would be struck down by the courts. According to an article in today's N.Y. Times, that has not happened. State courts have ruled on many gun regulations since the Supreme Court decision and have not struck them down. Regulations concerning the possession of guns by drug dealers, or the possession of guns near schools have been upheld. It seems our streets will not be overrun by gun-toting enthusiasts any time soon. We can all breathe a sigh of relief.

The League takes a stand

Governor Schwarzenegger has been traveling around the state to lobby for the ballot measures slated to appear on the May 19th special election. In a recent talk at the Commonwealth Club, he declared that they are a package and all must be passed so that the California budget process can be reformed. The California League of Women Voters, on the other hand, has come to the conclusion that four of the proposed measures should be rejected. The League has always advocated for flexibility for state officials in carrying out their responsibilities, and they have concluded that Prop 1A places too many limits on that flexibility. The mesure will "tie the hands of the Legislature and Governor as they face changing needs for state and local government services". Voters will no doubt hear many arguments for and against the propositions as the election draws near. They are complicated proposals and require careful reading, but they are important and the worst thing a citizen could do is to give up and fail to vote. Now is the time for every potential voter to pay attention, make up his or her mind, and VOTE IN THE MAY 19TH ELECTION.

We like it here

For the first time in quite a while, there was good news in the newspaper this morning. On an index of well-being, California stacks up pretty well and the Bay Area is very high on the list. When compared with other states, California is in the group of those highest in well-being, along with Washington and a large swath of the Midwest. The handy website allows you to zoom in on Congressional Districts and to see that Silicon Valley ranks highest for general well-being of its residents, but San Francisco is not far behind. One interesting factoid is that San Francisco's lowest standing comes in the area of emotional health--I wonder if all that complaining we do is coming back to haunt us. At any rate our physical health and general contentment still lift us up to the top levels, but then, we always knew we were good.

Can we give up more voter information?

San Francisco, like every other city in the country, is in a budget crunch. All departments have been asked to cut back, including the Dept. of Elections. In response, the DOE has announced it will eliminate many of the city's polling places, making the trip to the polls even more of a chore than it is now. In addition, the DOE is planning to limit the amount of information now being sent out to voters in the Voter Information Guide. The legal text of each ballot measure will no longer be printed but will be available online. Granted, not many people read the printed text, and those who really want it can probably find an online source but cutting back on voter information is not a trend to be encouraged. The League of Women Voters, and other nonprofits, will be more important than ever as a source of voter information. It's vital to ensure that they have the resources to prepare their traditional analysis of ballot measures and to make it available to a wide public.

Opening up the courts

On Thursday, thousands of Californians watched live coverage of the arguments about Prop 8 presented before the California Supreme Court. The hearings were surprisingly gripping despite being couched in legal terminology that was sometimes difficult for a layperson to understand. But most viewers, either on TV or the Internet, could get the gist of what the lawyers were presenting and the sense of the questions asked by the justices. The back-and-forth presentation helped everyone to understand the implications of what was being asked and what is involved in overturning a constitutional amendment passed by the majority of voters in the state. No matter what decision the Supreme Court hands down, citizens will be able to accept it more easily because they know that arguments were presented, taken seriously, and questioned before any decision was made. The issue of same-sex marriage will not die away, but at least this particular handling of a case has demonstrated that our justice system is still working thoughtfully to come to fair decisions. It would be good news for the country as a whole if the U.S.Supreme Court would adopt the position that video coverage of judicial proceedings help rather than hinder respect for the courts system in our country.

Is there a threat to Public Access TV?

There's plenty of action on the political front these days with debates about government budgets at every level. In the middle of all the discussion, it's difficult to keep track of every public service that may or may not be endangered. One public institution that the League has used for several years as a major channel of voter education is the government public access television stations, also known as the PEG stations. They are at the center of a controversy now as to how the funding for them, which comes mostly from fees paid by cable companies, should be allocated. Supervisor Mirkarimi has stepped into the controversy by proposing to ask the state to change the way in which thse funds are allocated. Many San Franciscans are not aware of the services provided by the PEG channels and this is one of the issues that has not been covered widely. It's important for nonprofits that want to serve the city to familiarize themselves with the issues and express their points of view about what the future of the PEG channel funding should be.