The danger of set-asides

San Franciscans who shuddered at the SF Chronicle's headline mentioning "$500 million" as the probable city budget deficit, should remember that feeling next time they vote on ballot measures. The idea that voter-mandated set-asides for particular services, no matter how appealing those services are, make it almost impossible for the city to cope with a crisis. We are in a depression that very few people predicted or thought possible. Most of the city's budget is tied up in required services that most of us want, but could live without for a few years as we struggle to provide for basic needs. California's system of ballot propositions, making citizens responsible for complicated decisions legislators should handle, has not worked well. As voters we are swayed by advertisements from special interests and emotional appeals that move us to tie up budget funds for years to come. Perhaps after working through the current economic disaster, Californians will turn to the task of reforming our way of governing ourselves.

Smiling through the gloom

The state of the state of California has become such a source of humor to the rest of the country that we find ourselves mentioned everywhere we look. The idea of the largest state in the country driving itself into bankruptcy strikes outsiders as funny, although it's not very funny to many who live here. Joel Stein, writing in Time magazine, is a resident of california, but he cannot resist pointing out the folly of our endless voting for initiatives most people can't understand. Asking voters to determine how much we should spend on a high-speed rail system or a hospital bond may have seemed like a good idea once, but it is not working out the way it was planned in 1911. Stein joins a long list of writers, politicians and businesspeople in suggesting that it's time to look at our initiative system with a view to revising it. We all want to strengthen democracy, but making decisions on the basis of ad campaigns is not the way to do it.

League to the Rescue

Although there will only be one candidate election in the 2008 February primary, predictions are there will be any number of ballot measures proposed. One measure that’s already causing lots of talk is the proposal to change the term limits regulations. According to a story in the April 3, SF Chronicle, the politicians in Sacramento shouldn’t be surprised if voters are confused about what those changes are. Although the total number of years in Sacramento will be shorter, the length of time a lawmaker can serve in either the Assembly or the House will be longer. If that sounds confusing now, think how much more confusing the TV ads will make it. The League’s clear, objective presentations of each ballot measure will be a lifesaver, helping voters to make up their minds on this one and vote for what they really want.

Early primary problems

Most Californians support moving the presidential primary election to February. An early primary is supposed to offer state voters a better chance to influence who the eventual nominee of each party will be. On April 1, however, the S.F. Chronicle raised doubts. Instead of reinvigorating the primaries, columnist Martin Nolan suggests, the early campaign may leave voters bored with all the candidates. Turnout is often low in primaries, but 2008 may be the lowest yet. This might suit some politicians who hope to slip in some favorite ballot measures while the voters are sitting home. Ballot measures may not be as glamorous as candidate appearances, but a change in term limits, on the ballot for February, could make a big difference in the governance of the state. This is a year when the League's analyses of the pros and cons of each ballot measure will mean a lot. Switch on those computers, there's a lot to discuss.