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While I agree with your sentiment on the ineptitude of our politicians, what actually happened was somewhat different. We as voters passed a bunch of propositi
by uuilly 17y ago
While I agree with your sentiment on the ineptitude of our politicians, what actually happened was somewhat different. We as voters passed a bunch of propositions that increased spending while limiting the government's ability to tax. If our politicians are to be blamed, it is for not howling loudly that we have tied their hands.
Most of the blame falls on us citizens who went along with a system that doesn't work. Direct democracy is a cute thought, but in practice it spreads the responsibility too thin and fatally hampers a leader's ability to maneuver or veto obviously contradictory measures.
Perhaps now would be a good time to unwind this mess.
- aaronblohowiak 17y agoWe need to raise property taxes and only exempt the seniors!
- miked 17y agoDirect democracy works exceptionally well in Switzerland, and the citizens vote four times a year there. Time to state the obvious: the Dems have controlled both houses of the state legislature for decades, and they shovel money to the state employee unions in exchange for block voting. And it works. Then there are all the regulations they pass that make CA the worst rated place in the US to do business, driving businesses and their tax money from the state.
- camccann 17y agoI doubt that the entire budget is dictated by direct-vote propositions. To abuse the analogy, the government could probably get its hands free if not for the left and right hands each being more interested in keeping each other tied up than in getting lose from the bindings. That said, are you mad? Holding the citizens as a whole responsible for the actions of a democratic republic? Surely, you jest. Besides, blaming voters is no way to get elected; it's always the fault of the other party.