e-Claire

I *Love* California

Being a little ol' California girl, I often forget that other states, not to mention countries, don't have the recall and initiative provisions available to them that we have here. What a loss. For them. Admittedly, things might be more calm and sedate [even dignified -- looking] in other political climes, but here in CA, we voters take our ballot box personally and seriously. Hell, we'll sign to give almost anything a shot on the ballot. When time comes, we don't hafta vote for the damfool nonsense. Governor Hiram Johnson [1911-17] led the fight for the initiative and recall processes, along with the direct primary election, the 8 hour work day for women and children, the workers compensation act, pure food and drug laws, free textbooks in public schools, pensions for retired teachers, and more government control of the utilities and railroads. This last arose out of his fundamental dispute with his father, an attorney in the pockets of the Southern Pacific railroad robber barons of the era. These issues were all pretty progressive stuff for the turn of the last century. Johnson was the bright-eyed-boy of the reform-minded Progressive Republicans. So, Mr Schwarzenegger's remark about having "enough money" not to be purchasable has a long and distinguished history in this state. The point of the initiative process is, after all, that it is much more difficult to buy half the state than it is to buy half the legislature. It is termed "direct democracy" and it's purpose is to remove power from special interests by putting it in the hands of the people. "...of the people, by the people, and for the people..." sort of thingie. Insofar as the recall process goes, in the 32 that have been launched, only the Davis effort has actually made it to the ballot. "It's not as if we go through this every time we go into a fever of anger about something," says the ever-rational Tom Hayden, ex husband of Jane Fonda. [I guess 'most everyone grows up. Eventually.] Although this is the first successful recall for the governor's office, [and with all the lousey governors we've had in this state, aren't *you* proud, Greyge?] the recall has been used widely on the municipal and county levels. LA was the first city to fire its mayor after a kerfluffle over the bombing of a private investigator in '38. [very film noir...] And , lest we forget, Lady DiFi barely survived a nasty-bitter recall election in 1983 when she was mayor of San Francisco. I think it had something to do with her "Big Business = Bad Business" point of view . . . Some other highlights of the initiative process:

As early as 1914, archives show that initiative campaigns paid people to gather signatures, he says.

The topics of ballot measures have run the gamut from cable television (banned in 1964 at the behest of theater owners) to senior-citizen subsidies (rejected twice in the 1930s). Voters supported the death penalty and rejected school busing in 1972, lowered property taxes by passing Proposition 13 in 1978, and supported curbs on affirmative action and services for illegal immigrants in the 1990s. But voters rejected a ban on gay teachers in 1978 and quarantines of AIDS patients in 1986 and 1988.

More perspective on the historic factors influencing California politics:

It's no coincidence that all but four of the 18 states that allow recalls of governors are in the Midwest or West. "Leaders of the South were concerned that if direct democracy took hold, it would empower African-Americans. In New England and around New York, there was concern that the large immigrant population could take advantage of the initiative process," says Mr. Waters. [president of the nonpartisan Initiative & Referendum Institute in Leesburg, Va.] "But out West, you didn't have these concerns."

heh. And the weather ain't too bad, neither.

1. IIRC, the recall effort against Feinschwein was motivated by her having pushed through an illegal handgun ban, not by a perception that she was anti-business.  [The ordinance itself was struck down by the courts as a blatant violation of the preemption law.]

   Posted by Xrlq  on  08/11/03  at  02:11 PM

2. Thanx for keepin’ me honest, Xrlq.

   ...um, was that during or after this era:

   “Because less than twenty years ago I was the target of a terrorist group. It was the New World Liberation Front. ...They...put a bomb at my home. 

   I know the urge to arm yourself because that’s what I did. I was trained in firearms. ... I carried a concealed weapon. I made the determination that if somebody was going to try to take me out, I was going to take them with me. “

   [found here]

   I understand she has since turned in her permit and gun.  I doubt she has to walk the streets of DC.

   Posted by Claire  on  08/11/03  at  07:23 PM

3. If you love California, will you update your Bear Flag Listing to include me.  I’m a recent entry.  Thanks.

   Posted by Aaron's Rantblog  on  08/13/03  at  12:34 AM

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