Saturday, December 13, 2003
NOTSOBAD:
We still hear the snickers from back east and other locales about our new Governor and the process by which we selected him; the usual silent and not so silent scorn for the wierdness of the west coast. Not that we are sensitive about it or anything. When all is said and done we have the weather and weather trumps even good politics. And, it is looking like maybe; just maybe, we have a good political process too. Recalls and initiatives scare the hell out of a lot of people and sometimes they go wrong; but a lot of the time they go right too.
Nevertheless, it is quite a surprise to us (and should be to the non-Californian) that the Guv has pulled off quite a coup in the deadlocked legislature. He has made a deal that could work to get us back on the road to fiscal stability--'Ve muzt get our fizcul houz in order'! Yeh, we snicker a little too but there he is, doin' it.
And, I LIKE the way he did it. He ran around the Republicans--his own party, if you will recall--and went directly to the Democratic leadership and worked out a solution which they signed on to. Needless to say, the Republicans--or some of them--are pissed--as usual righteously so. There are hard hearted idealogues on both sides of the aisle.
He has the stuff to do this kind of thing. And, as it turns out Maria is also in on the work. You can see that it is all first names out here. This is mostly because we have trouble typing the names Schwarzenegger and Shriber over and over--"now does she have the -sch construction too or...". Pity the poor newspaper person.
I did not vote for recall and I certainly did not vote for Arnold; but I gotta' admit the guy has done what he said he would (the lib LA Times headlined that he had caved on his campaign promises--they got egg on their face; the next day they headlined that he had achieved them).
The thing is, that ex-Governor-Davis was never able to transcend this two headed ogre of partisan government. He fed and aggravated the conflict all of the time.
The people may have been right. Of course, I believe that in the long run they always are. But, here we have them right in the short run too.
I know that everyone worries about us back there; so, be calm.
We will do OK; and incidentally, how is your budget doing?
Do you know where your legislators are tonight?
STRIKES:
Sadder, and unresolved are the strikes (now the Teamsters are out also) against the major food chains. It is in the 8th week and no resolution is in sight.
I do not cross picket lines and so have had to go to another chain which has a different contract to shop. I like the new place. It is a little further but it has some nice features that my Vons (Safeway) lacked. There are a LOT of people who have done the same. The lots at the struck stores are empty.
I suspect that a lot of us will not go back to where we shopped before.
The cause is just and they are making 200 a week strike pay. Tough times.
We still hear the snickers from back east and other locales about our new Governor and the process by which we selected him; the usual silent and not so silent scorn for the wierdness of the west coast. Not that we are sensitive about it or anything. When all is said and done we have the weather and weather trumps even good politics. And, it is looking like maybe; just maybe, we have a good political process too. Recalls and initiatives scare the hell out of a lot of people and sometimes they go wrong; but a lot of the time they go right too.
Nevertheless, it is quite a surprise to us (and should be to the non-Californian) that the Guv has pulled off quite a coup in the deadlocked legislature. He has made a deal that could work to get us back on the road to fiscal stability--'Ve muzt get our fizcul houz in order'! Yeh, we snicker a little too but there he is, doin' it.
And, I LIKE the way he did it. He ran around the Republicans--his own party, if you will recall--and went directly to the Democratic leadership and worked out a solution which they signed on to. Needless to say, the Republicans--or some of them--are pissed--as usual righteously so. There are hard hearted idealogues on both sides of the aisle.
He has the stuff to do this kind of thing. And, as it turns out Maria is also in on the work. You can see that it is all first names out here. This is mostly because we have trouble typing the names Schwarzenegger and Shriber over and over--"now does she have the -sch construction too or...". Pity the poor newspaper person.
I did not vote for recall and I certainly did not vote for Arnold; but I gotta' admit the guy has done what he said he would (the lib LA Times headlined that he had caved on his campaign promises--they got egg on their face; the next day they headlined that he had achieved them).
The thing is, that ex-Governor-Davis was never able to transcend this two headed ogre of partisan government. He fed and aggravated the conflict all of the time.
The people may have been right. Of course, I believe that in the long run they always are. But, here we have them right in the short run too.
I know that everyone worries about us back there; so, be calm.
We will do OK; and incidentally, how is your budget doing?
Do you know where your legislators are tonight?
STRIKES:
Sadder, and unresolved are the strikes (now the Teamsters are out also) against the major food chains. It is in the 8th week and no resolution is in sight.
I do not cross picket lines and so have had to go to another chain which has a different contract to shop. I like the new place. It is a little further but it has some nice features that my Vons (Safeway) lacked. There are a LOT of people who have done the same. The lots at the struck stores are empty.
I suspect that a lot of us will not go back to where we shopped before.
The cause is just and they are making 200 a week strike pay. Tough times.
Comments:
Post a Comment
