Death to the 2/3 rule!

Let's imagine a scenario: A once great land is mired in political bickering. Nothing can be done without lies and personal attacks being lobbed by the opposing factions. Social programs that the people have relied on for decades begin to crumble. The price of a college education soars beyond what most can reasonably afford. State parks you've visited your entire life are closing. People are confused, angry and ashamed of what is being done. A land once held up to the world as the shining beacon of hope and equal oppurtunity begins to fade away. Guess what? This land is our great state of California. While there are many factors that brought California to this point, one stands out as the most destructive, and the most to blame; the requirement of a 2/3 majority to simply pass a budget. That requirement may have worked in an age without term limits, when lawmakers from both parties had worked together for years. They were friends and enemies at the same time. Nowadays, they are only the latter.

Every year, a political showdown occurs in Sacramento. Republicans vow to resist any increase in revenues, and Democrats fight tooth and nail to save programs we all unknowingly depend on. And who loses? The people. Especially those people who have no voice; the homeless, the poor, the elderly, students and many other powerless groups. The people who go unnoticed in state politics because they can't bankroll massive campaigns and get politicians elected. We read about these budget cuts every year in the newspaper, yet it's often hard to put a face to them. But behind each dollar cut from a program, there is a person who will suffer or die. Programs that provided funding for HIV/AIDS medication, breast cancer screening for women who can't afford it on their own, and food stamps. Those are just a few of the examples of our social safety net being ripped to shreds. How did this happen in California? Blame that 2/3 requirement.

What is the 2/3 requirement you ask? It's simple; 66% of the state legislators need to vote 'aye' to any budget package, or any tax increase. Since the CA Legislature is mostly Dems(thank god), a few Republicans each year must be coaxed into voting for what is essentially a Democratic budget. Like the health care debate in the US Congress, these handful of GOP lawmakers hold an enormous amount of sway over the debate. They demand concessions for their vote, and they always get them. Last year the Republican leaders in the Assembly and Senate did the right thing and voted for the budget, saving their constituents from hardship. Care to guess their caucus' reaction to an act of political bravery? They immediately removed them from the leadership, and essentially ended their careers in public office. This is the reward given to a Republican by their own party when they bite the bullet, and do the right thing.

And why should the average voter care? It's hard to fathom in the moment when the budget is signed what will happen, but now we are beginning to see the results. Tuition costs at state universities are rising, state parks are on the brink of closure, infrastructure projects languish due to lack of funding, and social services are cut to the bone. Our land of fruit and honey has been reduced to a land of bond debts and no money. And while there are other factors to be considered in this, such as term limits and ballot initiatives tying legislator's hands, the 2/3 rule is the crux of the problem. Eliminate this insane requirement to simply pass a budget, and our great state may yet reclaim it's former glory. Stay tuned for more posts about the budget, because I assure you, this yearly battle is just heating up again.

"We are entitled to our own opinions, but we are not entitled to our own facts"

Below is a link to a lively exchange between Sen. Franken and Sen. Thune. In his short time in the Senate Franken has established himself as a much needed voice of reason. In the clip he attempts to explain to Senator Thune that "We are entitled to our own opinions, but we are not entitled to our own facts."

Sadly, in this ongoing debate about healthcare reform, facts haven't always been at the forefront. Watch the clip and enjoy a healthy exchange.

My letter to Santa

Dear Santa,

I am writing, and I know this is a little late, but I am writing to ask for a small gift. That gift would be Senator Harry Reid stripping Joe Lieberman of his Chairmanship of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. I know it is not nice to ask for something to be taken away from someone during this holiday season, but I think the time has come. I know what you’re thinking Santa, we need Joe on our side, and letting him have the Chairmanship keeps him in our good graces, but I ask you, is he the kind of friend we want? He campaigned for McCain, he is toying with running as a Republican for re-elections, and he has vowed to vote against a public option.

Sen. Lieberman has been very good to his friends though. Aetna, has contributed over $91,000 to Lieberman. This past September he was interview by a news agency and stated his support of expanding Medicare, but is now against it? Instead he favors “a centrally financed system of private health insurance options”. I wonder if his friends over at Aetna had anything to do with that change of heart?

Sen. Lieberman has stated that he is prepared to live with his opposition to publicly funded insurance, convinced, he said, that it would increase taxes.

Doesn’t this seem like a Republican point of view? I know personally, I am prepared to live with an increase in the taxes I pay if it means as a country, we can allow everyone access to insurance coverage. If I have to skip out on a couple of martinis in exchange for a public insurance option for all, so be it. During the past two years one out of three Americans under the age of 65 were without health insurance. How is that?

If more Americans have health insurance, and thus access to a primary healthcare provider, the costs of providing care will go down. As it stands now, those without insurance will end up going to seek care in Emergency Departments. This is the most expensive venue to provide care in. The costs for providing care to these people in the ED are often times not recouped by the hospitals. In order for the hospitals to make up for that loss, they then charge those persons with insurance more for their care in order to cover their losses. So, in the end aren’t we paying for it already? It is time for change, and it is time for us to get those who are against change out of office.

So, in closing Santa, if you can grant me this one wish, I think we can begin to lessen Sen. Lieberman’s influence, and give us a better chance of getting a Democrat into his seat. Maybe then we will see some real reform to our healthcare system.

Sincerely,

Gabe Kearney

John Perez chosen to lead Ca State Assembly

On December 11^th history was made in California. John Perez, freshman assemblyman from Los Angeles was unanimously chosen by the Assembly’s Democratic Caucus to be the 68^th Speaker of the Assembly. While Perez is not the first openly gay official to lead a statewide body, the late Allan Spear of Minnesota made that milestone. Having come out of the closet in 1974, Spear was one of the first openly gay elected officials. He was the President of the Minnesota State Senate from 1992 to 2000.

The Speaker Elect did not just walk into this position. He had to compete against two fellow Latino Democrats from Los Angeles, Kevin De Leon and Felipe Fuentes. The battle lasted all the way up to the day of the Democratic Caucus vote. Although Fuentes had bowed out the week prior, De Leon was still in the race, but after several meetings with Perez, finally decided to step down, and ended up nominating Perez.

Speaker Elect Perez, a former labor leader, and UC Berkeley grad, was elected to the California State Assembly to represent the 46^th district on November 4^th, 2008 with 85% of the votes. Perez faces big challenges in his new post. California is facing a $20 Billion budget shortfall for the next 6 years. With the requirement for California’s budget to pass with a two-thirds vote, and the Republicans vowing to vote against any increase in taxes, make passing a budget a gargantuan task.

With regards to the significance of John Perez becoming the Speaker-Elect, Geoff Kors, Director of Equality California stated, "He's the first openly gay person of color elected to the Legislature, so it's really a testament to what he's done in the Legislature and before in labor, for the environment, for the civil rights movement and for the LGBT movement. To have an openly gay Latino heading the largest legislative body, that represents the most people in the country, in and of itself is going to have a significant impact on advancing LGBT rights."

In an interview with the San Francisco Chronicle, Assemblyman Tom Ammiano stated Perez’s election to the Speaker’s post was very poignant. "I was a personal friend of (slain San Francisco Supervisor Harvey Milk) and to live long enough to see this is very significant. ... Like Milk said, you have to give them hope, and I think what happened today is going to give people hope."

As the fight for marriage equality moves forward in California, having one of the most powerful state legislators being an openly gay man will do a lot to increase the visibility of the inequality that our current marriage laws represent. It has been shown that voters are less likely to vote against civil rights measures when they know someone it affects, and having John Perez as a face to the issue will show many more voters that there is still a long way to go until the LGBT community has achieved equality.

In the coming weeks the transition of power will take place with Assembly voting on the confirmation of Perez as the new Speaker, and current Speaker Karen Bass handing over the reigns. This coincides with the release of Gov. Schwarzenegger’s budget.

Assemblyman Perez is the scheduled keynote speaker for the upcoming Sonoma County Democratic Party Crab Feed on February 26, 2010. Tickets can be purchased through the following link: http://www.actblue.com/page/crabfeed2010