The special election behind us and the message from the voters
clear: the governor and legislative leaders must truly put aside
the traditional Sacramento games of partisanship and
one-upsmanship, and start working together to solve California’s
problems.
Editor,
The special election behind us and the message from the voters clear: the governor and legislative leaders must truly put aside the traditional Sacramento games of partisanship and one-upsmanship, and start working together to solve California’s problems.
The special election was expensive, disruptive and unnecessary. In his post-mortem on the failed ballot initiatives, Gov. Schwarzenegger said voters sent a clear message that their elected representatives must work through the issues and not try to govern by taking every issue to the voters. Clearly the governor would have done better had the election itself not been an issue.
The issues remain – education, the budget, redistricting – to name but a few, and time is short. 2006 is another election year and the challenge for our political leaders will be to focus on the problems California faces and not on re-election. Finding solutions, not seeking revenge is the answer. The fruits of revenge are short-lived. This lesson has arisen in history numerous times. When out of control and totally one-sided it can lead to more pain and suffering than good for the people of California.
After World War I, the worst case of international retribution in modern history was instilled against Germany. The nation was forced to accept conditions that none of the winners could have lived with. It created a seething anger that festered for years. It led to Adolf Hitler. Thus the peace that ended the War to End All Wars led to the even bigger, more devastating conflict, World War II.
Let’s not do that here. Now is the time for all good Republicrats to come to the aid of their party. Now is the time for all of us to be patriots, to become, “Republicrats” if you will. It is time for us all to get along. It is time to start thinking about what is best for California.
Our form of government is a compromise, one that has served us well for over 200 years. Good government requires compromise to meet the challenges we are facing, and to rise up and meet the challenges approaching on the horizon. Dissolving debate into partisan gamesmanship may be entertaining to a few, but it doesn’t solve anything and only sinks us deeper into the quicksand of stalemate.
Our country’s most successful political leaders were those who learned to compromise, to find solutions from the seeds of disagreement. It is time for all Californians – Democrats and Republicans – to come together as a whole and find the common ground necessary to improve our situation and not immerse all of us into a post World War I-like environment of vindictive retribution.
In his plea to end the violence of the 1992 riots in Los Angeles, Rodney King asked the question, “Can’t we all just get along?” We may take issue with the messenger, but his message holds truth for us all.
Alex Kennett, South Santa Clara County representative on the Santa Clara County Open Space Authority
