There is science, logic, reason; there is thought verified by experience. And then there is California. Edward Abbey felt this way decades ago about his adopted home in the West and the same holds true today. We are a state born of a gold rush, a panacea of quick riches that launched us onto the national stage. 150 years later the new gold rush of high-tech and the glamor of Hollywood keeps California a place where the eyes of dreamers turn the world over. We are also a state who's political system is seriously broken.

Like 24 other states, California has a system of initiative and referendum whereby citizens who gather sufficient signatures can petition voters directly to pass laws and even amend the constitution while completely bypassing the state legislature. This system is so popular in California that there have been no less than 79 statewide propositions since November 1998. There is good reason for the voters of this state to go directly to the citizenry to get things done: The California legislature in Sacramento is so beholden to their established interests that it is virtually impossible to enact any real change through them.

The pinnacle of special interest politics seemingly was reached during the 2002 California gubernatorial election when one of the most unpopular and ineffective governors the state had ever seen was elected to a second term. Gray Davis, the incumbent Democratic Governor actually spent more money in the Republican primary election to defeat former L.A. mayor Dick Riordan then he did on trying to get himself elected against a virtually politically unknown Bill Simon. Against this backdrop in 2003, Californians took the unusual step of recalling the ineffectual governor and replaced him with the Hollywood star and Sacramento outsider Arnold Schwarzenegger. "The Gubernator," as he became known during the campaign took office amid a mood of reform promising to "fundamentally change the way California does business."

Unable to reform the state's government with the legislature, Schwarzenegger decided to bypass them altogether and take his reforms directly to the people. The heart of these measures, a series of 4 key ballot propositions will go up for a vote on November 8, 2005. Prop. 74 raises the number of years required for a teacher in the public school system from 2 to 5. Prop. 75 changes the method by which Public Employee Unions collect dues from their members from an "opt out" system to an "opt in," whereby members must specifically give their unions permission to spend their dues on political causes. Prop. 76 slows the rate of growth of the state budget and limits the ability to borrow money. Prop. 77 shifts the power to "redistrict" (or Gerrymander) from the legislature to a panel of retired judges.

These ballot propositions launched a campaign battle more expensive than many national races. The San Francisco Chronicle estimates that mostly union sources have spent approximately $115 Million thus far to defeat these propositions, especially Prop. 75 which they believe can decimate their power in Sacramento. Pro-Schwarzenegger groups have spent about $45 Million to try to get their measures passed. So why is so much money being spent on a special election with not a single candidate running? Put simply, the reform initiatives can fundamentally transform government in California. This can accomplish much to make government work better for the people of the state while at the same time doing serious damage to special interests who have controlled state politics for so long. I strongly urge a "Yes" vote on 74, 75, 76, and 77 and here's why (in order of importance):

Prop. 77 - Despite the ability of citizens to get propositions on the ballot in California, the fundamental responsibility of legislating law in this state still lies with the legislature in Sacramento. According to Governor Schwarzenegger "153 of California's congressional and legislative seats were up in the last election, and not one, I repeat, not one, changed parties." Specifically, California's solidly Democratic legislature has been drawing up districts that are designed to pack their opposition into the smallest number of possible seats. What this proposition does is to remove the power to draw these districts from the politicians in Sacramento and give the power to a non-partisan panel of retired judges. This will not necessarily tilt the balance of power in California -- nor should it. It will however allow regions of the state to actually have their vote heard, rather than have any opposition sidelined into a permanent minority. Ideally, districts would not need to be redrawn for anything other than population increase. Make no mistake, this isn't an issue of Democrat vs. Republican, it's an issue of incumbents vs. everyone else. Today's legislature have drawn themselves "safe seats" that are unlikely to change any time soon. Proposition 77 will end this practice for good.

More on the California Propositions in Part 2.