Editorials - editorials's Blog - Bakersfield.com

Almost perfect presents

Mon, 08 Dec 2008 09:51:06 PST

PUBLISHED 12/07/08 -----

Barack Obama
Juggling lessons
The president-elect will need to improve his dexterity to deal with all the problems his predecessor leaves him — a nation and world in economic meltdown, two wars and a recent spike in terrorism. Obama will also need yoga instruction to help maintain his renowned calm.

John McCain
Six weeks in Sedona
The Republican standard-bearer has earned a long rest after a gruelling two-year presidential campaign. He shouldn’t vacation too long, though: Obama might need to tap his experience and advice.

Sarah Palin
A gift card
Specifically, a $180,000 Wal-Mart gift card to help replace the wardrobe she had to return to the RNC.

Joe Biden
Self-help books
Vice-presidents (his predecessor notwithstanding) generally need help in the visibility department. We suggest Biden start with “Standing Firm: A Vice-Presidential Memoir” by Dan Quayle.

Kevin McCarthy
Screenwriter services
The Bakersfield congressman needs a plausible story to help convince constituents that being the “chief deputy” Republican whip — an assistant leader of the Republicans’ shrinking minority in the House of Representatives — is really an important job. Really, it is.

George W. Bush
A La-Z-Boy recliner
The soon-to-be-ex president will need to take a load off. While he’s kicking back, he ought to call Bill Clinton’s agent. Hard as it may be to believe at the moment, Bush’s popularity rating will eventually improve and he will be welcomed onto the speaking circuit. For now, he should just stay low.

Ken Mettler
Martial arts lessons
Based on his failure to connect solidly in a recent street-corner skirmish, the Kern High School District trustee, pro-Proposition 8 spokesman and amateur ninja apparently needs a little help (nunchucks?) to help promote his political views, or otherwise convince his opponents. With Prop. 8 headed back to the state Supreme Court, the chances of a future confrontation seem all too high.

Mayor Harvey Hall
Harvey L. Hall Stadium
We can start with a miniature replica of a baseball stadium. Thing is, that’s likely to be the closest Hall will come to his dream of having a real stadium in Bakersfield. But the former bat boy can hope, can’t he? He can play with his replica in the meantime.

City Manager Alan Tandy
Servants
As City Manager Alan Tandy prepares to move into a cushy remodeled suite of offices atop the former Borton, Petrini & Conron law building (Truxtun Avenue, across from the city police headquarters) it seems only appropriate that the suite be staffed by imperial servants. In these tight budget times, why should Tandy spare any expense on his staffing and accommodations? Since we hear the office comes equipped with a fireplace, Tandy is advised to check with air pollution folks to make sure it’s a “burn day” before he lights up.

Ken Weir
A big hug
The Bakersfield city councilman needs some extra encouragement so he’ll keep reaching out to all his constituents — and not just well-heeled developers. He escaped a recall effort this year, but his presumed reelection bid is just two years away.

Ed Jagels
Kern County judgeship
The Kern County district attorney needs a (real) Republican governor who’ll give him a cushy post-retirement appointment. Maybe he should start schmoozing potential Republican gubernatorial candidate (now insurance commissioner) Steve Poizner. Here’s an idea: Someone should appoint Jagels to a Kern County judgeship. What fun it would be to watch him strain to be collegial with the local judges he dissed for so many years.

State Sen. Dean Florez
A complete makeover
Let’s start with a copy of “How to Win Friends and Influence People.” After all these years as an acerbic maverick, Florez, as the new state Senate majority leader, will need to learn to play nicely with his colleagues.

Arnold Schwarzenegger
A seat at the table
Give the California governor an appointment in the Obama administration. He already said he is willing to consider one. Clearly, he would rather deal with horrendous national problems than horrendous state problems — and California lawmakers who refuse to adopt a responsible budget.

Nicole Parra
A real job
The termed-out Democratic assemblywoman needs some gainful employment. Come on, someone, give her a job. She also needs a political party. Democrat? Republican? Your guess is as good as ours. Perks should include a slush fund to replace the campaign donations she squandered on her way out the legislative door.
Roy Ashburn
A new plan
Bakersfield’s soon-to-be-termed-out state senator needs another political office to run for. He reportedly was thinking of running for state Board of Equalization, but some heavy hitters are eyeing that job. What will he do? Someone, give him a job.

Danny Gilmore
Thank-you cards
The new 30th Assembly District Republican representative needs to express gratitude to his predecessor, Nicole Parra, and her family. No doubt Democratic Assemblywoman Parra’s support helped him defeat Democrat candidate Fran Florez, the mother of Parra’s political nemesis, state Sen. Dean Florez. Why should we have expected a Democrat to endorse another Democrat when revenge was so much more “rewarding”?

Jean Fuller
Luggage
Bakersfield’s Republican assemblywoman needs new suitcases. Likely she wore hers out her old ones taking a recent junket to China, rather than sticking around Sacramento and attending the entire special session Gov. Schwarzenegger called to close a $28 billion-state budget gap.

Zack Scrivner
Jean Fuller’s job
The Bakersfield city councilman and aide to Republican Assemblywoman Jean Fuller needs his boss to hurry up and run for Roy Ashburn’s Senate seat so he can run for her seat. After all, he is her heir apparent.

Harold Hanson
A rearview mirror
The Bakersfield city councilman needs to know who’s approaching from behind when his “allies” on the City Council try once again to stab him in the back. Stay alert, Harold!

Auto CEOs
A clue
The people running America’s big three U.S. automakers need a grip on reality. As they extend their hands for a federal handout, they seem clueless as to why American taxpayers are resistant.

Corporate fat cats
Humble pie
Corporate CEOs (think AIG executives) live the high life and seem unwilling to change their ways, even when they want taxpayers to pick up their excessive tabs — and severance deals. They, too, need a wake-up call.

You get the idea. Suggest a special gift for your elected or appointed local, state or national leader. Send your suggestions to opinion@bakersfield.com.

Look around and be thankful

Mon, 01 Dec 2008 14:31:38 PST

PUBLISHED 11/30/08 ----

As we wind up this Thanksgiving weekend, The Californian’s Opinion staff reflects on the many things around us we can be thankful for:

While some may be disappointed that the the size of crowds in some stores was not larger, local shoppers showed up on this busy pre-Christmas shopping weekend with their holiday spirits and their wallets open. We urge them to continue supporting local merchants this season. Taxes from retail sales pay for the government services we rely on. Merchants and their employees — our neighbors — need support.

We also should be thankful that the two major drivers of our local economy — the oil and agriculture industries — remain strong. Certainly Kern County and Bakersfield are not immune from the economic downturn. Certainly many of our families and businesses are suffering. But we should be thankful that these industries remain strong.

Be thankful for the conclusion of the 2008 election. On top of the “grateful list” should be the mere fact that the election is over. We now get a break from the incessant campaigning. The presidential election — stretching back to the primaries — seemed to have broken a longevity record.

But we should also be thankful that so many citizens turned out to vote and that the vote-counting, for the most part, went smoothly. No “hanging chad” controversy, and no U.S. Supreme Court intervention required.

In fact, the decisive margin given to Democrat Barack Obama seems to be serving as a foundation to help the 44th U.S. president unite the country behind some bold moves to energize the economy.

In California, we should be thankful that voters cast thoughtful ballots on a wide range of initiatives. While you might not have agreed with all the votes they cast on Nov. 4, neither the right nor the left controlled the outcome. While partisans battle on in the courts over Proposition 8 (the successful same-sex marriage ban), other equally controversial measures were decided without challenge.

Proposition 11, the initiative that takes away from politicians the power to draw their own district boundary lines, barely passed. We should be thankful for this small step that may help reform California’s dysfunctional government.

On the environmental front, valley residents should be thankful the Legislature passed and governor signed a bill expanding the membership of the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District board. New members will have expertise in science and medicine, removing politicians’ total control over air cleanup policy.

Be thankful that a court recently upheld air cleanup rules that now apply to agriculture — particularly to the dust and fumes emitted from facilities that confine large animals, such as dairies and feedlots.

And in the energy field, we all should be thankful that gasoline has dropped to below $2 a gallon at many Bakersfield area stations. But the bigger energy news for Kern County is that Obama will press for the development of alternative energy sources, such as solar, wind and geothermal. Kern County has long been on the cutting edge of alternative energy development. More green energy should equate to more green jobs.

In the health field, Kern County residents are still traveling out of the area for some medical care. But the good news — and certainly something to be thankful for — is the expansion of advanced medical services in Bakersfield. Of particular note is the expansion of San Joaquin Hospital and its programs, and the development of a Ronald McDonald House for the families of extended-stay children at Memorial Hospital.

The retirements of several veteran Kern County jurists gave voters the rare opportunity to elect two judges. In the June primary, they elected Larry Errea to replace Judge Skip Staley, and on Nov. 4 they elected Charles “Chip” Brehmer to replace Judge Clarence Westra. Thankfully, the campaigns were thoughtful and dignified, leading to the election of quality jurists. Gov. Schwarzenegger then moved quickly to appoint judges to other Kern County vacancies. We should be thankful these appointments have included women, minorities, Republicans and Democrats.

We can be thankful, too, that locals are stepping up to take care of local charities in times of difficulty. The Gleaners and the United Way, to name two, are cautiously optimistic that their needs will be met.

Local businesses seem to be doing their share. Employees of Aera Energy, for example, have continued to coordinate their annual Thanksgiving food-basket drive for the Gleaners, sending 150 boxes to the local food bank just last week. And this year Aera’s management has upped its United Way employee-match program from a 1-to-1 match to a 1-to-1.5 arrangement.

Will community giving be enough to meet the need this year? Time will tell, but history suggests that valley residents will rise to the challenge.

We’re grateful that the Bakersfield City Council had a year relatively free of controversy.

The biggest exception to the comparative calm was the failed attempt to remove Councilman Ken Weir via the recall process. (Recall advocates couldn’t get enough signatures within the prescribed time frame.) We think it’s likely, however, that the recall effort got Weir’s attention in a positive way, because he seems to have started reaching out to his Ward 3 constituents more than before. Weir arrogantly befriended certain developers when he came into office. How he seems — well, perhaps it’s too early to tell.

He’ll have a chance to keep working on his image as he, presumably, runs for reelection.
We’re thankful the city of Bakersfield and the county of Kern showed substantial progress in road construction efforts associated with the TRIP money. Things are well underway, most notably at the Highway 178-Fairfax Road interchange. There’s much more to be done. Signs are hopeful.

We’re thankful county and Bakersfield city government have made positive strides toward shoring up shortfalls in revenues from state sources. And they’re showing signs they’re willing to work together to accomplish it. Hopefully, they’ll do more of the same in the coming year. Too much is at stake to revert to the territorial behavior of the past.

What about you? What are you thankful for?

Charities need a break in these tough times

Wed, 26 Nov 2008 12:07:31 PST

PUBLISHED 11/26/08 -----

If times are tough for average Americans, how tough can they be for those who are in need, even under good circumstances?

As Kern County charities gear up for the holiday season, it’s an unavoidable question.

Rising unemployment and increasing costs for food and housing are driving up demand for emergency meals from charities and food pantries across the United States. In some corners of the country, donations are failing to keep up.

Demand in the Los Angeles area, for example, has risen 41 percent from a year ago.

Last year, before the economy took a steep downturn, some 36.2 million Americans, or 11.1 percent of households, couldn’t find enough food for three reasonably complete meals. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, about a third of those people occasionally went hungry. Since that time, things have gotten worse.

Kern County charities are nervous.

“We filled more orders (last) week than we’ve done in the last year,” said Pam Fiorini, executive director of the Golden Empire Gleaners, a local food bank. “(That pace) is not sustainable. We’ve got to have more food supplies or more cash. Something’s going to have to give.”

It could be worse — much worse. The Gleaners organization is debt free, owns its land and has money in the bank. But fuel prices — even though they’re low now — took a chunk out of the budget they hadn’t counted on. And food supplies, especially fresh produce, are down.

“We’re not going to panic,” Fiorini said. “But the situation has our attention.”
Same thing over at the United Way of Kern County, where director Della Hodson actually sees positive signs amid the concern.

“So far we are actually looking at holding our own better than last year,” said Hodson, whose organization coordinates charitable efforts for a wide array of community nonprofits. “The oil industry and oil related businesses are a significant piece of our campaign, 40 percent or better, and those folks, even with the current drop in price, are doing pretty well.”

Historically speaking, charitable giving has been recession-proof, according to the Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University. Contributions to American charities have increased in 39 of the past 40 years in today’s dollars, and between 69 percent and 72 percent of Americans give as a matter of routine, the center says.

If charitable giving is an accurate barometer of consumer confidence, things in Kern County might not be so bad. United Way pledges, for example, are looking good. But those are just pledges. “We’re just waiting for the other shoe to drop,” Hodson said.

The other shoe will make considerably less noise if Kern County residents step up as they’re able. It’s Thanksgiving; now is the time.

A unique way for government to fight blight

Tue, 25 Nov 2008 10:22:43 PST

PUBLISHED 11/25/08 -----

The foreclosure crisis has created a glut of vacant homes around the country, many of which have become increasingly run-down because of vandalism or general neglect.

Vacant homes, especially in more modest neighborhoods, create problems because they are attractive nuisances. One deserted house identifiable by uncut grass or broken windows can bring down a whole street.

Now some U.S. cities are doing something about the problem — and Bakersfield is among them.

Redevelopment agencies in cities like Lancaster are buying up these homes themselves, renovating them and placing them back on the market. In doing so, they are helping neighborhoods regain their aesthetic balance, stabilizing property values, strengthening the tax rolls and fulfilling their obligations to provide affordable housing.

It’s a wise and appropriate use of redevelopment resources.

Bakersfield has applied for $8.9 million in grant money from a $4 billion fund managed by the Department of Housing and Urban Development. The idea is to buy foreclosed houses, fix them up and sell to low- and moderate-income buyers.

Kern County has applied for an additional $11 million, and the two entities are partnering with the Housing Authority in a $5.1 million program to make refurbished homes available in a lease-to-own arrangement.

The need is great in the Bakersfield metro area, where 5,559 homes have gone into foreclosure in the past 12 months. That’s one in 22 homes. The trend shows no sign of abating, either. Some 2,159 homes, or seven in 10 now on the market, are categorized as “distressed,” meaning they have been foreclosed or they are in the midst of a short sale.

Some of the grant money will go toward a down payment assistance program, said Donna Kunz, director of the city’s Economic and Community Development agency, which will buy up about 60 homes.

The program will also involve an acquisition demolition program. About 25 houses, past the point of saving, will be purchased and knocked down.

“They’re graffitied up, gang hangouts, places for vagrants,” Kunz said. “They don’t even make sense for an investor. We’ll hold the land for a period of time, maybe three to five years, and then sell it.” The city is not permitted under the law to own such property for more than five years, she said.

The local agencies must submit an action plan to HUD by Dec. 1 — same as every other agency in the country that hopes to get in on the program. Kunz expects to see the money by March 1, perhaps earlier, and in the best case scenario, could be offering homes for rent or for sale by July 1.

The county’s community and economic development expects to acquire about 200 homes in areas that have been hit hardest by the foreclosure crisis — about 200, mostly in unincorporated Bakersfield as well as Shafter, California City and other towns. The county will focus primarily on down payment assistance, although there will be some house rehabilitation as well, said Barry Jung, the agency director.

The Housing Authority will leverage its share of the grant money with private loans to make it stretch farther. Agency officials expect to acquire 60 to 100 for their target clientele —people whose income is less than 50 percent of the county’s median income. They’ll be set up with the sort of conventional, fixed-rate financing they’re most lilkely to afford.

“The idea,” said Stephen Pelz of the Housing Authority of the County of Kern, “is to help out the neighborhoods, turn some brown lawns green and get people into houses who might otherwise not have the chance to be homeowners.”

It’s encouraging that HUD is fighting blight, and that local governments are willing to invest in their own communities.

Schools must cash tech check

Tue, 18 Nov 2008 12:09:04 PST

PUBLISHED 11/18/08 ----

It’s a windfall for California public schools: a $250 million grant from Microsoft for new computers, software and training, part of a $1.1-billion class-action lawsuit settlement against the company.

Microsoft allegedly schemed to monopolize parts of the computer industry, and punitive, court-ordered manna for schools — in the form of a voucher program — seemed like an appropriate way to distribute proceeds from the verdict.

But two years later, nearly 80 percent of the money is still in the vault, unclaimed by California schools. Only a few Kern County school districts have started cashing in.
The Panama-Buena Vista Union School District has had more than $519,000 of the pool set aside in its name, but, according to the settlement administrator’s Web site, the money is still sitting there.

Ditto for some of Kern County’s smaller districts: Mojave Unified ($147,837), Buttonwillow ($19,305) and General Shafter ($15,240) haven’t dipped into their share of the settlement money.

It’s important that they take advantage of the settlement, and not just for the most obvious reasons. The state’s schools will eventually receive an even larger payout once a final part of the lawsuit is settled, but state attorneys might not be as motivated to pursue it while the original pot remains so full.

“We’ve spent 70 percent of our ($1.5 million) allotment,” said Paul Helman of the Kern High School District. “We’d like more districts to participate so the state will disperse its second allotment.”

The Bakersfield City School District, the largest K-8 district in the state, has spent all but about $24,000 of its $1.4 million share, which makes it perhaps the most efficient of the large local districts in terms of taking what’s theirs. Among small districts, the prize goes to the Beardsley Elementary School District, which has used all but about $1,000 of its nearly $100,000.

But for many of the other districts, their settlement money is like an unclaimed lottery ticket.

Some school districts may be waiting to see how much more might be coming before they decide how to spend their share. And many are undoubtedly being deliberate about the process. “We’re not going to go out and spend like a bunch of drunken sailors,” says Jim Varley, a spokesman for the Kern County Office of Education, which has claims with settlement administrators pending for about $22,000 of its $121,000 share. “We’re going to go about this very carefully.”

Clearly, the need is huge. Computers at many California schools are broken or outdated, or in need of current software programs. The tech budget is so tight for many, money to make repairs, perform maintenance or purchase upgrades would be nonexistent without this settlement.

It may get worse before it gets better. Schools were already tightening their belts before the state budget went south this year, and the phony solution the Legislature came up with left gaping holes that must still be filled. Educators remain concerned they’ll be hit again.

Local school districts need to make claims before the six-year window closes. At this rate, by the time the next phase of the Microsoft lawsuit is settled, new needs will likely have emerged. Meanwhile, current students will have been cheated out of greater learning opportunities.

Adjust system, not just bosses’ salaries

Tue, 18 Nov 2008 12:07:38 PST

PUBLISHED 11/18/08 ---

A well-intentioned ordinance designed to exclude Kern County supervisors from setting their own salaries has caused an unintended problem that should be fixed.

But the fix the Board of Supervisors considers today is short-sighted and reactive. A more thoughtful, long-term cure is needed.

Responding to public outrage over the increasing salaries of the five elected supervisors, an earlier Board of Supervisors adopted an automatic formula tying their pay somewhat to raises approved for unionized county government workers.

They included in this formula the salaries of five elected department heads — district attorney, auditor-controller, treasurer-tax collector, sheriff and assessor.

Who knows why these department heads were included? They have no control over pay decisions. There is no need to “insulate” them.

Now supervisors are being asked to give District Attorney Ed Jagels and Sheriff Donny Youngblood hefty raises because Youngblood’s pay has fallen behind subordinates’ and Jagels is paid less than the public defender’s. The proposed raises are part of a larger package affecting several other managers.

A boss should be making more than the people he or she supervises. Salaries should be equitable and comparable. But approving pay raises now, when county tax dollars are stretched and hiring is frozen, is wrong.

Before supervisors increase Jagels’ and Youngblood’s salaries, they should ask the County Administrative Office to develop a new pay-setting plan for elected department heads. Keeping the same formula perpetuates the problem and creates a system in which an elected official with political clout can pressure future Boards of Supervisors for future hefty raises.

City must respect its own history

Fri, 14 Nov 2008 10:42:54 PST

PUBLISHED 11/14/08 ----

The preservation of older structures sustains a city’s links to the past. No matter how modest, an older building is the product of the cultural heritage of its region, the technology of its period, the workmanship of its builders, and the vision of its designers.

Old buildings give cities historical authenticity.

Bakersfield has lost many such links, whether through the ravages of time, the trauma of fire and earthquake or, on occasion, neglect. This city has also lost buildings it need not have lost. Bakersfield seems all too willing to lose another.

City officials are gradually moving toward demolition of the old Family Service Laundry building at 830 California Ave., a 1926 creation of noteworthy Bakersfield architect Clarence Cullimore. After the 18,000-square foot Chinese laundry closed, the building had a long run as O.B. Nuzum Tire Service and then, more recently, Carriage Masters, whose owners sold it to the city in 2007.

But now it’s in the way. City officials are trying to pave a path for South Mill Creek, an ambitious and much-needed redevelopment project that will combine a linear public park with retail and entertainment businesses. But they are moving a little too fast — at least where the quaint, unique Family Service Laundry building is concerned.

The state Office of Historic Preservation says city officials must consider the historic significance of the building before moving ahead. M. Wayne Donaldson, a historic preservation officer, told the city in a Nov. 4 letter that his office was not adequately apprised of the building’s possible significance back in 2006. Bakersfield residents, including members of the Bakersfield Historic Preservation Commission, did so in letters this past summer. “I believe their concerns are valid,” Donaldson wrote.

And indeed they are.

Builders of one-story industrial buildings aren’t supposed to care about thought, detail and ornate brick work, but Cullimore did. The building’s Flemish-bond brick is one of only a few in the city with that distinctive look, and the green, porcelain Oriental inlays help tell the story of Bakersfield’s post-World War I Chinese community.

The building’s south-facing exterior would make a fine shell for a restaurant, brew pub or boutique.

It’s a humble but worthy structure that deserves a full and comprehensive analysis. The city should indulge those who respect local history. That group is bigger than some might suspect.

Green jobs can rebuild economy

Wed, 12 Nov 2008 11:16:12 PST

PUBLISHED 11/12/08 -----

California leads the nation in the creation of “green jobs” — employment tied to the emerging fields of alternative fuels and nonfossil energy production. That means California is a leader in environmental stewardship.

It also means the state is making sensible workforce decisions with realistic economic potential.

Energy policies that require cutbacks in greenhouse gas emissions, such as AB 32, the state’s groundbreaking environmental law, will mandate energy-efficiency improvements that could mean 403,000 new jobs earning a cumulative payroll of $48 billion, according to UC-Berkeley researcher David Roland-Holst.

But California’s energy policies won’t merely bring hundreds of thousands of new jobs, Roland-Holst says. They will drive the economy in many unrelated but far-reaching ways, contributing another $76 billion in gross state product over 12 years.

That’s an even more optimistic outlook than the governor’s predictions. The state has said AB 32 could create 60,000 jobs, but Roland-Holst says that model fails to factor in the effect of innovations likely to result in secondary and tertiary jobs.

The difference is in resource reallocation: When people use less energy, they spend less on energy, and therefore have more money to spend on things like consumer products. The outcome: greater economic growth and job creation.

“If you can save money for households on their electricity bills,” the study’s author told the San Jose Mercury-News, “they will spend that money on more customary spending, like espresso drinks and haircuts.”

Alternative energy production is a bandwagon the Central Valley should and has jumped on. The Kern County oil industry has already created a culture attuned to energy production, and the local, burgeoning wind industry has already stoked the appetite for innovation.

The first solar thermal power plant built in California in nearly two decades went online in Kern County earlier last month when a Palo Alto-based solar developer launched a 5-megawatt test facility about 10 miles north of Bakersfield.

Cal State Bakersfield has jumped into the fray with a new commitment to solar energy in the form of panels expected to produce 30 percent of the campus’ needs, and Wasco State Prison is participating in a solar power project targeting six state prison facilities.

Statewide, three decades of emphasis on energy efficiency has already created 1.5 million jobs and $45 billion in payroll. Nationally, the incoming Obama administration seems likely to be supportive of alternative energy innovation.

AB 32, enacted two years ago, requires the state to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions to 1990 levels by 2020. It emphasizes energy efficiency and renewable energy, and includes the establishment of a market to trade pollution credits.

Perhaps most important, it provides a model for the rest of the nation. As California goes, so goes the rest of the U.S. In an era of climate change and overreliance on foreign oil, the state’s leadership is needed more than ever.

Democrats in power must not overreach

Mon, 10 Nov 2008 11:03:06 PST

PUBLISHED 11/10/08 -----

The good news for Democrats is that they will soon control the White House and both houses of Congress.

That’s also the bad news for Democrats — and the hopeful news for conservative Republicans who fear that Democrats, unchecked, could give the U.S. a highly regulated, European-style government.

The U.S. has seen innumerable zigs and zags in economic and social policy over the years, but inevitably the nation returns to a less extreme position, whether it be a move to the left or the right. When newly elected leaders are invested with unusual clout, they invariably overreach and prompt a backlash.

The Obama administration will be wise to recognize this as it brings forth an ambitious agenda. All indications suggest that Democrats are fully aware of the repercussions of trying to do too much too soon.

Speaker Nancy Pelosi promises they won’t give in to party liberals. “The country must be governed from the middle,” she said last week. Congressmen like “blue dog” moderate Rep. Jim Costa, D-Fresno, will have to see to it that Pelosi means what she says.

Republicans like Rep. Kevin McCarthy of Bakersfield are undoubtedly counting on the possibility that those are just words, and that Democrats will overestimate their mandate.

Theirs is not empty optimism. In 1992, Bill Clinton got into trouble with his “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy on gays in the military, and in trying to create a federally managed health care system. Two years later, Republicans swept the House and Clinton spent the next six years accommodating them.

But the Republican revolution didn’t last, either. George W. Bush claimed a mandate in 2000, despite a narrow defeat in the popular vote, the controversy of Florida and Supreme Court intervention, and soon after winning a second term, found his administration similarly bogged down. It was his ineffectiveness and single-minded pursuit of an ultraconservative agenda that put the Democrats where they are now — back in power, almost as if 1994 never happened.

Barack Obama takes office at a time when the nation’s problems are many. We’re not just in the midst of economic meltdown, but in an environment where the gap between rich and poor has never been greater, where too many find health insurance beyond their reach, and U.S. schools continue to lag behind. Democrats will be eager to address those issues forcefully.

In one scenario, Republicans could actually help them. Some in the GOP grumble that the party was heading too far right when it should be angling toward the center in order to increase its national appeal. An analysis of the electoral map might support that: The GOP appears to have become the party of the South and the lower Midwest.

Just the same, Obama will be wise to match the centrist campaign he just conducted with an administration that, if not necessarily centrist, appreciates the need to appease the center. For all of Obama’s successes on Nov. 4, it’s still not clear that this has become a center-left nation.

The past eight years have created a political environment Republicans will be hard-pressed to escape. But Obama, abetted by an overspending, overregulating majority in Congress, could be just the ticket.

Needed: More election staff

Fri, 07 Nov 2008 10:03:30 PST

PUBLISHED 11/07/09 ------

Mail-in votes were supposed to have made a huge difference in this election by streamlining the process for all concerned.

Indeed they have had an impact — positively and negatively. Mail votes have helped increase voter turnout, but processing problems have gummed up the works.

These advance ballots, once known as absentees, were supposed to have allowed county election offices throughout the state to count as many as half the votes prior to Election Day, releasing the results as soon as polling places closed at 8 p.m. Tuesday.

But three days later, more than 30,000 mail ballots are still left to be counted in Kern County, causing the candidates in at least three races to delay to harbor doubts about their success or failure.

Kern County election officials can’t even say whether the mail-in and provisional ballots still waiting to be counted will be relevant in the 30th Assembly District race, where Republican Danny Gilmore holds a significant but not insurmountable 2,419-vote lead.

The greater the number of uncounted ballots from the northwestern portion of the county, which lies in the 30th District, the better for Democrat Fran Florez, who ran very strong in that part of the district. But those uncounted ballots could be from almost anywhere in Kern County.

The Kern High School District and Kern County Superior Court races could also be affected by late ballots.

Voter turnout was admirable — 63 percent at the moment, already one of the highest figures among valley counties, and potentially as high as 76 percent once all the votes are counted. Election officials had hoped for 80 percent, given the ballot’s controversial and highly charged races.

But considering the expectations, shouldn’t elections departments have been better prepared?

The problem is not confined to Kern County. Election experts say between 2.6 million and 3 million ballots remain to be tabulated around the state — mostly absentee ballots that arrived too late to count or were dropped at polling places, or provisional ballots.

Despite the huge collection of uncounted ballots, officials in most California counties have stopped issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples. Proposition 8, which would ban gay marriage, is ahead by about 504,000 votes statewide, but Los Angeles County alone had 619,000 unprocessed ballots left to count at mid-week. The Secretary of State doesn’t plan to certify the vote until Dec. 13.

Given all the advances in voting technology, you’d think we’d have more answers. The lesson of this election: With mail ballots continuing to gain in popularity and the overall electorate apparently having been reenergized, we’ll need more workers. Maybe a lot more.

Historic implications in victory

Thu, 06 Nov 2008 10:50:48 PST

PUBLISHED 11/6/08 ----

The campaign was all about the economy, tax policy, health care and two simultaneous wars, but from the moment it became clear that Barack Obama had been elected this nation’s 44th president, the greater significance of the occasion was obvious.

America would have its first black president, a realization so startling that the possibility seemed outlandish only five years ago. The impact of an Obama presidency was not lost on anyone Tuesday night, least of all those from the nation’s African-American community, the oldest of whom can still remember what it was like to be third-class citizens.

To those who knew the sting of racism and rock-bottom expectations, it was a transformational moment. To those who had drunk from “colored only” drinking fountains and attended “separate but equal” schools, Obama’s election was nothing short of revolutionary. African-Americans had moved from the back of the bus to the seat of power in a scant three generations.

Those tears of joy Tuesday night in Chicago’s Grant Park weren’t merely for Barack Obama’s stunning ascendency. They were in recognition of 300 years of oppression — government-sanctioned, societally reinforced and culturally self-inflicted. They were for patience rewarded, hope validated, constraints finally shredded, against odds that seemed, until very recently, infinitely astronomical.

Obama must govern without regard for the color of his or anyone’s skin, but the impact of his racial identity will and should have profound effects — on white America and especially black America.

African-Americans live in a world disproportionately difficult. They are among the poorest Americans, and among the least educated. They are victims and perpetrators of crime in numbers not commensurate with their population. Their teen pregnancy rates are the nation’s highest.

Among black America’s most perplexing and persistent problems is the absentee father. Of white children born in the United States since 1980, about 50 percent will spend some part of their childhood in a single-parent family. For black children the proportion is about 80 percent. The fallout is devastating.

In Obama, a faithful and involved husband and father, African-Americans have the best possible model, and Obama seems prepared to embrace that role.

“Too many fathers are MIA, too many fathers are AWOL, missing from too many lives and too many homes,” Obama told members of a predominately black church in Chicago last June. “They have abandoned their responsibilities, acting like boys instead of men. And the foundations of our families are weaker because of it.”

Obama has a unique opportunity as president to penetrate some of the institutionalized failures of both black and white Americans — failures that limit our potential as a nation.
For all the positive change Obama might represent, his greatest opportunity for a lasting impact on American society might lie in simply who he is. The election of an African-American president is not historic merely for its own sake, but for the opportunity it represents for this nation to finally address deep-seated problems in a meaningful way.

Oildale deserves brighter future

Thu, 06 Nov 2008 10:49:21 PST

PUBLISHED 11/6/08 -----

Economic times are tough. People are cutting back on expenses. Revenues to support essential government services are stretched. Forget about spending tax dollars on the “frills.”

But this isn’t the time to stop dreaming big about a better future. That’s exactly what promoters of a better and more economically viable Oildale are doing.

With the support of Kern County officials, including 3rd District Supervisor Mike Maggard, a two-day Oildale community visioning workshop will be held Friday evening and Saturday morning.

Some of the topics that will be explored include: the community’s vision for reinvigorating the commercial district along Chester Avenue; revitalization goals; restoration possibilities, such as highlighting Oildale’s history through artistic murals; and enhancing and beautifying the north shore of the Kern River.

This is a vital step in developing an improvement plan for Oildale, a blue-collar unincorporated community north of Bakersfield, where some neighborhoods have fallen into disrepair. Oildale has a proud working class history. It is a much-loved community that deserves our attention.

People who want to help with this project — turning their focus and energy to revitalizing Oildale — are urged to attend the workshop in the Beardsley Junior High School cafeteria, 1001 Roberts Lane, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Friday, and from 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday.

Obama’s victory a mandate for change

Thu, 06 Nov 2008 10:42:27 PST

PUBLISHED 11/5/08 -----

The decisive nature of Barack Obama’s victory over John McCain in Tuesday’s election, while painful for many conservatives, benefits the nation in some important ways.

First and foremost, it gives the Democratic president-elect a clear, unarguable mandate to move forward on the plans and programs Americans have so convincingly endorsed.

A close or contested election might have hindered the victorious candidate, no matter who he was, because it would have cast doubt on whether the weight of the American electorate was adequately supportive. But the depth and breadth of Obama’s victory, reaching into pockets of the country that were solidly Republican four years ago, and built around remarkable voter turnout across the nation, underscores the degree of support he now enjoys to carry out his vision.

Obama’s decisive victory suggests a unanimity among Americans that has not existed for some time — certainly not in the past decade, when this country endured the disappointing last years of a tarnished Bill Clinton presidency, a controversial 2000 election, and eight years of an increasingly unpopular George W. Bush, whose tenure culminates in a devastating economic meltdown. To the extent that a decisive victory for either candidate helps the growing tide of polarization recede just a bit, Obama’s triumph makes us an incrementally healthier nation.

Americans have elected Obama based on his ideas and the freshness of his appeal. But it is impossible to ignore what America’s first black president-elect represents to an African-American population that has long dealt with disproportionate poverty, crime and other social problems. Obama’s image alone — that of responsible, faithful husband and father — can only fortify black families that have long been plagued with absentee parents and teen pregnancy, among other ills.

The convincing nature of Obama’s victory means the stakes are higher for this president-elect than they might have been had the margin been less. The pressure to produce as promised is all that much stronger. Voters have validated Obama’s plans of action, be it in domestic economics, health care, tax policy or dealing with rogue nations. Now he must prove he is up to the challenge, that his ideas are realistic, achievable and affordable.

Most challenging of these issues is the matter of reconciling a daunting national debt with the obligations of two expensive wars conducted in a fragile economic atmosphere. Perception can weigh heavily on domestic economics, and though the thought of Obama’s hand at the rudder seems likely to steady some nerves, it could just as easily shatter others, if his initial approach is not adequately reassuring.

Obama has talked about being president of the whole United States of America, not just of the Democrats. We have heard this goal expressed before from the other side. Bush was going to be a uniter, not a divider. He would not be a builder of nations other than his own. He failed on all counts.

The truth is, given the partisan obligations and pressures that all presidents face, it is exceedingly difficult to truly be acknowledged as president by all Americans. That is perhaps the greatest challenge President Obama will face — rising above the anger, the ideologically based fear and, yes, the racism that may never go away.

Obama’s soaring rhetoric makes us want to believe he can be that president, but we’ve seen it all too often: Presidents who overreach and are then engulfed in the inertia of Washington.

In Obama, we have already seen a remarkably steady leader. In these election results, we see an American public prepared to support him. Honeymoons can be stunningly brief, however, and the challenges are many. Get to work, President-elect Obama, and godspeed.

Congress drags heels on credit card reform

Thu, 30 Oct 2008 10:21:10 PDT

PUBLISHED 10/30/08 -----

President Bush’s advice to Americans after terrorists attacked on Sept. 11, 2001 was to go shopping. And after the failing economy “attacked” last year, the president and Congress approved a “stimulus plan” predicated on the hope Americans would again “go shopping.”

A lot of this shopping is done with plastic. Buy now and pay later with credit cards.
Over four decades, credit card use has grown from a luxury enjoyed by few to a universal “must have” — regardless of a consumer’s ability to pay off the debt. An estimated 50 million Americans now carry balances from month to month, rather than paying off what they owe.

They pay interest rates at previously considered “usury” levels. These rates can spike with little warning. And staggering punitive fees are assessed if payments are even slightly late.

A few years ago, Congress passed and the president signed a bankruptcy reform act that left consumers vulnerable to predatory practices of some credit card companies.
Like the subprime mortgages, credit cards were promoted to people who could ill-afford the debt and who did not understand the terms.

Sen. Chris Dodd, chairman of the Senate Banking Committee, is promising to hold hearings next month on the nation’s mounting credit card debt and the need to restore regulation.

If the subprime mortgage mess sent chills down your back, brace yourself for the growing credit card meltdown. Congress must act quickly.

Valley no-burn days are working

Thu, 30 Oct 2008 10:15:57 PDT

PUBLISHED 10/29/08 ----

Central Valley air-quality officials predict we’ll have three or four times the number of no-burn days this winter as in recent years. That’s a downer, no question.

But it’s a sacrifice worth making, given the valley’s propensity for asthma and other lung and heart ailments. And it’s a necessity, in view of the ever-more-stringent federal guidelines that the air district must keep foremost in mind.

The Bakersfield area had only 12 no-burn days between last Nov. 1 and the end of February, and the most we’ve ever had in one fireplace season is 16. But San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District officials predict we’ll have 43 no-burn days this year — not because of deteriorating conditions, but because the federal Environmental Protection Agency toughened the maximum allowable particulate-matter reading from 65 micrograms per cubic meter to 35 micrograms.

It’s all about bringing the valley into compliance with federal standards by the 2014 deadline. Bakersfield has some of the highest levels of fine particulate matter (PM 2.5) in the state, so we’ve got the most work to do — and the most sacrifices to make.

Valley air officials say they’ll blow the no-burn whistle when the gauge shows 30 micrograms, meaning no fireplace ambiance in southern valley homes for roughly 40 percent of the late fall and early winter.

It could be worse — the Fresno area, which also has dangerously high PM 2.5 levels, is expected to have 48 no-burn days.

We regard valley air officials’ willingness to make these hard decisions — and residents’ willingness to accept them — as good news.

Is there bad news here? Well, there’s the inconvenience of having to pay attention to ever-changing, daily air quality standards — but that, too, actually has an upside.

Monitoring the air on an individual basis, by checking the newspaper or listening to local newscasts, reminds us that we live in a valley that, during the winter, is particularly adept at trapping pollutants.

There’s the annoyance of occasionally staring an an empty hearth or investing in a gas “log” insert, but those are cheap prices to pay for better air. (We suggest taking advantage of the air district’s newly beefed-up 2009 gas-insert installation incentive plan, available Feb. 1 to May 31 — it’s $750, up from $350.)

Residential wood-burning is the largest source of fine particulate pollution in the valley, but the air district has long faced opposition from the public over its proposed restrictions. The fact that the new, tougher rules (which still exempt homes that use wood as the sole source of heat or that have no natural gas service) got relatively little blowback suggests that at least some people have come to accept that individual responsibility plays a role in the problem — and in the solution.

The restrictions are working. Research suggests that no-burn regulations, first adopted in 2003, have prevented about 30 premature deaths a year in Bakersfield.

No adults in sign-snatch spat

Tue, 28 Oct 2008 09:53:32 PDT

PUBLISHED 10/28/08 ------

Ken Mettler takes his campaign signs seriously. Maybe a little too seriously. Crossing a busy intersection and wading through a rival encampment of demonstrators to confiscate a few altered “Yes on 8” yard signs Friday night was just inviting trouble.

Yes, he had good reason to be annoyed that “No on 8” marchers had modified some of those blue- and-yellow “Yes on 8” signs (so that they read “no”) and were waving them at motorists at the corner of Stockdale Highway and California Avenue. But no good was going to come of Mettler’s foray into enemy territory.

Sure enough, amateur video appears to capture the 55-year-old Kern High School District trustee and local “Yes on 8” chairman taking a swing at a “No on 8” activist. Mettler claims self-defense.

It would be one thing if this were Mettler’s first experience with defaced campaign signs. But six years ago, Mettler — then a Rosedale Union School District incumbent running for reelection — was cited for allegedly vandalizing a sign urging voters to reject him and two other candidates for the November 2002 school board election.

Campaign opponents say Mettler covered portions of the campaign sign with white paper, making it look like the sign — which had been placed across the street from the district office — urged voters to vote for Mettler and the others, instead of urging them to vote against them.

Charges were dismissed by Judge Sidney Chapin not because of any evidence that pointed to Mettler’s innocence but because the judge agreed with the defense’s contention that Mettler’s alleged actions did not meet the definition of graffiti as set forth in the relevant penal code section.

So, ironically, in 2002 Mettler was accused of reversing a campaign sign’s intended message, the same sort of act that enraged him to the point of alleged assault in last weekend’s scuffle.

No charges have been filed in the current case. Mettler claims, rather disingenuously, that he was merely crossing the street “to pick up the signs so businesses wouldn’t have to pick them up.” Yes, he was afraid those careless same-sex marriage proponents would litter.

The Prop. 8 campaign has been emotional, and tensions are high. Polling numbers have given the advantage first to one side, then the other, and the battle for the hearts and minds of undecided voter is at a fever pitch.

Defacing “Yes on 8” signs, no matter how they were acquired, was childish. But somebody has to be the adult here. Apparently it’s too much to ask that of Mettler, who’s been down this road before. The other side of the road.

Nobody’s laughing at this stupid joke

Tue, 28 Oct 2008 09:51:21 PDT

PUBLISHED 10/28/08 -----

Yeah, misinforming voters is a real funny joke. Maybe a local talk show genius should wonder: Why aren’t people laughing? He contends only Democrats and stupid people aren’t laughing. Guess again, buddy.

The radio genius announced on his show last week that because of an expected heavy turnout, Republican voters are being asked to cast their ballots on Nov. 4 and Democrats on Nov. 5. The polls are open ONLY on Nov. 4. Gullible first-time voters might be tempted to believe the guy — but he seems to concede he really is not believable.

After the radio genius’ broadcast, the phones at the Kern County Elections Division rang off the hook with calls from angry listeners. County officials asked the radio genius to stop lying.

With the Florida stalemate fiasco of 2000 still fresh in our minds, problem-plagued voting expected in some states, and growing distrust — in both Republican and Democratic camps — of the elections process, we don’t need folks, like our radio genius, intentionally misleading voters.

The radio genius claims no one would have objected to his “joke” if he had urged Republicans to show up on Nov. 5. Guess again. Republicans and Democrats are taking Tuesday’s voter very seriously. No one is laughing.

Safety not traded for dollars

Mon, 27 Oct 2008 09:54:06 PDT

PUBLISHED 10/26/08 ----

After two years of effort and many costly studies, Kern County supervisors last week approved plans to expand the Big West of California refinery.

The contentious route this expansion has followed is testimony that the system works — maybe not always, but certainly in this case. Public concerns can be heard and elected leaders can make decisions that address safety and environmental threats, while promoting economic development.

Now surrounded by homes, businesses, stores and schools, the decades-old refinery on Rosedale Highway once faced closure. The potential loss of the fuel it produced and the jobs it provided sent local, state and federal leaders scurrying for a new owner.

Big West Oil LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Utah-based Flying J Inc., became that new owner. It arrived with big plans to expand — a $700 million project to nearly double the refinery’s gasoline and diesel output.

But Big West’s initial plans called for the use of highly toxic hydrofluoric acid. After a public outcry, the company agreed to use modified hydrofluoric acid. But even that would be deadly if vapors escaped.

Working with independent consultants, county officials developed an alternative that eliminated the use of hydrofluoric acid in the production of gas or diesel. County officials now hope the expansion actually will make the refinery safer.

The existing refinery operation is allowed “by right,” meaning the property is properly zoned and additional county permits are not required. The zoning reflects an earlier day — decades ago — when the refinery was located on the outskirts of town.

But land-use decisions by earlier boards of supervisors allowed urban development to dangerously encroach on the refinery.

Big West’s expansion plans provided county officials an opportunity to revisit the refinery’s operation. New permits were needed, opening the door to require additional safety measures.

Restrictions on the types of chemicals used in the refining process, as well as the installation of monitoring systems are two of these requirements, as are auditing and reporting requirements for leaks and emergencies.

Supervisors were under intense pressure to approve the refinery’s expansion. An extensive advertising campaign promoted community support for the project — stressing the need for the jobs it would bring and other economic benefits.

Big West says the expansion will create 100 new permanent jobs, 700 temporary construction jobs, an additional $1.4 billion in economic annual output, more than 1,000 indirect jobs and new tax revenue for local government coffers.

That’s a lot of incentive to rubber-stamp a project in these tough economic times.

But Kern County officials, including elected members of the Board of Supervisors, remained firm that the expansion would not be at the expense of the community’s safety.
In the end, supervisors approved a project that balanced economic and safety concerns.

Clamp down on registration fraud

Mon, 27 Oct 2008 09:51:54 PDT

PUBLISHED 10/24/08 -----

The McCain campaign continues to raise questions about Barack Obama’s associations with ACORN, the left-leaning voting rights organization plagued by accusations of falsified voter registrations.

To John McCain, ACORN’s problems represent “maybe ... one of the greatest frauds in voter history.”

Which has to be one of the greatest stretches of the campaign.

Yes, the Louisiana-based Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now has had problems with some rogue, low-paid employees (among 13,000 paid registration-gatherers) who’ve turned in phonied-up forms apparently signed by, among others, cartoon characters and pro football players. But ACORN itself alerted state officials about many of the questionable registration forms and fired the cheating employees.

State election officials toss out unverifiable registration forms as a matter of course — so the chances that hundreds of faux Tony Romos or Mickey Mice will tilt the election are nil. That doesn’t mean election officials have nothing better to do than sort through hundreds of bad registrations. But a false registration form is not a false vote — it’s a fraudulent claim for money.

What of claims that Obama worked as an attorney for ACORN? True. He represented the organization in a 1995 lawsuit — on the same side as the Justice Department and the League of Women Voters. And yes, Obama helped train ACORN workers on two occasions in the late 1990s. He also donated campaign funds to an affiliated organization for get-out-the vote efforts.

But suggestions that Obama is somehow tied to ACORN’s recent problems are spurious and devoid of credible evidence.

Falsification by workers who are paid by the signature, though rare, happens on both sides of the political aisle. And sometimes it’s not just an effort to cheat on a day’s work, as seems to have been the case with a few dishonest ACORN workers.

Mark Jacoby, who owns a company the California Republican Party hired to register thousands of voters this year, was recently arrested in Southern California on suspicion of voter registration fraud. Jacoby, who allegedly falsified his own voter registration affidavit, was already a source of controversy at the time of his arrest.

Dozens of voters have claimed they were duped into registering as Republicans by workers from Jacoby’s firm, which is paid $7 to $12 for every Californian it registers for the GOP. In some cases Jacoby’s employees told voters they were signing a petition calling for tougher penalties against child molesters when, in fact, they were unknowingly changing their party affiliation.

Paid signature gatherers falsely characterizing their intentions have turned up in Kern County, as well. In April 2006, backers of a proposed, massive eastern Kern County landfill abandoned efforts to qualify a ballot measure after signature gatherers reportedly told people their landfill would help keep imported sludge out of Kern County. Sludge was a hot-button issue at the time for many local voters, but totally unrelated to the landfill.

The common denominators in these cases? Greed and sloppy oversight. But partisan choreography in the ACORN case, orchestrated by Obama? No.

Until lawmakers — state and federal — clamp down on these paid signature gatherers, fraudulent behavior will continue. Operatives of all political stripes, determined to sign up voters or qualify propositions for the ballot, are unwilling to wean themselves from hiring low-paid signature gatherers, thereby exposing themselves to potential scandal.
ACORN is just the latest nut to fall from this rotten tree.

End ‘fixed system’ with Prop. 11

Thu, 23 Oct 2008 10:28:09 PDT

PUBLISHED 10/23/08 -----

Eighty-five days of stalemate and the best California legislators could produce was a state budget that already is sinking into the red ink of deficit spending.

Enough said. If that hasn’t convinced you Sacramento is BROKEN, nothing will.
And we have only ourselves to blame if we don’t do something about it on Nov. 4.
Proposition 11 isn’t the “big cure” for California’s dysfunctional Legislature. But it is a step in the right direction.

After this summer’s budget stalemate dissolved into a financial mess, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger correctly blamed entrenched Republican and Democratic legislators.
“This is a fixed system,” he told reporters. It is “a system that rewards legislators for rigid partisanship, and a system that punishes legislators for wanting to come in the middle and to go for compromise.”

The system is “fixed” by lawmakers drawing their own district boundaries. Neighborhoods and special interests are grouped together to ensure incumbents will be returned to office and political parties will keep control.

Since the last redistricting was completed, California has had 459 congressional and state legislative elections. Only one incumbent has lost and only one seat has changed parties.

“When you draw seats that all but guarantee one party or the other, then the two political parties are immune to public opinion,” said Allan Hoffenblum, publisher of “California Target Book,” which analyzes state political races.

“The Democrats know that under no circumstances will they lose control, and the Republicans know they will never gain control. That changes the whole philosophy of how they act,” Hoffenblum told The San Diego Union Tribune. “They don’t think, ‘We’d better do something or the voters will get mad at us.’”

Proposition 11 will take the drawing of state legislative boundary lines out of the Legislature’s hands. It creates a 14-member commission comprised of five Republicans, five Democrats and four members of minor parties or people who are not aligned with a political party.

Every 10 years — after completion of a U.S. census — a commission will be convened to draw new boundary lines to adjust for population shifts.
California citizens can apply to serve on the commission. A panel of state auditors will winnow the applicant pool to 60. Legislative leaders will be allowed to remove applicants, then auditors will randomly choose eight. Those eight will choose the other six.

Unlike the present system, where boundary lines are drawn behind closed doors by legislators, public input will be solicited and considered. A draft of the redistricting plan will be open to public comment before adoption.

Some Democrats and some of their allies, including some union groups and minority representatives, oppose Prop. 11. They claim it is a Republican power grab and will disenfranchise minority voters.

But Prop. 11 has widespread support from Gov. Schwarzenegger, and his Democrat predecessor, Gray Davis, as well as from Common Cause, the California Taxpayers Association, AARP, California Chamber of Commerce and the National Federation of Independent Business.

As for concerns that Prop. 11 will disenfranchise minority voters, Tony Quinn, co-editor of “California Target Book,” noted minority politicians made their biggest gains in the 1970s and 1990s after political parties deadlocked and the courts, not the Legislature, drew boundary lines.

Until the Legislature becomes more responsive to Californians — and that means until incumbents and political parties are not assured of re-election — Sacramento will continue along its dysfunctional path.

Vote YES on Prop. 11. It’s a step in the right direction.