If you want to look at how the electorate is beginning to respond to the legislatures of this country, look no further than that liberal, caring, green and entitled state of California.  Its governor, who is now seems to be playing the supporting role in a bad “B” movie, was disappointed and finally “hears the voters” anger”. 

And what was the reason that he was finally listening? Californians voted yesterday to reject the package of tax increases and spending limitations supported by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, Democratic state legislators and some but not all public employee unions. They key vote on Proposition 1A (labeled “’rainy day’ budget stabilization fund”) was 66%-34% no.  1B (labeled “education funding & payment plan”) went down 63%-37%. 1C (“lottery modernization”) was rejected 65%-35%. 1D (“children’s services funding”) lost 66%-34%. 1E (“mental health funding”) was beaten 66%-34%. Only 1F, cutting legislators’ salaries when the budget isn’t balanced, passed, by a 74%-26% margin. It carried every county. Of the other propositions 1B was approved in three counties (San Francisco, Santa Clara, and Santa Cruz) and the other lost in all 58 counties.

This fact should be clear to anyone else who might be listening.  We are tired of our irresponsible and partisan legislators spending as if it was their money and making “bets” on their political future with our “chips”.  The people of California have purposely and deliberately made a decision to say no more taxes.  They have sacrificed housing, cars, luxury goods, et al, to make ends meet and they expect their government to do the same.

So what was the response or the “governator”?  He now proposes cutting funding for education, police and firefighters and a call for the release of criminals!  This is exactly what the people don’t want to see cut but like children who have been rebuked by their parents; they decide to break their toys!  Of course, Mr. Schwarzenegger and the legislators would never think to cut funding for EVERYTHING else besides education, police and firefighters and the prison population.  No, this would be too logical, you might overlook some special frog or fish in some river or you could not fund some special interest parade or green project.  Heaven forbid, you might actually have to charge people for healthcare and keep your illegal population from taking advantage of state services before its own citizens do so!

Nonetheless, the people of California have smelled a rat and have reacted rationally.  Their next action, and I would propose people throughout our United States, should be to hold their representatives accountable to rational and considered cuts in spending – just like every other citizen must do in their own household.  When we lose income, we don’t stop trying to keep our homes, put food on the table or ensure our children have an education.  The great American psychologist, Abraham Maslow, speaks to this in Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs where biological and physical needs together with safety needs form the basis of all human necessity.  It would do these California legislators good to read up once again and check out Maslow’s pyramid to figure out what they should be cutting in California.

For the rest of the America, we should begin to pay attention to the discussion and discourse now beginning and fomented by the vote of California’s citizens.  Interestingly, none of those Hollywood types or Beverly Hills beautiful people have stepped up to “help” out with the budget deficit – they would rather believe that the voters were all rubes in taking this decision.  However, it is instructive in that it still demonstrates the power of the people to take decisions and influence their political process.  It also provides a perspective as to how restive voters and TEA Party participants everywhere can begin to reject statist policies and the current administrations tentacles penetrating ever more deeply into our lives.

In closing, the rest of America must be prepared to vote with its voices when, inevitably, Washington suggests that it must “bail out” the state of California because – like AIG, BOA, Citigroup, Chrysler, GM, et al, are simply too big to fail.  Don’t let California’s legislature and Washington’s politics use your tax dollars to further the statist’s cause.  Like any family, the people of California have chosen a path and their elected representatives must now lead, follow or get out of the way!