Let's be clear: we're facing a serious economic crunch, nationally and locally. Conservative ideology and Republican gamesmanship are at the root of our economic woes.
The recent general election showed this country what we're capable of when the people are energized and make their voices heard.
Well, that was just the beginning.
The GOP isn't backing down from their failed policies -- in fact, they're doubling down, the American people be damned. GOP Senators blocked the auto bailout because they wanted union workers to take a huge paycut -- demonstrating their typical backwards thinking about economic issues.
For the party that prides itself on being more patriotic and more American than everyone else, they sure know how to be hypocrites. What is the reasoning behind their demand that union workers must reduce their pay? To make them more in line with the US plants of Japanese carmakers. The problem with that demand is that the Big 3 and Japanese makers have virtually the same wages. It's the benefits that the UAW have fought to keep -- healthcare and pensions -- that make the operating costs so much higher for the Big 3.
So, the irony is that if we offered government paid health insurance and decent pensions through Social Security, we'd ease the burden on the big employers.
But the end result of the collapse of the US auto industry is clear: more foreign car companies will set up shop.
I guess the GOP is fine with seeing millions of American jobs go up in smoke because they see this as the working of the free market system. And I guess they're happy with the idea that the free market will now dictate our economy to becoming dependent upon foreign companies.
All of this leads me to my point about what we as citizens must do. We must start a grassroots campaign to pressure our Democratic senators -- both our US Senators and our state Senators -- to protect the middle class.
Just waiting for Obama to take office isn't going to magically solve anything.
Right now there's a budget crisis in California, as in other states, that will result in many state workers not getting paid come March. According to SF Chronicle:
California is bleeding so much money that without a sweeping fix, the state's budget deficit will reach an unprecedented $40 billion in the next 18 months, a huge gap that many officials agree can't be bridged without increasing tax revenue.
But Republican state lawmakers, whose votes are needed for the Legislature to reach the two-thirds majority vote required to approve a budget or taxes, are steadfastly opposed to raising taxes as a way to solve the state's deepening fiscal mess.
Yet despite their resolve that taxes will not be raised, GOP representatives have no idea themselves of what they want to do about it:
Republican lawmakers have yet to offer a comprehensive plan of their own, prompting the governor to single them out last week for being vague about what they want and coming to negotiations unprepared.
So what do we do? We've got to take away their power by changing the rules on how to pass a budget. A simple majority, instead of a two-thirds vote, would mean that Democrats could control the terms of the budget solution.
Schwarzenegger's finance director, Mike Genest, told reporters Thursday that without a quick budget fix, the state's cash balance could be nearly $5 billion in the red by March.
That could mean paying state workers with IOUs, along with vendors doing business with the state and even taxpayers awaiting tax refunds.
"Once the public sees what's going on, it's not going to be pleasant," Gerston said.
If enough voters believe the budget impasse is the result of Republicans' unwillingness to compromise on taxes, Democrats could place a measure on the ballot to change the budget vote requirement from two-thirds to a simple majority, Gerston said.
Please join me. Get on your phones and on your email and make it clear to our state legislators that we demand a solution.
If the failure of the auto bailout proves anything, it's that we can't count on our Democratic representatives to fight. We've got to do the fighting and make action happen. Our state representatives need to know that we're paying attention, that we're outraged, and we want a solution to our budget crisis that protects necessary services.
If you're a Californian, you can start here:
California State Legislature
Put in your zip code and find out who your State Senator is and who your Assembly Member is. Contact both of them, by email and phone.
Another good place to get information on the budget crisis and Democratic state representatives' efforts to solve it are here:
California State Budget Crisis
Don't let Republican ideologues call the shots anymore. Their ideas have destroyed our economy, and we've got to take away their power.
How many of you will join me?
I will keep a counter here: