Voters direct rage at their leaders and recall itself

Voters direct rage at their leaders and recall itself

Mark Simon, Chronicle Political Writer Sunday, October 5, 2003

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The Golden State - once a symbol of optimism and opportunity for the rest of the nation - has become a very angry place. Californians are angry at each other and at the people who are supposed to be running things.

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The sustaining factor of the recall has been anger, said more than 40 Californians interviewed during the past week by The Chronicle. They were talked to in their homes, their businesses, on their streets and in their parks.

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"I am angry that one rich, smug politician can spend his millions to force us all into a foolish recall election," said David Fleishhacker, 66, of San Francisco, retired head of a private school.
"I am angry that another rich, smug would-be politician can use his media clout to possibly become governor. I am angry that our elected politicians continue to use negative campaigning and awarding of special favors to divide the electorate. I am angry that our state Legislature, as responsible as the governor for the fiscal mess in the state, has gerrymandered its own voting districts so that it cannot be held accountable.

"I am voting against the recall because it is a terrible way to conduct representative government. On the other hand, at the next regular election, I intend to vote against every incumbent and encourage others to do the same. Our legislators should be experienced and competent, but they have, for too long, used their experience and talent to no purpose but to be re-elected. The governor has spent most of his energy to the same purpose. It's now all about elections, never about government. It's all about gaining power and never about using it for public benefit. It's all about taxing and spending instead of providing services. It's all about spinning facts.

"And, yes, the media is as responsible as anyone for failing to report stories in depth and concentrating on trivia, scandal, headlines, rumor and anything which can grab the voters' immediate attention instead of providing a coherent picture of the world around us."



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Chronicle staff writers Alan Gathright, Christian Berthelsen, John Wildermuth, Zachary Coile, Rachel Gordon, Peter Fimrite, Pamela J. Podger, Mark Martin and Charles Goodyear contributed to this report. / E-mail Mark Simon at msimon@sfchronicle.com.


This article goes on and on with similar comments, it is a great indication of the pulse and mood of CA.


http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2003/10/05/MN262894.DTL

Really decent seeing a few remarks from more thoughtful people. Thanks for posting it.

I particularly like the statement of the media being faulty in its coverage. It takes a lot of character to admit you are wrong, kudos to the SF Chronicle.

(snip) "I believe this recall should not be happening," said Cathy Dalton, 49, an Oakland marketing consultant and a Democrat. "The fact that it has says, yes, there is a lot of dissatisfaction among Californians with a lot of things. I don't think the recall is going to solve them, nor could it possibly.

"The recall is being held to solve the wrong problem. I believe people need to be more personally involved on an ongoing basis, educate themselves and not allow themselves to be carried along by whatever the news headlines are," Dalton said. (snip/...)

This is an unnatural event. It was created and developed by the Republicans trying to grab control of the state, no other way to see it. It's not a natural result of events flowing at their own level, at their own speed. It was surely contrived.

Should NOT be successfully handed to some cynical, single-minded Republican fascists.

So succinct and accurate. How often does that happen?

Thanks for sharing.

I read it this morning and I now understand why otherwise sane people are voting for the recall. My favorite comments were that folks bring this on themselves by not paying attention to politics until election day.

one reason dean is doing so well.

I e-mailed Mr. Simon a copy of this:
http://www.gregpalast.com/detail.cfm?artid=283&row=0

...It turns out that Schwarzenegger knowingly joined the hush-hush encounter as part of a campaign to sabotage a Davis-Bustamante plan to make Enron and other power pirates then ravaging California pay back the $9 billion in illicit profits they carried off.

...One month after Cruz brings suit, Enron's Lay calls an emergency secret meeting in L.A. of his political buck-buddies, including Arnold.

...the Bush commissioners cook up a terrific scheme:  charge the companies with conspiracy but offer them, behind closed doors, deals in which they have to pay only two cents on each dollar they filched.

Problem:  the slap-on-the-wrist refunds won't sail if the Governor of California won't play along.  Solution:  Re-call the Governor... 

An important little paragraph ALL the candidates should heed.

The bottom line is that people feel, whether it's a Democrat or a Republican, that (elected officials) are more interested in gaining power and far less interested in what people are worried about.

He can install a new Cabinet and make about 1,400 discretionary
appointments at the start of his term.