It’s direct democracy that’s the problem

Posted on October 7, 2003 by Gene

I’ve written about this before, but this morning I was miffed again, so…
I’m a believer in our system of government. But it’s a republic, not a democracy. The evidence of why this works better is all over California.
The direct democracy in California is one of the reasons for that state’s woes, especially it’s budget problems. The recall effort, started and bankrolled by a fiercely partisan Republican, sought to point the finger at Governor Gray Davis; when in fact, the blame belongs with the voters and the drafters of hundreds of ridiculous propositions and ballot initiatives.
The Governor of California has less and less power to fix budget problems, because the voters pass restrictive measures dictating where budget money must go. And amazingly enough, on a day when they are voting to remove a governor under the pretense that he can’t fix the budget mess, there is ANOTHER initiative on the ballot to direct how budget money must be spent!
This is what leads to gridlock – every voter having ultimate control of every dollar. Without the power to make necessary decisions, the governor is simply a figurehead who gets the blame for the mistakes the voters themselves make.

I really hope the people of California stop and think of how they’ve abused their direct democracy. And their governor. And if they end up with Governor Schwarzenegger, it’ll be just what they deserve.