is this California’s future?

SDarchitect on June 16, 2009 at 11:38 AM

You’re kidding, right? This is California’s past.

From National Review, February 1996: a serviceable synopsis of what happened in 1994 when Republican lawmakers earned majority status in the California State Assembly, which had been in the vise-grip of former Speaker of the Assembly, Democratic power broker, and future San Francisco mayor Willie Brown:

For a tutorial in [Willie] Brown’s manipulative skills, consider how he was able to prolong his czardom even after the November 1994 elections gave Republicans a one-vote majority in the 80-member Assembly. The man whom Bill Clinton has called “the real slick Willie” began by illegally removing Republican Dick Mountjoy from the Assembly. (Mountjoy had been elected to the State Senate but hadn’t yet assumed that office, so he was still legally entitled to sit in the lower house and vote in the speakership election when Brown had him ousted.)

Next, under Brown’s choreography, Republican Paul Horcher, who has long worn his opportunism on his sleeve, cast the deciding vote to give Brown’s speakership a reprieve. Several months later, when angry voters in Horcher’s district recalled him, Brown surrendered his post — but not his power — to another faithless Republican, Doris Allen. Democrats made her speaker, but Willie stood behind the throne.

She, too, soon found herself the target of an eventually successful recall, and a third wayward Republican, Brian Setencich, was recruited to join hands with the Democrats, who gratefully made him speaker.

just a week before the legislature is due to go home for the summer

Gee, I wish I were a politician. It’s just like being a kid forever, complete with summer vacation. Some of us poor stiffs have to work year-round with (if lucky) a couple weeks, at most, of vacation time.

If the Dems are unable to do that, the new Republican remains in place.

This is what liberal New Yorkers voted for. Hope they are enjoying their debacle.

Oh… I thought you meant like Adirondacks “up there” :(

Upstater85 on June 16, 2009 at 11:11 AM

That’s where I am. And hubby works at 110 State St. only when he must. ;)

A Lt. Gov. appointment is a f***ing valuable thing.

Nothing is more dangerous than legislators with a clear majority.

Maybe Obama can bulldoze 40% of New York, that ought to reduce the amount of senators required in the state house and fix the problem.

Spiritk9 on June 16, 2009 at 1:00 PM

Outstanding idea. In fact, they’ll need new bulldozers so we can put some of those Caterpillar employees back to work in Peoria.

You get what you pay for and who you voted for.

Vote for a half-white half-wit who cannot string together four words without the benefit of Western technology, that is what you get in the White House.

A deadlocked legislature sounds pretty good to me. They cannot do much damage when they are locked in debate. An efficient legislature is the definition of tyranny, not an inefficient one.

iconoclast on June 16, 2009 at 12:39 PM

I agree; the less legislation the better.

A soon to be inmate of the NYS correctional system. Hiram Monserrate.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fbM9EP2G0LM

[Chorus]
I get money, money is got (I I get it)
I get money, money is got (I I get it)
I get money, money is got (Yeah)
Money I got, money is got (I run New York!)

Upstater85 on June 16, 2009 at 11:11 AM

sorry to disappoint ya…Wish I wasn’t from this area if that makes you feel better.