[courtesy of California Progress Report]

Democrats and Republicans Should Put Cards on the Table

Blaming the Legislature (Or the Governor) Helps No One

By Frank D. Russo

I am in a curmudgeonly mood this morning as I read charges and countercharges over the state budget. I fear we are going through the movie “Groundhog Day” again on the California state budget—what Governor Schwarzenegger likes to call a Kabuki dance.

There is a real disconnect here. And it’s not the kind that needs a constitutional amendment on spending or other distractions.

Here’s the problem. The Governor is jetting about to all sorts of staged events—he calls some of them townhall meetings—and appears before local Chambers of Commerce and the like. Throw in a few chats with the local newspaper editorial board. Avoid large crowds of ordinary Californians who you can’t control—and by all means don’t show up at community events where parents, teachers, school administrators, and ordinary citizens are talking about school budget cuts.