California needs to change its name.
The full name, as evidenced on the flag, is California Republic. A republic is a state where the supreme power rests in all the citizens entitled to vote for representatives, and this power is then exercised by those representatives. In other words, you vote for your representatives (who should have experience, knowledge and wisdom) and they then make policy in your name.
Right now, every election there is a never-ending stream of so-called Ballot Initiatives: resolutions that are given an up-or-down vote in a direct referendum by the voters. When this many issues are being decided by direct votes, you no longer have a republic. You're bypassing the very idea of a republic. Heck, even the current gropenator is constantly threatening (and already has) to bypass the "legislators in sakramento" and "go to the people of kalifornia."
There's nothing wrong with initiatives, referendums, etc per se -- but it can get out of hand, there can be to many, and bad policy can be created by either poor initiative writing or downright misleading the public as to what the initiative will really do. With so few actually voting, how many are actually taking the time to know the initiatives inside and out, and thus able to make informed decisions?
Whatever the case may be, if this keeps up, it is time for a name change.
Posted by kannik at March 31, 2004 11:39 AM in Daily, Philosophising | TrackBack