The results of Tuesday
’s elections leave us a bit befuddled. Why, for instance, did
Prop. 57 pass, while Measure B failed? We’re having a difficult
time understanding why Santa Clara County voters gave $15 billion
to Sacramento politicians who’ve already shown they can’t be
trusted to spend responsibly. More than
63 percent of Santa Clara County voters approved the mammoth
bond to bail out spending-addicted Sacramento politicians.
The results of Tuesday’s elections leave us a bit befuddled. Why, for instance, did Prop. 57 pass, while Measure B failed?
We’re having a difficult time understanding why Santa Clara County voters gave $15 billion to Sacramento politicians who’ve already shown they can’t be trusted to spend responsibly. More than 63 percent of Santa Clara County voters approved the mammoth bond to bail out spending-addicted Sacramento politicians.
But many of those same voters – those in communities with a Santa Clara County library – denied the efficiently run, award-winning local libraries a renewal of a parcel tax to fund operations with a modest increase in line with cost-of-living hikes over the last decade. Fewer than 61 percent of voters approved the parcel tax, but it needed two-thirds approval for passage.
We’ll leave divining the thought processes of voters to those with psychology degrees, tea leaves or crystal balls – they’re certainly beyond our understanding.
We urge Sacramento politicians to thank their lucky star – movie icon Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger – for selling Californians on the bond plan and then get to the business of seriously cutting state spending. At the cost of billions of dollars of interest that our children will be repaying, they’ve been given a little more time to turn red ink black. The fact that voters have passed the bond doesn’t mean state politicians can continue to spend as usual.
Sacramento needs to quickly come up with a budget plan that sharply cuts state spending without grabbing revenue streams that rightly belong to local agencies, schools and cities.
Unfortunately, passing any budget at all will continue to be troublesome and partisan, since Prop. 56 failed. Budgets currently need a two-third’s majority to pass, which the proposition would have lowered to 55 percent. Prop. 56 also would have held up legislators’ paychecks until the budget was passed and forced them to work together until they reached agreement.
Gavilan Community College deserves a pat on the back for passing its bond measure despite the freight train of state bonds that threatened to derail it. The lower 55 percent approval threshold clearly was the savior for this bond that will help our community college system to continue to serve the needs of South Valley and San Benito County students for decades to come.
Finally, a word about turnout, which was abysmal. In Santa Clara County, fewer than 30 percent of registered voters bothered to cast their ballots. We had a presidential primary, important local measures and the financial future of the state at stake, but not even one-third of the county’s registered voters went to the polls.
Informed voters are the heart and soul of an effective democracy. Without an engaged, active electorate, we might as well hand the keys to every state house, every legislative body, even the White House to lobbyists. Without voters to keep a close eye on politicians, they’re available to whoever will write the biggest check.
If you’re not registered to vote, do so now in order to cast a ballot in the November general election. It’s easy. Here’s how:
Registration can be handled on line at www.sccvote.gov/, by calling the Santa Clara County Registrar of Voters at 299-8683. Registration forms also are available at public libraries and City Hall.
Voter apathy is the true mystery, and has far more dire consequences than the passage or failure of billions of dollars in state bonds.
