Comments on: Millennial Study Reax

By: Polimom

Polimom — Wed, 20 May 2009 15:54:54 +0000

Pete, I agree that there's a major disconnect between the state government and the citizens in California. But (ignoring the 'spit in your eyes dangit' populist pay freeze that passed) the individual measures that failed yesterday all seem to have been efforts to temporarily sustain the spending/services behemoth.

To me, that said "we ain't gonna pay". What's not clear to me is whether the voters understand the corresponding "we don't get the services". Maybe they do (that seems to be how the conservatives are interpreting things). We shall see...

One way or another, though, they're in a world of hurt out there, and it's definitely of their own making.

By: Pete Abel

Pete Abel — Wed, 20 May 2009 15:26:59 +0000

PM -- California is an interesting case. Despite its turmoil, the state's erstwhile Governor still can't get public approval on version 6,000 of his proposed budget-fixing solutions. Reference: http://www.abcnews.go.com/Politics/story?id=763.... In the end, I fear that says more about the sometimes dysfunctional nature of democracy than it does about Schwarzenegger, i.e., even faced with bankruptcy, neither voters nor their elected represenatives are capable of the tough choices needed to fix things. And yes, today, I'm even more skeptical/cynical than usual.

By: Polimom

Polimom — Wed, 20 May 2009 14:30:55 +0000

"I’m just curious as how views will change when people actually have to pay for it."

Commenter "Duder" really doesn't have to wait very long to see how this will play out. Just have a peek inside the California petri dish.

By: Pete Abel

Pete Abel — Wed, 20 May 2009 13:12:31 +0000

Thanks, CS. Yes, I still have a foot in the conservative camp. And I'm not going anywhere. Unfortunately, as long as the de facto leaders of today's “conservative movement” apply a litmus test (of sorts) to membership, I won't be openly accepted by them as a conservative, not with my “heretical” views on foreign policy (ref. Colin Powell) and social issues (ref. Andrew Sullivan).

By: CStanley

CStanley — Wed, 20 May 2009 12:15:52 +0000

Apparently freedom isn't in style anymore. It's a shame that this generation doesn't seem to have a clue about why so many in other generations have fought and died for it.

I assume that their views have been formed this way because they didn't experience the failings of previous liberal administrations, but they've lived through some lousy conservative ones so they default to what sounds better with its promises of a 'government that works for the people.'

Pete- this is why we need you back on the 'dark side' Even though your views are much less conservative than mine, you still come at things from the perspective of rational skepticism of how large a role government should play in our lives and you know that there's no such thing as a free lunch no matter how much the politicians make it seem that way.