A recent Sacramento Bee article makes it clear who runs the state of California -- and it's not the governor, the Legislature or the citizens.
It's the lobbyists.
They outnumber legislators by an 8-1 margin. In the past two years they spent $533 million to influence legislation. And it works.
Take the Chamber of Commerce.
"In 2008 alone, 29 of the 39 "job killers" identified by the chamber died in the Legislature. Schwarzenegger vetoed nine of the remaining 10 that made it to his desk."
The Chamber is not alone. Other big spenders are gaming tribes, unions, oil companies and pharmaceuticals.
So much for all that eight-grade civics stuff.
The real insult is, how much bang-for-the-buck the lobbyists get.
They kick in a few million and get billions in return.
Now we know why the financial sector backed the Democrats this time around; to insure that there would be plenty of money printed and no accountability for their crimes.
History has repeatedly provided lessons that 'change' is desperately needed in election/campaign-finance rules...if only "we the people" had a lobby.
I feel as chagrined, disappointment, mad and whatever emotion are evoked by our legislators, beginning with the governor.
But not until We the People demand integrity, ethical legislating from the elected officials will anything change. In city council hearings I have seen lobbying by the consultants for many years. It was up to the Council, as well as the Planning Commission to go with the paid applicants, or with the affected citizenry whose aims seldom coincided with the "consultants." I have seen elected officials as well as appointed officials resign because of their colleagues' pandering to the special interests. Family or professional priorities were good reasons to get the hell out of there ...hahaha!
God Bless the California Chamber for stopping those bills. We business people sit here and see the antics the anti-business party tries to pull on business and we support the Chamber's efforts.
California is already has one of the worst business climates in the country. If only half those bills had passed, it would be even worse.