In January, the Governor issued a challenge to the Legislature’s Democrats – change how you do business, or I will change it for you. The Democrats yawned. They were sure that Schwarzenegger would cave. The Democrats had been in charge before he got there, and they would be in charge long after he was gone.

But a funny thing happened, Schwarzenegger didn’t cave. How could that be, they asked, he knows we are in charge. Schwarzenegger said tough, change is necessary. He said he would qualify initiatives, call a special election, and get the people to bring about change. The Democrats didn’t believe he would dare do such a thing.

To insure his failure, the Democrats got their union boss buddies to start picketing Schwarzenegger, who laughed at their endeavors. I actually attended a meeting where he said “You think a couple of union goons with picket signs is going to change me, you have got to be kidding. We are going to change this town.” He ran out his initiatives and got them qualified.

The Democrats were shocked. He was supposed to give up. He wasn’t supposed to qualify those initiatives. He wasn’t supposed to call the special elections. They were outraged at his defiance toward their self-ordained authority.

So they went to their union boss buddies again, and had those unions run commercials on television. They were certain this would back him off, give up, and cancel the special election.

He didn’t. He called their bluff. They called him to negotiate. They indicated if he would allow them to change term limits, they would consider giving him a small portion of what he wanted. They said he could declare victory, but things would stay the same. He said no. He wanted real change.

They continued the attacks. Despite plummeting polls, the Governor didn’t flinch. Now, he is fighting back. This week he began his response.

His reform agenda is simple–control the public employee unions that control Sacramento, make sure spending matches revenue, make sure teachers teach, and make sure that the legislature actually responds to the people that elect them, and not to the special interests in Sacramento.

Proposition 74 reforms the tenure system, the system that gives bad teachers a lifetime job, before we can figure out that they are bad teachers. Proposition 74 says–let’s give teachers tenure after 5 years (instead of the current two), so school districts can figure out if they are bad before they give them a lifetime job.

Proposition 75 says union bosses cannot force state and local workers to pay them money for political causes the bosses like, but the workers don’t. Today, every state and local government employee is forced to pay the union boss money, just like the Communist party members in the old Soviet Union, as a condition of having a government job. As an example, the California Teachers Union has already assessed its membership additional dues sufficient to raise $50 million to fight these initiatives, whether the member agrees or disagrees is irrelevant. Proposition 75 says no – the union boss has to get the employee’s written agreement before he or she can spend their dues on some liberal cause. That only makes sense. It is the employee’s money, and forcing them to pay for something they don’t like is just plain wrong.

Proposition 76 says the state cannot spend more than it takes in. Well, duh, as my daughter would say. It also says that the Governor can cut any program if the money doesn’t come in. That is smart.

Finally, Proposition 77 says judges not politicians, will draw legislative districts. Politicians like to draw districts that guarantee themselves jobs and power. The idea is that judges will be a little bit more fair–since their job won’t be at stake. It may not be perfect, but it is better than the current system.

One thing we know, the current system doesn’t work. Reform is needed now. The Governor’s ideas make sense. They are at least worth a try.

Assemblyman Haynes’ office can be reached at
(951) 699-1113 in Temecula, California
or in the Capitol in Sacramento at (916) 319-2066