Contributor

John Campbell

John Campbell (R-Irvine) is an Assemblyman representing the 70th District in Orange County. Mr. Campbell is the Vice-Chairman of the Assembly Budget Committee. He is the only CPA in the California State legislature and recently received a national award as Freshman Republican Legislator of the Year. He represents the cities of Newport Beach, Laguna Beach, Irvine, Costa Mesa, Tustin, Aliso Viejo, Laguna Woods and Lake Forest. He can be reached through his Assembly website and through the website for his California Senate campaign.

All Eyes on California
The recall is a sign of our recovery...
[John Campbell] 8/9/03

You can't turn on any television station or any talk or news radio program this week and not hear about California politics. The recall is like a great shadow blocking all light coming from anywhere else. It is historic. It is fascinating. It is a bit bizarre.

Arnold is in, Simon is in. McClintock is in. Bustamante and Garamendi are in. Issa and Feinstein are out. And the twists and turns will continue until the deadline for candidates to file for the election on Saturday. And then they will continue in a different form for the next 60 days. Legal battles are still being waged although they are unlikely to change the election now in place.

Taking aside the issue of who might win the recall, what does all of this mean for California? It means the current Governor will likely continue to sign every ridiculous anti-freedom and anti-enterprise bill put in front of him through at least October 7th. So, our economic climate will get worse before it gets better. It means news channels and newspapers will have no end of material for the next 60 days and beyond. It means some will harp on this as more signs that California is a crazy place.

But on the other hand, this is the beginning of a populist revolution in California. This is the start of people rising up against an unaccountable and incompetent government. It is a sign that just when you think the system is broken, it actually starts to work. Those same people who say we are crazy will see so much about California that they will be able to name our Lieutenant Governor when they probably cannot name their own. I would rather be dynamic than boring.

We are not crazy, we are passionate. The people of this state have never been afraid to find and create our own road. And we are doing it again. It may be bumpy, but it will be an interesting ride. And when its all over, rather than sitting back, I think it will be the start of California coming back.