Home | Notes
Contributors
Archives | Search
Links | About

..........
Julia Gorin
The America Show
Episode 4
Jesus and Mordy
Watch Video Now
..........

Conservatives Are From Mars, Liberals Are From San Francisco
by Burt Prelutsky
.........

America Alone
by Mark Steyn
..........

..........

The CRO Store
..........

..........

This is a call to action in California.  For too long, we have been told to “vote our pocketbooks.”  That sort of selfishness has left us with a selfish government.  We can no longer vote “our pocketbook,” we must vote for our children’s political freedom.

For those who may wonder what they can do to vote for freedom, it is simple.  We need to vote for smaller government, less taxes, property rights, and candidates who support these principles.

That’s it, and that has to become a moral imperative for those of us who believe in these principles.

Bonds grow government.  Taxes grow government.  Property rights shrink government, and shrink government taxes.

That is why the Governor’s opposition to Proposition 90 makes absolutely no sense.

Now, don’t get me wrong.  I like Governor Schwarzenegger, and he is the better candidate by far.  Even when I was criticizing him for growing state government too much, I still wanted him to be re-elected.  The alternative would be disastrous.  That desire, however, doesn’t mean that I abandon all common sense.

In his statement opposing Proposition 90, the Governor said that he believed “independent analysts” who said that Proposition 90 would lead to “higher taxes,” and that is why he is opposing the initiative.  Of course in reality, his bonds are more likely to lead to higher taxes than Proposition 90, but even assuming that were not so, when have those in “government” been worried about increasing taxes?  The independent analysts the Governor cited have openly and consistently advocated for greater taxes for welfare and other government programs.  It appears that the only time they apparently worry about increased taxes is when the government is going to have to pay out money if it intrudes on individual freedom.

More important, the independent analysts are not all that independent.  They work for government, and ignored the evidence brought to them that Proposition 90 will not cost any more money.  Unfortunately, for these “independent analysts,” they sacrificed their independence to achieve a political goal, that is, the defeat of Proposition 90.

Even if the initiative would cost more money, the cost would be justifiable, since the major role of government is to protect our personal security and our individual freedom.  Having said that, however, I don’t believe Proposition 90 will increase government costs one penny.  What it will do is change the government’s behavior.  Right now, government can trample on an individual’s property rights with impunity.  Proposition 90 will hold those government officials accountable if they do so.  That is fair and proper.  To complain that a government agency may have to pay if that agency abuses a landowner is akin to arguing that it is unfair to require someone to pay for an accident they caused.  It is nonsensical.

I don’t expect our elected officials to understand the nuances of protecting freedom, but it is fair to expect them to do all they can to protect individual freedom, not government prerogative.  Unfortunately, the Governor chose government over the individual when choosing to oppose Proposition 90.  The Sacramento establishment opposed 90, and the Governor chose not to fight that establishment. 

We, however, can fight that establishment.  We can choose freedom.  We can choose property rights.  We can choose to limit the power of government and to limit government prerogative when it interferes with our individual freedom.  We can do that when we vote.  Many Americans have fought and died to protect our freedom.  We can honor their sacrifice and their legacy by choosing to exercise our vote to promote and protect freedom.  Voting for freedom is not that great a sacrifice, but it can make all the difference in the world for the future we are creating for our children. CRO

Mr. Haynes is a California Assemblyman repesenting Riverside and Temecula and frequent contributor to CaliforniaRepublic.org.

§