UPDATE: by Brian, I changed the title of this thread based on Christine's comment.
This email, originally from Christine Pelosi, was forwarded to me yesterday.
From: Christine Pelosi
Dear Everyone,
It's Veterans Day and here we are with the freedom to debate the future of our democracy thanks to the sacrifice of our service members. Thanks to all of them past and present.
On the issue of Prop 93, I have been reading the posts with great interest (and respect). FWIW, here are my thoughts:
We CA Democrats rightly opposed the term limits initiative - it was anti-progressive, pro-privatization - and in part it worked. It entrenched top-level insiders and lobbyists, and made incumbents more reliant on these entrenched interests to learn their way around the Capitol and get things done. We can't change this "imbalance of power" in our state government unless we remove artificial term limits and promote competitive election and ethics reform.
ARTIFICIAL TERM LIMITS break the pipeline of new people coming forth to serve and remove the people from the decision - if I want my legislator to serve 2 or 20 years that should be my choice as a voter.
COMPETITIVE ELECTIONS require a strategy to run candidates across CA so that even people in deeply red or blue communities debate both sides of complex CA issues such as jobs, education, water and land use or immigration that we send legislators to Sacramento to address. That builds consensus - a 60% solution not a 51% position.
ETHICS REFORM is crucial to restoring open government from the anti-progressive pro-privatization forces. Even if 93 passes we still have those entrenched interests giving money through campaigns, nonprofits, charities and other venues - and ordinary people just can't compete. I am a reasonably competent follower of state government and yet I can't inventory all the ways I'd have to give money or counter the money someone else gave in order to be heard on an issue - and I shouldn't have to learn. That's not the democracy the veterans in my family or your families have been fighting for.
Our pro-93 legislators have ethics reform ideas sitting in committees right now - let's hear how they will do their jobs better before we give them job extensions.
All the best (and warm wishes to all the veterans and military families for Veterans Day),
Christine Pelosi
Author, Campaign Boot Camp:
Basic Training for Future Leaders
Visit me online at www.PelosiBootCamp.com
OR text "bootcamp" (one word) to "35328"
