Re: question on constitutional changes

[Jim Devine <jdevine03@xxxxxxxxx>]

On 4/10/07, Peter Hollings <phollings@xxxxxxx> wrote:
> Interesting, Jim. It appears that the California experience might
> invalidate the effectiveness of Gravel's popular initiative approach.
> But, how is it that the power structure can effect the results? Is it
> thru media control? Whatever the mechanism used by the power structure,
> might disabling that not be a strategic first target of the initiative
> system?

the power structure can definitely affect the results via the media,
but the example of Prop. 13 (1978) suggests that populist anti-media
efforts can be disastrous. After all, the Big Media did not like Prop.
13, while Howard Jarvis and his followers did not like the Big Media.

I think that the problems were more structural: I read this "tax
revolt" as a right-wing revolt in response to the failures of
capitalism.

Back in the 1970s, the big problem for most people was stagflation
(which I see as caused by the fall in the profit rate after the
1960s). Incomes were falling behind inflation for a lot of people.
More specifically, inflation was encouraging the prices of houses to
rise steeply, which meant a larger property _tax obligation_. (The
state government could have been a bit more moderate here.) The fall
of incomes relative to tax obligation for home-owners meant that a lot
were threatened with the possibility of having to sell their homes,
just to avoid taxes that they couldn't afford. Others simply found
that they were being squeezed by taxes. All of this encouraged the
revolt of the largely white, largely suburban, middle-class
home-owners. Demagogues such as Howard Jarvis joined the revolt and
turned it into a bigger movement, which imposed some other silly
initiatives on the state government.

> (PS: A note on Gravel: It was he that publicized the Pentagon Papers by
> reading them into the Congressional Record.  Unfortunately, it's little
> noticed that he's running in the 2008 campaign.)

because he's not a front-runner, he's doesn't get media attention (or
campaign contributions). Because he doesn't get media attention or
campaign contributions, he's not a front-runner. He's currently stuck
in a vicious circle.


--
Jim Devine /  "Segui il tuo corso, e lascia dir le genti." (Go your
own way and let people talk.) -- Karl, paraphrasing Dante.