As California Goes, So Goes ...
When John Phillips wrote about "California Dreaming" with the Mamas & the Papas, he was talking about opportunities in the Golden State. Chris Cornell wrote "I'm looking California, but feeling Minnesota" in Soundgarden's "Outshined." For all its natural beauty, trend-setting culture, and hold on the imagination, California today has found itself in punch-line status. The state is currently down in the dumps, but there's a movement to turn things around. If this effort delivers, California could set the trend for American democracy in the 21st century.
Jim Wunderman, Steven Hill & Krist Novoselic (Photo: James Manniello)
I was born in California and lived there until I was 14. At 20 I returned as a roadie for the Melvins, driving an old VW van painted with zebra stripes. I've lost count of how many times I've traveled up and down the West Coast on I-5. I'm connected with Los Angeles and San Francisco through many friends, family members, and associates in the entertainment industry.
I even live near the Pacific Ocean on Washington's coast. Last week I followed the shore flying south to Sunnyvale, California in the heart of Silicon Valley. I attended a forum called Re-Booting California. The event was about a state constitutional convention. It was held on the campus of a big technology company, so it was no surprise to hear analogies about re-booting, California version 2.0, and how a new state constitution could be like a killer app. While these are the buzzwords of the area, underneath is an ethic of innovative problem solving rooted in sophisticated thinking.
The problems with the state are well known, and among the disarray, an idea arose. Jim Wunderman wrote an editorial last August for the San Francisco Chronicle in which he proposed a state constitutional convention. The article garnered a massive response. (I've already written a column about reforming California's constitution, and the efforts in California.)
Wunderman is president of the Bay Area Council, an association with a mission that "mobilizes business leadership on the key issues that affect the business climate and quality of life in the region."
I hear that! I stayed in San Jose the night before the forum. The last time I was there was in 1990, when Nirvana played with Tad in this little club next door to a sex shop. The city was kind of dumpy. When I stayed there last week, downtown was built up and rather cosmopolitan. You could see how technology-industry money has been good to the city.
It's simple--things are broken in California, and that's bad for business. The Council's member roster is an A-list of San Francisco Bay Area companies. And Wunderman is emerging as the face of the effort. He drew in the three hundred people attending with calm passion and reason. At forums across California, people are listening to his call for change.
I remember the swell of interest around Proposition 13 in 1978 - a property-tax ballot measure that captured the imagination of Californians. And it had a face too--Howard Jarvis. This tax revolt made him a huge celebrity, riding a wave of populism as a fist-shaking crank who hammered the state and politicians with glee. Voters ate it up by passing this historic change to property taxes.
Prop. 13 took away local control over property taxes and put it in the hands of Sacramento. And worse, it penalized first-time home buyers like young families. They'll pay property taxes at the value of their new home, while the person next door, who's lived there for years, only pays on the value at the time of their purchase. The cost of public services has risen, and it's young families who must bear the cost by paying way more than their neighbors.
Jarvis died in 1986, and it's been 30 years since it passed, but Prop. 13 is still enshrined in the imagination of Californians. Even though it's unfair and takes away local control, the ballot measure stands to this day as a check mechanism over politicians. There's a cautionary tale here: If voters see a constitutional convention as a way to give lawmakers free reign, the effort is doomed.
But there can't only be an individual face on this effort. We're going to need to see faces, and that's the whole point of this. Wunderman and others leading the call for a convention are considering ways to bring Californians together. The idea is to randomly select voters, like a jury, from each state assembly district. Something very similar has been done in Canada in what's called a citizens assembly.
The convention will succeed when Californians see the effort as one of regular people--not politicians--coming together to move the state forward. There are so many possibilities not only for re-booting the state--potential reform should reconnect citizens with their local governments and representatives in Sacramento. There were many ideas presented at the forum. Some spoke of a unicameral legislature and proportional voting; others reforming the tax system towards equity/local control; and cleaning up the state spending requirements within the literally hundreds of amendments to the state constitution.
Many details were discussed at the forum regarding how this could be done. Speakers invoked the drafting of the United States Constitution: Despite the imperfections of the process, it yielded an enduring framework for our nation.
The California Constitutional Convention idea is currently in the capable hands of the state's leading policy groups. If it happens, the citizens participating in the convention will then take the lead. Finally, California voters themselves will give recommendations: a thumbs-up or -down.
Things can't get much worse with Golden State public affairs. As California picks itself up, it could set the trend for change beyond its borders. Remember that classic saying, "As goes California, so goes the nation." If their constitutional convention succeeds, in time we all could be "feeling California" in our own states.
21 comment(s)
Jesse says:
do you think legalizing the Endo would help like so many people believe? Or will it open a can of worms?
Posted On: Tuesday, Aug. 4 2009 @ 10:40AM
krk nordenstrom says:
that club in San Jose had to be the Cactus Club
Posted On: Tuesday, Aug. 4 2009 @ 2:27PM
Nick says:
I know this is off topic, but would kind of like to hear your opinion on this issue of the Kurt memorial in Aberdeen that has the f word in it and how this seems to be being blown out of proportion.
Posted On: Tuesday, Aug. 4 2009 @ 2:29PM
Jeffrey says:
California politics are nothing to look up to. Everyone who studies the constitution(or even knows a little about it) knows that the intent of the founding fathers was to put the people in controll of what is good or bad for the country(while following constitutional law). Proposition 13 puts Sacramento in controll of property that should be local. Therefore; bigger government has in tern superceded smaller government. Yes, you say this puts polititions in check, but is the cost worth it? My best guess is that the Anti-Federalists of the 1770's-1780's, would be opposed to this plan.
Posted On: Tuesday, Aug. 4 2009 @ 3:35PM
Mike says:
Krist, you should make youtube videos!
Posted On: Tuesday, Aug. 4 2009 @ 3:37PM
Noel says:
This is a link to a viewpoint piece on tax revolt as relating to gay marriage that I wrote. It was published about two or so weeks ago. Hope the link works....
http://www.windycitymediagroup.com/gay/lesbian/news/ARTICLE.php?AID=21805
Noel
Posted On: Wednesday, Aug. 5 2009 @ 10:56AM
bocain says:
you are still nirvana. flipper was good, etc. i've been listening to incesticide and bleach ALOT. i'm learning guitar. I started with Foo Fighter songs ( early foo) Now for like 5 months, i've really been into learning nirvana, even songs from NVRMND & InUtErO. man he wrote good MUSIC. thanks
Posted On: Wednesday, Aug. 5 2009 @ 6:05PM
Bill Walker says:
For those who may be interested you can read the 750 applications from all 50 states for an Article V Convention. The Constitution requires a convention call by Congress if 34 states apply for the call. The applications can be read at www.foavc.org.
Posted On: Thursday, Aug. 6 2009 @ 7:20AM
Odin Green says:
Krist,
Why are you doing this to us? If California is so great why don't you go back and stay there? Why didn't Uptight Californianite answer my question about Starbucks the way he was supposed to. I did not say "Starbuckses" and he never said why the logo was brown at Pike Place Market and green all over the world. Also why didn't you mention that you lived in Aberdeen when your family and you moved up here and you hung out with your good time friend Kurt Jeff Hanby Cobain? Krist please do not talk about California again. The great state of Washington does not want to hear about those idiots!
Posted On: Friday, Aug. 7 2009 @ 10:18AM
Krist Novoselic says:
Odin,
I'm doing this to you because I know what's best.
With Love,
Your Papa - Krist
Posted On: Friday, Aug. 7 2009 @ 11:13AM
Joseph Hayden says:
I believe you know what may be the best ! A lot has changed since Jello sang about Jerry Brown being our president . Keep up the good work and thanks from CA .
Joe (mamma) Hayden
Posted On: Friday, Aug. 7 2009 @ 4:42PM
Edward Allen says:
The saying is "as goes General Motors so goes the country" and as we know it's gone. For Cali what has to be done, as well as across the country, is deport the parasitic illegal alien. This is the true reason Cali. is banktrupt. Why do you bleeding heart commies continue to act as automatons programmed to hate America's righteous intent; that being independence and freedom? Either your the enemy or worse under the spell of socialism i.e. the elitist that think they can rule the world. LOL. Long Live the REpublic!!!
Posted On: Friday, Aug. 7 2009 @ 5:22PM
Joseph Hayden says:
Wow I just checked Edward Allen's site and it all makes sense now ! Hope you get a ton of hits !!
Joe
Posted On: Friday, Aug. 7 2009 @ 6:48PM
Keith says:
Power to the people...our founding fathers would smile on this...
Posted On: Saturday, Aug. 8 2009 @ 6:00AM
Matthew O'Brien says:
The California State Constitutional Convention sounds like a great idea. Our generation, Krist, (I'm pushing 40) has been politically neutered, yet I think it is us who are most enthusiastic about technology and culture. Why can't we utilize this enthusiasm to fix what's wrong. The old political way just doesn't work anymore (CA is $10 Billion in debt?), and it's going to take a fresh look at the whole mess before any good change can come.
I applaud your work in the field, Krist. Why aren't you running for Mayor of Seattle?
Posted On: Saturday, Aug. 8 2009 @ 4:47PM
Igor, the Pantless Prophet says:
Krist,
According to The Holy Book of Dale, if Howard Jarvis was the ANTI-ACCOUNTANT, then California should be falling into Pacific - due to over watering - in about 2012.
Initially, there will be an significant decrease in population due to drowning by sea and bong water. But Darwinian principles will prevail and the strongest swimmers will survive.
Property values will plummet as most will be literally upside down in their homes.
Public schools will undergo a dramatic change. The study of math and language will be taken over by courses in snorkeling and practical floating.
A decentralization of state government will become necessity since most couriers will be eaten by sharks and things.
It will become a fish eat fish state.
-Ig
i remember your guys California trip, left me the CAB pretty much to myself..
Posted On: Monday, Aug. 10 2009 @ 5:47PM
Bobby Robert Roberts says:
rock on
Posted On: Monday, Aug. 10 2009 @ 5:59PM
Andy says:
I luv nirvana. Are thre any more rare releaes comeing out?
Posted On: Monday, Aug. 10 2009 @ 6:22PM
Heidi says:
Krist I have a question but how will California pick itself up when they decided to spend so much money on a public and overly extravagant funeral for Michael Jackson.....didn't that put California deeper in the hole already previously dug?
Posted On: Tuesday, Aug. 11 2009 @ 10:45AM
Elize says:
Thanks for caring :D
I'm not even American but I've been living in California long enough to care and worry about the economy.
The thing is, Kris, unlike some people think, the illegal aliens are bad but they're not the ones bringing the economy down.
People here seem to take a while to realize there is a crisis going on. I have come to see families living in denial... they think saving up in pennies is not gonna help their budgets, and end up having obnoxious expenses... and they only open their eyes to what's going on when they see they're stuff being taken away from their homes.
I guess the main issue to reboot Cali is to reboot some of these people's minds...
greetings from the (not so) sunny state :)
Posted On: Monday, Aug. 17 2009 @ 12:21AM
Chris says:
I'm 18 and been living in Southern California all my life. Now I am going to attend the University of California, Santa Barbara where the tuition has rose all the way to over $9000. I cannot believe that the state would cut $3 billion to higher education where California is the home of well-known, highly ranked universities such as UCLA, UCSD, UCI, UCSB, and Bekerely.
There are many problem with California and these are a few that I believe are the largest:
1) The polarization of politics the state. Northern California is known to be extremely liberal (Pelosi is from San Francisco) where Southern California tends to be more conservatives (three of our Californian presidents were Republicans from Southern California). This polarization is not allowing the state to pass any helpful legislation.
2) Prop 13 and citizens mentality: Prop 13 as you mentioned early makes it extremely difficult to raise taxes, but the voters mentality is also hurting the state. The people in California enjoy many government programs and the idea of big government, but hate the costs. We like clean air, welfare, etc, but we don't like our taxes getting raised (that's why Prop 13 even passed). I remember during the November election when the state announced they are close in having zero funds in the state department, California voters voted for a new multi-billion dollar train project that links San Francisco to San Diego.
3) The legal system: You touched on to it. Although California can be lighter on some legal issues such as cannabis and gay marriage (although Prop 8 passed, so I dunno about that) compared to the rest of the nation, it still has some ridiculous laws and ideas that are costing the state a lot of money. For example the three strike rule (where if an individual commits three felons ranging from stealing over $250 to drug possession, he or she gets life imprisonment) and the statutory rape laws (in California, for example, a boy who just turns 18 has sex with his girlfriend of just a day younger can land the boy in jail) is costing Californians billions. The state spends an average of $100,000 per prisoner per year while they spend $5000 per student per year on education.
4)California State regulations: California has one of the highest standards of regulations especially environmental. California spends a high amount of money keeping its high environmental standards and forces businesses to obey them. Many businesses have already fled the state. Again in the November election, Californians passed Prop 2 Prevention of Farm Cruelty Act which famously required chicken cages to be large enough to turn over in. California's largest industry (agriculture) is not going to buy larger cages for chickens, they're going to go instead go down to Mexico where there are little health and safety regulations (let alone animal cruelty). Many farm industries have left the state as of the passed year.
I hope this gives you more on a view point on CA's issues.
P.S. Krist I'm a huge Nirvana fan. Thank you for all the great music, especially In Utero. You should come down to UCSB and speak. Mainly about politics and voting of course, but you can throw in some rock and roll also.
Posted On: Monday, Aug. 31 2009 @ 12:02AM