Recall not just about Davis
The Aug. 11 editorial claiming the recall election in California
focuses attention away from the real issues makes some interesting
observations but misses the real point.
This recall is not about Gov. Gray Davis as much as it is about
the failure of the politicians in Sacramento to lead. Leaders
don’t create state budgets with $38 billion deficits in three
years. The same can be said of the politicians in Washington D.C.
It is not about Republicans v. Democrats, liberals v. conservatives
or any other ideologies ““ although that’s what the
focus will be on. It is about holding politicians accountable to
the people who pay their salaries. It is about the failure of
politicians to be fiscally responsible. It is about their betrayal
of the public trust.
Recall is a tool available to Californians when enough of them
become fed up with the mind numbing tommyrot coming out of
Sacramento. No, recalling Davis will not miraculously solve
the $38 billion problem. No, it won’t put an end to
politics over substance, mudslinging over principled debate,
or taxation in spite of representation. But maybe, just
maybe, it will put someone in the statehouse who cares more about
California, more about the people of California, than about the
special interests or his/her own political future. Maybe it
will send a loud and clear message to the politicians that
we’re mad and we aren’t going to take this
anymore.Â
Maybe. The question is, will anyone be listening?
Rob Mellen Jr. UCLA Class of 1992