As we prepare to embark on the 2006 legislative year, some commentators and elected officials are calling on the partisans in Sacramento to bury the hatchet after the divisive and costly special election we have endured.
I don't think so. Rather than burying the hatchet, we should mount it on the wall, as a vivid reminder of the bloodshed we'd all like to avoid in the coming year.
In the months past, we heard the powerful judgment of the voters, who made it unmistakably clear that they do not accept the characterization of teachers, nurses, police officers and firefighters as greedy special interests. And like those voters, we will resist any attempt to balance California's budget by eviscerating the civil servants and first responders who are crucial components of our social fabric.
But we also heard what Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger had to say throughout the year. We agree that California suffers from debilitating partisan gridlock, and we are willing to do our part to forge consensus on the critical issues facing our citizens. As long as we can uphold the central values we stand for – including justice, equity and opportunity – we will meet the governor half way on any issue.
We are firmly committed to this idea: principled compromise is not capitulation. Even in an election year, when rational voices will be harder to hear, we pledge to place the interests of all Californians above the interests of politics. And we expect that the governor will do the same.
The issues are clear. And public education is No. 1. Unless we make adequate investments in education, we risk becoming the first generation of Californians to leave our children worse off than we were. To do so would be unconscionable.
We're delighted to hear that the governor's proposed budget – as we had advocated – now will include about $129 million more than he had originally planned for the University of California and California State University, thereby avoid another round of fee increases for college students and their families.
Gov. Schwarzenegger's flexibility on this issue demonstrates a shared commitment to a common goal: an affordable college education for every California high school graduate who elects to pursue higher learning.
Our commitment to the welfare of average Californians also compels us to ensure that people must not be made to choose between refilling their prescriptions or putting food on the table. Despite last year's rejection of competing ballot initiatives and vetoes of legislation, we have a unique opportunity to find common ground on ensuring that seniors can afford the medicines they need to stay healthy.
We also must redouble our effort to make sure every child gets the health care he or she needs. We will again put legislation on the governor's desk to provide coverage to more than 1 million California children.
And although we opposed the misguided redistricting proposal on the November 2005 ballot, that does not mean we oppose reforming how political boundaries are established. We fully believe in an independent, bipartisan commission that will draw boundaries after the 2010 census. While that may not be soon enough for some, as a long-term reform of California politics, it would be historic.
Moreover, a permanent repair of the system for crafting districts ought to be accompanied by campaign-finance reform that will further help level the playing field and inject healthy competition where it is lacking today.
Everyone should understand that 2006 will be a contentious political year. That's how democracy works. But even in an election year, we believe principled compromise on critical issues is both necessary and possible.
Californians are sick and tired of what looks to them like a sick and tired government – including the governor and the Legislature. We must inject a healthy dose of civility and comity into our work so that we can restore the public's confidence in their elected leaders. To do any less is to abdicate our responsibility to the people of California.
NÚñez is speaker of the California Assembly.
