By Jim Miller
Last week Eddie Kurtz of the Courage Campaign published a provocative column in the Sacramento Bee in the wake of Governor Brown’s triumphant release of the upcoming budget for the state. Rather than praising Brown and the state Democrats for being a model for the nation, as many in Democratic circles have been doing, Kurtz took the opportunity to raise the bar of our expectations as he pointed out that:
California is a deep blue state, but too often Democrats are more interested in appeasing corporate lobbyists and the Chamber of Commerce than fighting for families. Of course, the problem goes far beyond California. In Washington, D.C., many Democrats are often just as beholden to corporate power as their Republican counterparts. In fact, without an assist from Democrats in Congress, Republicans could not have gutted a key provision of the 2010 financial reform bill and handed the big banks a horrifying holiday present.
It should be noted that one of the lousy Democrats in question here is San Diego’s own Scott Peters whose vote, for this appalling bipartisan budget at the federal level did too much to hurt the poor to outline here. But, I digress as Kurtz’s main focus is on the Democrats in state office.
The Courage Campaign has been critical of Brown arguing that while he has done a “heroic job” of bringing the state back from the budget cliff, “much to our dismay, his proposed budget has prioritized savings for a rainy-day, even though the economic storm that began in 2008 is still raging on families across the state. California continues to have the highest poverty rate in the nation and this budget fails to prioritize the nearly nine million Californians struggling to make ends meet everyday.”
Kurtz goes on to observe that despite California’s liberal reputation, it is far from immune to the same plutocratic interests that are holding sway across much of the rest of the country. More specifically, he notes that, “the California Legislature doesn’t even have a progressive caucus. In this famously liberal state, is there no leader willing to cut through the doublespeak and explain the poor choices our politicians are making, often selling out the lower and middle classes for corporate benefit?”
And he’s right. Counter to California’s left-leaning reputation, the Brown administration is not progressive to the bone and “the current ‘California comeback’ is deeply inadequate.” As I have noted here, Brown is a fence sitter, straddling the divide between the progressive and business wings of the party. And the business wing of the Democratic Party has been greatly strengthened by our new primary system as many corporate interests have astutely decided that in deep blue California it’s easier to buy a Democrat than win with a Republican.
In addition to this emerging landscape, Brown is notoriously stingy with regard to the budget and while fans of fiscal discipline and austerity are happy with this, many who work for social justice in the state are frequently not. Simply put, Brown can be bold one moment and shortsighted the next, and his idiosyncratic rule has done little to address our state’s deeply entrenched poverty and/or address long-term educational or infrastructural needs.
California has no Elizabeth Warren or anybody even close to having what it takes to raise the bar. Time for somebody to step up.
Let me put it this way, California Democrats have been good at doing a lot of very small things for working folks and rolling them out like it’s the next incarnation of the New Deal. Good public relations perhaps, but not heroic policy or even close to enough to start to address our historic level of economic inequality. And the more we let that fester, the more the historic base of the Democratic Party erodes and perhaps some day, will fail to show up for them even here on the left coast.
Take the issue of revenue. With Proposition 30, Brown was able to stop the bleeding in California, but not enough to restore what had been lost after over a decade of cuts to all levels of education and social services—and it was temporary. So one of the big looming questions for the Democrats that they don’t want to address is whether they should extend Proposition 30 or look to a split roll on Proposition 13 that would leave individual home owners alone while reassessing the rates for commercial property owners and bring in billions of dollars of revenue to help fund the future and perhaps more adequately address the needs of working Californians.
Something like that, in addition to an oil severance tax, might really put California in the position to lead again in the way that the Governor likes to talk about. Without such action, he’ll leave a legacy of new debt and more budget cuts for those who follow him.
But to take that one on would require real political courage and standing up to the corporate interests that will fight any such efforts tooth and nail. So far, no one in super liberal California seems willing to lead that fight or any of the other big issues like how to move away from the prison industrial complex or guide a truly game-changing climate policy against the powerful interests that will oppose it.
Kurtz is right. California has no Elizabeth Warren or anybody even close to having what it takes to raise the bar. Time for somebody to step up.
Jim Miller
Hey Jim, as you take a cheap shot at Scott Peters when not even related to the story you are trying to convey, you short-memoried the recent fact that had Scott Peters not beaten that slug DeMaio, we in San Diego would really be embarrassed by the congressman from that district (not elected, thank goodness) on all levels and I am thankful that Peters did as best he could in a bipartisan manner pass a budget since the congress on both levels now is dominated by the right wing of the Republicans (and the House was and still is out of whack by Republicans and not an easy row to hoe for Democrats) . I am still ever thankful for all the Democrats that do get elected that represent my views on most topics and Scott Peters is one of them. Why not continue to do your best to educate the readership about the ills of the Republicans and their misdirected sanctimonious self-righteous leanings on most subjects and quit doing their heavy lifting by bashing people who are our on my side and my only hope of representation on local, state and federal levels.
As an adjunct comment, we in California have plenty of Democrats with character and compassion like Elizabeth Warren that is found in those like Nancy Pelosi, Barbara Boxer, Gavin Newsome, Jerry Brown, and lots of other hard working Democrats on all levels that daily strive to both maintain and create further progress in the always difficult world of politics in our progressive state.
Scott Peters is a perfect example of a Democrat we should criticize. The only understanding his campaign for reelection produced was that he was not his opponent. Would Peters favor campaign contribution limits, a restoration of one person one vote (in place of Citizens United), protection of Social Security and IRS staff funding, a return to banking law that forbids retail banks from investing depositors’ in hedge funds and derivatives? None of those issues seemed to be part of his campaign. Instead, he resorted to platitudes about bipartisanship at a time when Republicans were willing to shut down government and, for all we know, establish that the business of the federal government is war and police work. We all deserve to know better who this man is, and what he really believes.
I see the same blather here as when WE looked like complete idiots when supporting Alvarez instead of someone who could have won for mayor and been sympathetic (however much is always debatable) to our causes or at least have a seat at the table, and serves no purpose other than to make the authors feel good on some level and feed the opposition by seeing our division in print and continue to do business as usual whilst the Dems (as a group) revel in the squalor of defeated efforts and non participation in the fruits. I am never suggesting capitulation of either ideals or morals but reality must prevail somewhere along the process or we too shall continue to shrink both in importance and stature. Reality must play a major part in our thinking processes or we shall never be rewarded. Peters is not the perfect ideal candidate (as JFK, RFK, and other idealists both in reality and perception don’t exist anymore) but he won, beat Carl/Brian and carries our banner whether we always agree with him or not. The alternative, with either Carl, his predecessor Bilbray, or others (like Issa, Hunter, etc.) is unacceptable to me and we need to concentrate on keeping those scoundrels out of office and away from our and our children’s dreams. I am a lifelong Democrat struggling to breathe fresh air and it seems we can’t get out of our own way most of the time. A friend in office will always trump the alternative and we should be thankful that we have Peters instead of that alternative and endeavor to encourage him to loftier heights instead of blanket disparaging of his character, positions, and dedication to super progressive latitudes,etc. There is worth and worthiness in being electable and doing what is necessary to persevere in the political climate that exists today.
Scott Peters (as well as Susan Davis and Juan Vargas) couldn’t care less about Barrio Logan as shown in their opposition to the Barrio Logan community plan and Props B&C. And I don’t give two fucks about any of them in return.
You are still focused on one small area of San Diego to the exclusion of all others and that is what got us in the present Mayoral predicament today. Fletcher would have been a much more attuned candidate against Faulconer and we might have made progress in the Barrio too instead of begging at every turn as is now the case since Alvarez couldn’t carry the entire city. I am for advocating for ones personal viewpoints but disparaging the few “friends” that we have is counterproductive to say the least and will ultimately achieve nothing (where we find ourselves now). I am not sure how Peters and Davis can intervene in local politics and make changes on the local level effecting Barrio Logan. But you seem to have disdain for them that should be leveled at Issa, Hunter, and all other self-righteous congresspersons from our area and beyond. Where is Vargas in your defense or lack of it for San Diego?
In case you didn’t notice that is my focus. Alvarez didn’t lose because he was a bad candidate. He lost because chump ass democrats didn’t get off their asses and vote. Which I directly blame on the local Democratic Party for not doing the hard work in a special election (or pretty much any recent election with Busby in charge).
Those few “friends” you write of aren’t friends to Barrio Logan. Peters, Davis and that sellout Vargas all came out against Barrio Logan and in favor of the toxic maritime industry and the lies they spewed regarding the community plan. Those are not friends. Those are enemies of this community. They placed corporate greed over the interest of the residents of San Diego’s most polluted community. Their stands on this issue was the same as Issa and Hunter. Screw the lot of them.
In my opinion, as one of seven editors at SDFP, is that we are not here to tow the Democratic Party line and support their candidates just because they are Dems. We are here to push them farther to the left and hold them accountable for their actions and votes. Peters recent votes are unconscionable and he needs to be called out for them.
This is sheer baloney, in warehouse quantities. Address the issues, don’t resort to high moral invocations and then immediately argue for compromise. Are you for undoing Citizens United, or do you think that “reality must prevail.” Why do you call criticism of Peters’ actual votes with the Republicans a “disparaging of his character?” You do it because it puts off any real dialogue over the issues. You want progressives to get in line and act nice. You’re in the wrong place.
We did refrain from criticizing Peters while the campaign was on. Now we’d like to talk about Democrats doing better than saying “I’m not as bad as the Republicans”.
If the SD Free Press can’t criticize Rep. Peters from the left, who can?
Or perhaps that’s your point.
WHO?? The damn Reublicans, that’s who, and they do a mighty fine job without our help! Constructive criticism is always welcome but just a smear campaign or innuendo without the required backup support foisted upon one of our own is ultra- counterproductive. My point is aimed to project some cohesiveness in our party and not fall to the old adage of: “I don’t belong to an organized political party, I am a democrat”. Sound familiar? Let’s try to learn from our missteps and move in a positive direction now and in the future. If WE remain in the minority outside California we are destined to keep swimming upstream and the current is getting stronger. I dream of someday again having a Democratic majority in congress and the White House and getting things actually accomplished that will benefit all of us (and that doesn’t always work either). If we could just avoid ONE MORE war it would be worth any and all efforts. The bottom line is that if one can’t get elected or reelected where are we then?
Here the vote that Kurtz and the Daily Kos take to task. Text from the link to Daily Kos: “On their second day in session, the House voted on a bill designed to weaken the most important protections of Dodd-Frank.
Fortunately, the bill didn’t meet the necessary two-thirds vote threshold but 35 Democrats voted with Republicans and almost allowed the bill to pass.
Dodd-Frank was passed in an attempt to prevent another 2008 financial crisis by lowering risk in various parts of the U.S. financial system. Since it’s passage, Republicans and Democrats in league with Wall St. have done their best to eliminate its most important protections—and leave the U.S. vulnerable to another economic crisis.
Votes like this are calculated moves on the part of centrist Democrats to please donors and distance themselves from the Democratic Party. This isn’t the first offense for many of these bad actors and we’ll likely see more votes like this over the next two years.
Every time a Democrat abandons the Party to shill for corporations at the expense of their constituents, we must let them know we are watching and won’t forget when it comes time for re-election.
P.S. Here are the 35 House Democrats: Brad Ashford (NE-02), Ami Bera (CA-07), Don Beyer (VA-08), Sanford Bishop (GA-02), Julia Brownley (CA-26), Cheri Bustos (IL-17), John Carney (DE-AL), Gerry Connolly (VA-11), Henry Cuellar (TX-28), John Delaney (MD-06), Suzan DelBene (WA-01), Elizabeth Esty (CT-05), Bill Foster (IL-11), John Garamendi (CA-03), Gwen Graham (FL-02), Jim Himes (CT-04), Hank Johnson (GA-04), Derek Kilmer (WA-06), Ron Kind (WI-03), Rick Larsen (WA-02), Dan Lipinski (IL-03), David Loebsack (IA-02), Sean Maloney (NY-18), Patrick Murphy (FL-18), Scott Peters (CA-52), Collin Peterson (MN-07), Jared Polis (CO-02), Mike Quigley (IL-05), Raul Ruiz (CA-36), Bobby Rush (IL-01), Kurt Schrader (OR-05), David Scott (GA-13), Terri Sewell (AL-07), Kyrsten Sinema (AZ-09), Albio Sires (NJ-08).”
As Doug has noted multiple times before in his columns, Peters has also joined Republicans in anti-Obamacare votes. If you follow the other link, you’ll find that Peters has voted for budgets that harm the homeless, affordable housing efforts, and hurt working families in other ways. Pointing to votes as Kurtz and the Daily Kos do is not slander or innuendo, it is citing fact. DeMaio, by the way, would have voted in exactly the same way.
The point is not that DeMaio is preferable to Peters but that Peters too frequently votes with the Republicans on big important matters. The core argument of this column is that the Democrats can and should do better in CA. If you like the status quo as it is with regard to economic inequality and our states shameful rate of poverty, great. Some people think we need to do a lot better and actually address the issue. If the only standard we have for elected leaders is that at least they aren’t as bad as the other guys, then the quality of our discourse and politics suffers. Our fundamental difference is that I think the system as it exists is in a lot worse shape than you clearly do. The American right is about as far right as it has been, yes, but the Democratic party is subject to many of the same influences as well. That’s reality. And it has real negative consequences as well. We ignore this at our peril.
The above is actually me (I share the same computer with me lovely wife).
I do have to smile at your last one. I don’t want or mean to attack Kelly, only to spare with you when I feel the passion. I try not to disparage anyone personally, only philosophically (although some in office here and elsewhere do deserve a slap from time to time). With that said, getting elected in Peters district is different than Susan Davis or Nancy Pelosi, etc. Practicality necessitates compromise, and, joining with the devil on occasion to remain viable. My point is NOT that I agree with his or others votes on some items but that we are better off with favorable numbers in congress to discuss and lobby on our behalf rather than an outright surrender to those from the RED states that have nothing but disdain for us and our way of living/thinking. I am thankful and honored to live in California where freedom is paramount in all arenas and seek to maintain and increase that position and strive to continue to spread the good news nationally and world wide (no religious connotation intended). I see the rest of the world looking to California to be a beacon unto the world where our light shines on through the fog as a compelling positive standard both admired and desired everywhere as to how people ought to be treated and how treat others. Yes there are mistakes made from time to time, but in the long run we are miles ahead of the rest of the plodders.
You missed the “from the left” part. If we don’t push they won’t move.
I too am for pushing (as there is plenty from the right at every turn including abortion rights, sexual orientation discrimination, voter suppression, budget shenanigans, religious sanctimony and bigotry, etc.) but the effort must remain north of negative to be effective when addressing the Democratic contingency from San Diego. I know they get plenty of heat from their colleagues in the Democratic caucus in DC and every vote is calculated as to local contingent appeasement and “big picture” goals. If we had a hundred Gavin Newsomes and Nancy Pelosis we’d be fine but that isn’t reality.