◼ You know what they say about conventional wisdom. Right or wrong, conventional wisdom, like cement, hardens quickly. Once molded into public opinion, it takes a lot of chipping away to break that mold. - Tom Del Beccaro at Fox&Hounds
The conventional wisdom, largely wrong, among Californians was that Republicans in state government were obstructionists. The Party who wouldn’t compromise. The Party which responded to every call for reform with a chorus of “No’s.” These days, however, there are many more reasons to take a fresh look at who’s pushing for reform, and who has truly adopted the mantra of “No.”
Let’s start with Pension Reform. Public opinion polls affirm that Californians now recognize the need for substantive pension reform. Pension obligations for the retired, and soon to retire public workforce are already taking away monies that should be available for basic services like good schools, freshly paved roads and public safety. But when Republican lawmakers joined with Governor Brown, asking for nothing more than a simple up or down vote on his very modest pension reform plan – which prompted the LA Times to dub Republicans the Party of Yes, the Democrats who run the legislature said No, and have quietly pushed aside any hope of real pension reform for the foreseeable future...
Republicans are also saying Yes to common sense regulatory relief and Yes to budget plans that will boost hiring and perhaps let California at least catch up to the rest of the country’s jobs recovery.... More at the link
