Show Up and Stand Out (8/15/03)
by Dean Hartwell
What if a group held a debate and one of the participants did not show up?
This question presented itself to me recently at a local chamber of commerce meeting. I attended the meeting planning to debate in opposition to the recall of Governor Gray Davis of California against a recall supporter.
A funny thing happened. My opponent never made it. Now I am stuck here with questions I wanted to ask him.
Where would this recall be if not for the personal bankroll of Darrell Issa? By paying people to collect signatures, he made it easy to collect the number necessary to place this matter on the ballot.
Can anyone name one prominent elected Democrat who supports the recall? I can’t, either. This effort is a partisan recall and smacks of a pure Republican attempt to steal the governorship of the state. This partisanship divides our state and leaves us further away from solutions.
Why should we undo the regular election of 2002? A total of eight million voters decided upon Gray Davis to be their governor. We should not make it a habit of thwarting the will of the people. A recall would encourage others to support recall attempts of future governors to the point that no one would trust election results. It would also allow a candidate to win with a low percentage of the ballots. Those who do not like Davis should wait until the next scheduled election in 2006.
Why does the pro-recall movement blame Davis for the budget deficit? The economy has soured all throughout the United States. Forty-six other states have budget deficits. Furthermore, the proportion of the California deficit to the state budget is less than the federal deficit to the federal budget. Under the pro-recall logic, we should recall President Bush!
Is Arnold Schwarzenegger qualified to be our governor? Recently, a political reporter asked him about California’s paid family leave act. He said he knew nothing about it. Also, he has skipped voting in several of the recent elections, including the presidential election of 2000. Davis, on the other hand, has paid his dues with service to the state of California.
Given my opponent’s failure to appear, the reluctance of Schwarzenegger to answer questions as to what he would do, if elected, and the Bush Administration’s refusal to reveal records of its meetings with leading energy executives, I fear the worst. I fear that the Republicans do not really want to debate issues because such a debate would reveal their improper motives and ignorance on issues.
This thought saddens me. Democracy thrives upon a free flow of debate on important issues. We need to hear the other side of the story to truly understand our own. Questions that go unanswered today may become assumptions tomorrow. When called to account for our ideas, let’s all make it a point to show up and deliver.