One-Party Rule in California -- Any Signs from 2009

"It's not my party, so I'll cry if I want to.

"Cry if I want to.

"Cry if I want to.

"You would cry, too, if it happened to you." (Lyrics adapted from "It's my Party" sung by Leslie Gore)

So, the Republicans now sit in spectator status in Sacramento. The two-thirds majority belongs to the Democrats, and now they can pass any tax increase, any spending bill they want. With the passage of Prop 30, they will have billions more dollars to spend on anything but education.

Of course, Prop 30 was a bad idea from the beginning, based on the faulty assumption that raising tax rates will lead to rising tax revenues. With an average of 5 businesses per week leaving the state of California, it appears that more businesses will have more reason to leave, thus diminishing at the outset any intended revenue.

The Democratic Supermajority can  regulate, frustrate, instigate to their hearts' desire. Cap and Trade is already placing a further cap on trade, with mixed records indicating that the measure may or may not have any effect on protecting our environment.

Supermajority rule may not be all that it is cracked up to be. Reform Democrats like Gloria Romero, who no longer serve in the Assembly, have raised alarm about the power of public sector unions in our state capital. Now more moderate leaning Democrats may command enough respect and power to bring their leaders in line.

I assume these possibilities in light of what happened in Washington, in Congress from 2009 to 2011, when a young, inexperienced chief executive worked with a supermajority in the Senate and significant majorities in the House.

The country felt the brunt of this supermajority rule from 2009-2011, when President Obama pushed ObamaCare through a topped-off Congress, which in turn touched off a grassroots rebellion and grand-shellacking in 2010. The failed stimulus which helped political allies with negligible effects on our economy. Still the unemployment rate hovers above 8%. Still millions of people are receiving food stamps, and our President continues spending money that we do not have. The Senate still refuses to pass a budget, and the national debt keeps getting bigger.

Perhaps the supermajority mentality will finally hurt the Democratic brand in this state. A Republican who can articulate policy, who understands how markets work, who will put an end to spending while honoring the needs of minorities, will institute the needed reversal in Sacramento that will bring Republicans back from spectator to spectacular.

I choose to be optimistic, no matter what happens. Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. This turn of events may be too much of a good thing for the Democrats.