Compromise Talk Is Just That

There has been much talk over the past few years about how tired the American people are with excessive partisanship. Surveys have shown people are fed up with it and would like to see more problems solved in a collegial manner. That had a lot to do with Barack Obama's appeal in the recent presidential election. It similarly had a lot to do here in California with the election of Arnold Schwarzenegger as governor in 2003.

But when it comes down to it, there are a lot of indications that while many welcome a tone of civility, they really aren't much interested in compromising to get things done. They want their way on things. A lot of the talk about compromise appears to be just that, talk.

As a case in point, a new poll released today shows the California budget propositions 1A through 1E all losing, by 9 to 14 points. You can read about it here. These propositions are a quintessential compromise. They came after eight months of wrangling and gridlock in the California Senate and Assembly. They were made necessary only because the state's 2/3 requirement to pass a budget gives the Republican minority an effective veto.

Both sides had to agree to some things they hated in order to reach a bargain. Democrats, who would rather have preserved programs and raised taxes, agreed to $15 billion in cuts. Republicans, or at least a handful of them, who would rather have cut much more deeply and not raised taxes, agreed to $12 billion in tax hikes. It reads like a primer in the art of political compromise, and theoretically appears to represent what the voters have been asking for. Governor Schwarzenegger and the powerful California Teachers Association are supporting the deal, have raised six times the money of the no advocates and have been running ads in favor of the propositions. All to no avail, if the polls are right.

The Democratic Party convention could only muster the votes to endorse two of the five structural initiatives. Republican organizations are nearly unanimous in their rejection of all five. Too many Democratic activists and partisans would rather have no deal than agree to cuts in programs they feel are worthy. Too many Republicans would rather have no deal than agree to raise any taxes. The people are, in short, acting just like the politicians they purport to disdain. Make no mistake, if the propositions fail there will be blood. You don't fall 30% short of balancing a budget without repercussions. Prime conservative favorites like police, fire and prisons will have to lay off thousands, release convicts and so on. Major liberal favorites like schools, environment and children's health will have to be drastically slashed as well.

People are mad and of a mood to cut off their noses to spite their faces. An old saw tells us, "People generally get the kind of government they deserve." That seems as true now as ever.