Former California Democratic State Senator Gloria Romero Tells How Unions Wield Power in Sacramento in the latest article within “Fixing California” Series.
San Diego, CA, August 12, 2013 – In an effort to help revive California’s ailing condition, the U-T San Diego Editorial Board, in partnership with the Franklin Center for Government and Public Integrity, has launched a collaborative project of weekly editorials and independent commentaries about the many problems tarnishing the Golden State.
The main goal of the bipartisan project, called Fixing California, is to offer insights into the issues that continue to plague the state and to ignite a dialogue on how to repair these problems – from city and state financial crises to school reform, neglected infrastructure, a challenging business climate, and environmental policies. The series of articles and commentaries are based on in-depth research and lengthy interviews with key Democrats and Republicans, including Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom; Treasurer Bill Lockyer; Controller John Chiang; Senate President Darrell Steinberg; former Gov. Pete Wilson; Assembly Republican leader Connie Conway; California Republican Party chairman and former legislator Jim Brulte; Sen. Mark Wyland, the dean of the San Diego County delegation in Sacramento; and others in and out of state government. The series will conclude with recommendations for the best path forward for California.
“While California is the ninth-largest economy in the world and leads the nation in innovation, venture capital investment, and industrial production, it is home to some of the country’s most challenging financial setbacks,” said Jeff Light, U-T San Diego Editor. “It’s time for us as a collective to take the necessary steps in creating and implementing long-term solutions.”
The U-T San Diego’s impressive lineup of commentaries includes:
• San Jose Mayor Chuck Reed and Jeff Adachi, the elected public defender of San Francisco, on the unfunded pension liabilities that are destroying public services.
• Former San Diego City Council member Carl DeMaio on the proper size of government.
• Former Gov. Gray Davis on how the Democrats became beholden to the special interests of the Left, and former Gov. Pete Wilson on how the Republican Party lost its way in California.
• Education reformer and former Washington, D.C. schools Chancellor Michelle Rhee on California schools and obstacles to reform.
• Orange County Supervisor John Moorlach on the financial troubles of California cities.
• Rancho Santa Fe businessman Gerald Parsky, a veteran of numerous bipartisan state commissions, on the California business climate.
• Noted economist Arthur Laffer on California’s tax structure.
• Chapman University professor Joel Kotkin on California’s environmental policy.
The most recent commentary by former state Sen. Gloria Romero examines how powerful special interest public sector unions took control of government and what it will take for Californians to wrestle back control. According to Romero, “Money flows to those who control the levers of power, and in California that means Democrats who have long been allied with, and funded by, public-sector unions. There is no aspect of state government operations or public policy that is untouched by the power of public-sector unions and their allies in Sacramento. The power is omnipresent: from enacting legislation, to writing a state budget, to confirming state board and commission appointees, labor’s presence is omnipresent. It also includes ghostwriting eleventh-hour legislative changes to push ballot qualified citizen initiatives to a more obscure ballot position so that their backed initiatives will be seen by voters first. Their influence extends beyond the Legislature, and includes overdue clout with how California’s legal counsel writes ballot summaries and titles.” The article, published in the special section of the U-T San Diego Sunday paper on Aug. 11, 2013, (“Fixing California”) will also be the topic of discussion on U-T TV with Roger Hedgecock on Monday, Aug. 12, 2013 at 11 a.m. and 6 p.m.
“It’s important for us to push this critical information out to the public via a comprehensive, integrated platform that allows people various ways to stay informed, whether it be on their smart phones, iPad, tablets, computer or in the newspaper delivered to their doorstep,” said John Lynch, CEO of the U-T San Diego. “Our job as an integrated media company is to not only inform the masses about current events and issues, but to also dig deep into our communities to ignite understanding and change,” Lynch added. “This series of articles is an example of the U-T San Diego’s commitment to responsible journalism and to working toward solutions that will make California the Golden State again.”
For more information please visit http://www.fixingcal.com/.
About U-T San Diego
The 144-year-old San Diego Union-Tribune, LLC, owned by MLIM, LLC, is San Diego’s leading media company and its most comprehensive source of news and information. Each week, U-T San Diego products reach more than 96 percent of all San Diego County households through the combined strength of its integrated media portfolio: the Pulitzer Prize-winning newspaper, U-T San Diego; the web site, UTSanDiego,com; the Night + Day weekly entertainment guide; Spanish-language products, Enlace and Vida Latina; an all-day local television station, U-T TV, and additional home-delivered products.