May Day Protests: Why California’s Legislature Sucks
April 28th, 2006 | by steve |Last night I talked to my Dad. He’s been running a car wash for 39 years. 39 years? Wow! One job… and still at 61 he loves it. He just don’t come out and say it. We looked over his cast of employees that work for him. 90% of them are from Mexico. They got here anyway they could. Some came legally, some got here illegally by either swimming, running, jumping and then running some more. Others were smuggled. Some came over to pick fields for the harvest and never went back. But, they all have their legal documents to be here. A lot of them paid the price to be free and earn a living.
So I asked my Dad what he was going to do Monday if they all walked off for protest. His answer: “Money talks”. Pretty much he’s seen everything when it comes to this crowd. They are here first for the money. They want all the hours they can get and then volunteer for overtime. They recycle cans they throw out of cars. Others work night jobs. There’s no shame, they just bust their ass. Sound like hard working Americans to me, don’t they to you? It gets deeper…
I joked with my Dad, and asked if he was going to “protest” on Monday. He laughed and asked why. I reminded him that he too was an immigrant. Came here from Germany back in the 1950’s. His Dad did the same thing his employees do now. He worked 2 or 3 jobs and conserved. My grandfather worked at a hard candy factory and painted houses.
“Why?” my Dad asks, ” Why should I protest? I am an American now.” I guess my Dad’s indifference is what most of us feel. Which is kind of scary if you think about it in a way but completely understandable from someone who has worn those shoes his employees wear now. Who the hell cares right? Well you should. And you really should pay attention closely when a group of politicians join in for the fun.
Enter the bozos known as the Democratic Wing of the California State Legislature. Oh yay! Can you put your hands together for this one? They approved right down the party line 24-13 to “join” the boycott. Why was it even brought up yesterday on the State Senate floor? What a bunch of imbeciles! Our state is spending money out of control. We have bad schools. We have health care needs. Our roads are severely fucked and they are encouraging lawlessness, delinquency and insubordination. Do I sound like a Republican? Monday is a session day in the legislature and most are gonna check in here in Sacramento and hop on down to LA where all the real fun and, most importantly, the photo ops are gonna be. There is nothing you can say in defense of that. It’s wrong. It’s…. dare I say it? Un-American To hell with the Democrats in this state!
But I am conflicted when I say all this. I support my amigos from down south. The one’s that come here support us. To quote Tyler Durden, in a weird sort of way, “They wait our tables, clean our dishes, pick up our garbage…” They also wash our cars, do our dry cleaning, pull our weeds, build our homes, streets and schools. They clean our restaurants, our hotels and casinos. They do so much for America. And for once now, God help them, they complain!!! Imagine that. They value a job more than some Americans do. They pay taxes… Protest all you want as far as I am concerned.
It is just sad to see our leaders here bow to the pressure. Politics here will drive you mad. Barbara Kerr from the California Teachers Association, the biggest and baddest special interest group, who’s teachers get 51% of our state budget for education every year for example, complains she needs more money. Well, if the state says it’s “A-OK!!” to leave school and protest, aren’t the kids who aren’t protesting missing a day’s worth of education? What does that cost the state? What does it say to the kids who should legally be in school that day? What does it say to the kid who’s on the fence of being a potentially great student or a severe rule breaker? What lesson could be learned?
Monday could end up being a great day for these people or it can end very badly. I definately hope for a peaceful rally!
6 Responses to “May Day Protests: Why California’s Legislature Sucks”
By The Cranky Brit on Apr 29, 2006 | Reply
Last time I checked, withdrawing labour and peaceful protest were not lawless. In fact, they’re generally considered to be rights every human being has. But you shouldn’t get paid for it! You strike, you lose that day’s wages (or pro rata if you’re salaried). That generally stops people striking over trivialities. And you say they should protest, but then you say that supporting the protests is supporting lawlessness, delinquency and insubordination. Which is it? Protests good, protests not good?
Oh, and weren’t you saying thar Rush Limburgh shouldn’t be punished for breaking the law over here? So it’s ok for you to encourage lawlessness then? What kind of signal does that send out? What lesson could be learned?
And was that a cry for the state to get involved in health care provision? Oh, steve, steve steve, how the mighty have fallen. *Removing tongue from cheek for the last point*
By steve on Apr 29, 2006 | Reply
Taking your kids out of school for a protest is technically truancy which is illegal.
I seem to remember leaving school to see Charles Ng brought into the Calaveras County Jail House when they brought him in. I left school, I got in trouble. The state government is basically giving the kids a free pass.
As far as Limbaugh, the law is the law. There isn’t a law that says he can’t make a deal.
By Maura Larkins on May 29, 2006 | Reply
I’m no fan of Barbara Kerr, but I must ask:
Where should education dollars go, if not to teachers?
You might argue that fewer teacher dollars should go to Barbara Kerr and the California Teachers Association, but the heart and soul of education is the teacher. If we spent more on teachers, we’d probably get more qualified people to become teachers.
By steve on May 29, 2006 | Reply
Maura,
My wife is a teacher. I think I can speak from experience that the problem is that money isn’t spent well in California education. Schools get so much per student per day. It’s sad to see the CTA call for needing more money and then to see the California Legislature give the ok for kids to leave school. I wonder how much money schools lost on attendance that day.