Fortunately the voting population of California was able to handle the verbiage in the propositions and crunch the numbers in a realistic manner, in order to send a message to Sacramento that the voters of California  are not the fools, but the members of the State Legislature who seem unable to do basic math while concealing the inability to balance a budget in flowery, legal language.

Though the California budget is complicated, the idea of cutting waste and spending is not. Every American household has done this very thing in order to weather the times in which we live. We do without specialty items, knowing that one day, the tide will change and the little extras will be affordable again. We clip coupons to save and carpool to lessen the gas burden. We give up our weekly Starbucks and make coffee at home and we pack lunches instead of eating out. As a mother, I give up my needs for the needs of my household, in order to keep it well and afloat when the storms of life rage. Why isn’t Sacramento able to see the value in thrift and true sacrifice? Why haven’t the “specialty items” been cut from the budget? The unwillingness and selfishness of the legislature to do what best serves the people is staggering.

A new breed of legislator is needed, one who is willing to be a public servant without a paycheck. One who is willing to serve for the love of country and state and to leave when their privilege of service is complete, in order to allow another the opportunity to serve.

Power corrupts, and the love of money is the root of all evil that seems to line the pockets of many politicians. Most appear infected with this ill. It is as if,  in Sacramento the true “Swine Flu” affects the newly elected politician, and that they are doomed from the start. The only way to handle this virulent strain of corruption is to do away with those who carry the disease, put them in quarantine and begin with fresh blood.

We talk about education reform, campaign reform and budget reform, yet we the people seem unable to send those who corrupt our government to “reform school” and vote them out of office. We must begin anew and elect those who can read, write and compute for the service of their fellow man rather than for the bolstering of their esteemed careers.

School may be out for the children of our nation, but it is high time that we teach those who serve us in elected office how to earn an “A” or to be on their way.