Even though he was the first and only governor to be recalled in
California history, Gray Davis was able to joke and laugh about the
problems in the recall process at a panel discussion Thursday at
UCLA.
The panel, titled “Can California Be Fixed? The Special
Election and Beyond,” was hosted by the UCLA School of Public
Policy and Social Research. The event brought Davis and former
state Senate Minority Leader Jim Brulte together with a panel of
public affairs students and an audience of about 150 UCLA students,
faculty and community members to discuss the Nov. 8 special
election and problems in the state capital.
Davis and Brulte, who have both been appointed distinguished
policy fellows at the UCLA School of Public Affairs for the
2005-2006 school year, fielded questions from four student
panelists who worked to organize the event before taking a few
minutes to answer questions from audience members.
The discussion primarily centered around the issues of health
care and education, but did not address the controversial issues of
abortion and Proposition 73, which would require parental
notification for minors wishing to terminate a pregnancy.
Panelist Nicolle Larkins, a second-year social welfare graduate
student, started off the discussion of health care, asking Davis
and Brulte to explain the potential impact of Propositions 78 and
79 on the field of prescription drugs. She said many Californians
are in “desperate need” of health care and prescription
drugs, which are becoming increasingly expensive.
Brulte said not much will change no matter what happens with the
propositions. Prescription drugs are just a cover for the real
reason behind the initiative, he said.
“(Proposition) 79 was designed, believe it or not, to
simply increase voter turnout for the other initiatives,” he
said. “(Propositions) 78 and 79 are small battles in a war of
people that view health care as an entitlement.”
Brulte said this spreading view of entitlement is what will what
change how the government handles health care issues.
Davis said even though neither proposition may make much of an
impact by passing, voting “no” on them could send an
inaccurate message that California does not care about the issue of
the availability of cheaper prescription drugs.
Canada and countries all over the world have a 50 to 200 percent
savings on prescription drugs over Americans, Davis said.
“Nobody pays more for drugs than Americans, and Americans
developed them,” he said.
The discussion shifted to public education when an audience
member asked for a better way to solve the education problem in
California than just “throwing money at it.”
Brulte said class reduction and higher standards will enhance
performance. He said the ideal goal is to have a student-to-teacher
ratio of 20 to 1, as opposed to the current ratio of 30 to 1.
The discussion also addressed the ballot initiative process in
general. Panelist Jeric Huang, a fourth-year history student,
questioned whether the initiative process, adopted in 1911 under
Gov. Hiram Johnson, is a solution to or cause of dysfunction in
Sacramento.
For a proposed initiative to qualify to be a proposition on the
ballot in an election, signatures must come from registered
voters.
The number of signatures required for an initiative statute is
at least 5 percent of the total votes cast for governor during the
last gubernatorial election. For an initiative that involves an
amendment to the state constitution, the requirement increases to
at least 8 percent.
Once signatures are verified and the proposition is passed by a
majority vote, it goes into effect the day after the election.
“The initiative process guarantees you have some control
over your fate,” Davis said.
Brulte said the process isn’t the reason for the problems
of the state.
“The initiative process creates discomfort, but it does
not create dysfunction,” Brulte said.
Larkins said next Tuesday’s special election could have
far-reaching effects.
“Students should understand when they are going to the
ballot, they’re not just voting for themselves but (also) for
those without a voice,” she said.
Josh Mukhopadhyay, a second-year UCLA law student, and Aiha
Nguyen, a second-year urban planning graduate student, were also
panelists.