August 10, 2003
A Reason for Recall in California:
Democrats out and Socialists in!
The world press writes of California as an embarrassing political circus. Liberals claim a rightwing ambush on the governor's seat. Some progressives say it's an outright coup d'etat. And Ahhnold smiles into cameras promising to “pump up” Sacramento.
There is no doubt. The initiators of the recall did not go after Governor Davis because of his dreadful performance. They started this “dump Davis” campaign as part of the far-right Republican strategy for the 2004 presidential election. Their plan: secure a bully pulpit in the state's top office to deliver California to George W. Bush, just as brother Jeb Bush served up Florida in 2000. Think-tankers have determined that Dubyah can't snag re-election without our Golden State.
Yet, these conservative connivers took a risk when they bankrolled the petition drive. They tapped widespread contempt for the dismal job done by Davis. Those 1.7 million petition signers weren't just rich Republicans! The rightwing has unwittingly given working and poor Californians a chance to vote out Davis and his ilk from both the twin parties of capitalism, and to vote in a socialist who will represent working folks' interests.
That's why we urge you to vote YES on recall, then vote for socialist Peace & Freedom Party candidate, C.T. Weber, to replace Davis.
And make no mistake. The right to recall is progressive, not reactionary. Recall means workingclass voters have actual control over legislators. Historically, those in power have intentionally kept this control from us. But when we have the ability to recall lousy politicians, we have more democracy, not less.
Davis: Voice of corporate hucksters and union busters
Hardworking folks are fed up with Democrats and Republicans alike whose solutions to the fiscal mess include billions in corporate bail-outs, and budget slashing from community colleges, prescriptions for seniors, local emergency rooms, job re-training, housing, and healthcare. These politicians put more money into building prisons than schools. The economic crisis is so acute that the capitalist parties are fighting among themselves with a knock-down, drag-out recall campaign.
Gray Davis is not, as his boosters claim, a blameless victim caught in a “perfect storm” of economic meltdown. He stood next to his big business buddies, and chose to rescue the power giants with bail-outs from our state coffers after they stole millions from ratepayers in contrived shortages and forced blackouts. He could and should have used eminent domain to seize control of energy generation and distribution—to benefit workers and consumers, not mega-corporate profits.
His track record standing next to labor is abysmal. During the 2002 ILWU lockout, Davis backed the shippers by supporting a Taft-Hartley Act injunction that forced the workers back to the docks. He tried to break the 2000 Los Angeles bus drivers' strike by maneuvering a deal with labor leaders for mechanics to cross picket lines—all to avoid embarrassment during the Democratic National Convention. It backfired when rank-and-filers refused. For over a year, Davis refused to sign a bill to strengthen the rights of farmworkers to a union contract. He finally was humiliated into signing it. He then vetoed a popular bill to allow undocumented workers to get drivers licenses.
It is clear Davis is the boss's man, not a union man.
Heads up unions: Enough with “lesser evil” politics!
The loudest advocates to save Davis are the union officials. They're re-writing the governor's history and pushing his supposed “pro-union” achievements.
But just in case he loses, they are also backing Lieutenant Governor Cruz Bustamante. Get real! Bustamante is cut from the same pro-big business cloth as Davis—give the rich a free ride on the backs of the working poor. He says he'll tax corporate profits. But that just echoes the desperate promises of previous Democrats who have no intention of delivering on their pledges.
It's time for the rank-and-file to say ¡basta! Let's tell our union leaders to quit throwing dinero at the same old losers who speak from both sides of their mouths and who sell out working folks every time. It's time to inaugurate new union leaders with the backbone and principles to stump for a genuine workingclass alternative.
Elect a socialist, pro-labor governor for California
Candidates from two well-known socialist parties are running for governor. C.T. Weber, president of District Labor Council 784, CSEA/SEIU 1000 in Sacramento, is a long time leader of the socialist and feminist Peace & Freedom Party (P&FP); Joel Britton, a retired meat packer and longtime trade unionist, and on the national committee of the Socialist Workers Party.
Weber's P&FP platform is very sensible. It calls for aiding those hit hardest by the bad economy—women, people of color, workers and the poor, lesbian/gay/bisexual/transgendered people (LGBTs) and youth, seniors and the disabled. It calls for taxing corporate profits to pay for schools, healthcare, housing, public transportation and environmental cleanup. His platform calls for ending discrimination against LBGTs in all areas such as child custody, marriage and benefits, and to repeal the Three Strikes law.
Weber and Britton both have similar positions on implementing a 30-hour work week with no loss in pay; calling for women's right to abortion; halting immigrant bashing and INS raids; abolishing the death penalty; defending affirmative action and normalizing relations with Cuba.
The FSP recommends voting for C.T. Weber as a true alternative to the twin parties of the bosses. While the platforms of both socialist candidates have some similarities, we believe the P&FP's inclusive socialist and feminist program represents the best interests of all working people—especially women and LGBTs, who are among the most exploited. (We cannot recommend Green Party candidates because their platform is not anti-capitalist.)
No on Proposition 54: the racist, so-called “Racial Privacy Initiative”
This latest attack on affirmative action comes from conservative UC Regent Ward Connerly. He promotes it as anti-racist in a dishonest appeal to create “a colorblind society”. If passed, it would outlaw the collection of racial data currently used to assign funds to health and social service agencies, and to track race discrimination. These agencies service people of color and the poor.
Only cops are exempt. But they don't use racial data to allocate funds to assist people of color. Police use it for racial profiling, such as directing a precinct to arrest all Black youth in a 3-mile radius who are driving a green car.
This initiative is racist to the core. Californians need to answer with a resounding no!
No on Proposition 53
This proposed constitutional amendment specifies percentages of the state general fund to be set aside for building and upkeep of infrastructure other than K-12 schools and community colleges. We recommend a NO vote as it excludes public schools that serve everyone, and which have already suffered years of budget cuts and neglect.
Vote October 7
YES on recall
C.T. Weber for governor
NO on Proposition 54
Issued by:
Freedom Socialist Party
Solidarity Hall, 2170 W. Washington Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90018
— 323-732-6416