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Remaking California: Reclaiming the Public Good
Remaking California Reclaiming the Public Good Author:R. Jeffrey Lustig, editor, Dan Walters, Lenny Goldberg, Kevin Starr, Mark Paul, Barry Keene What went wrong in California and how we can fix it California is locked in political crisis. It is unable to school its children, solve its water problems, or repair its roads and public buildings. Leaders and observers agree the system is broken. But how is it broken? Why is it broken? And who gets hurt by the breakage? Remaking California ... more »analyzes California s constitutional crisis and argues that it's time for Californians to exercise their right to alter their government and draft a new state constitution. In Remaking California, leading writers and scholars examine the roots of the current political morass Proposition 13, term limits, the initiative process, the two-thirds majority required to pass budgets, the dispersion of power that renders the executive branch ineffective, the gerrymandering that favors incumbents and disenfranchises citizens, and more. They explain the effects of this political dysfunction on people, communities, and the natural resources of the state and argue that nothing short of a constitutional convention will shake it out of its current paralysis. Also discussed are lessons from past constitutional conventions, how conventions are convened, and both the promise and the dangers they present. Contributors include Dan Walters, Lenny Goldberg, Kevin Starr, Mark Paul, former Senator Barry Keene, and many more.« less