Democrat Prejudice (Letter to Independent Coast Observer)

Rob Lowe indulged in the “soft bigotry of prejudice” (Mean-spirited, ICO April 29, 2011 letter). According to Mr. Lowe, mostly white, pseudo-religious Republicans are anti-gay and favor budget cuts for the elderly, poor, and needy, and tax cuts for the über-rich. He must also think that Republicans created California’s messes, even though Republicans have been a minority for many years.

Anti-gay, I suppose, means supporters of Proposition 8. Although Alice and I and most of our conservative friends opposed Prop 8, it was passed by over 52% of California voters, and drew strong support from groups with high Democrat membership such as Catholics, Orthodox Jews, Eastern Orthodox Church, African Americans, and Asians. Are they pseudo-religious, Mr. Lowe?

Earlier, 61% of Californians passed Proposition 22 to recognize only opposite-sex marriages. Since many Democrats supported Prop 22, are they closet Republicans, Mr. Lowe?

In terms of Republicans favoring budget cuts, 67% of Californians rejected extending taxes two years ago, and current polling indicates they would do the same. Again, it takes more than Republican votes to reject tax extensions or increases. Republicans do tend to favor budget cuts, particularly in areas beloved of Democrats such as pandering to public-employee unions. The reason is simple and obvious: California can’t afford to continue cutting the budgets of the elderly, poor and needy (and of education, parks, police and fire protection) to satisfy the ever-increasing demands of current pensions, and coming like a tsunami, the much larger public-employee unfunded pension liabilities. At the current rate, in a few decades California will have to apply all tax revenues to pensions only.

Public-employee pensioners will then receive their checks in better managed states and leave California to those who can’t move. California Democrats and Republicans will finally find Mr. Lowe’s “common ground” in other states.

Michael B. Combs