heir self-imposed zealotry convincing themselves they are the "true" Americans) might have a rough surprise or two awaiting them. Apparently, there are more than a few who adhere to the "liberal" with a small "l" and a "conservative" with a small "c"... as in "open-minded" over "Liberal" and "common sense" over "Conservative".
Take a gander at these ditties:
1) Governor Brown and some of his Sacramento Never-Land colleagues have gone back to "Moonbeam" status and turned science into a religion (with "Archbishop Brown" pursuing job-killing initiatives that will not make a dent on environmental issues, climate change, or whatever other green initiatives he has in mind to distract Californians), and have alienated just about all Californians with his economy-destroying, sophomoric idiocy.
Fortunately, despite Governor Brown's "money grows on trees and let's have trains replace planes" pipe dreams, there ARE some who have used the idea of a high-speed rail (the parts that Californians really want) into economic opportunities. Take for example the China/U.S. effort to build a LA to Las Vegas high-speed train which would transport passengers between Las Vegas and Victorville in 80 minutes.
Conservatives and liberals alike are behind this effort, which is not going to compete with planes but with cars, and is of a length more suited to high-speed rail. As with an approach to connect medium-length trips in other areas of the state, this is a winner.
If the California High Speed Rail (CAHSR) Authority learns to shut up about LA to S.F. and focus on how to connect Palmdale with Victorville, or Bakersfield with LA, or Fresno with either LA or SF, maybe the airlines will start using the CAHSR as a way to cut their own costs.
But that will be for the next governor to figure out--"Archbishop Brown" has infuriated and alienated too many Californians.
2) Physicians and consumer advocates (heck, just about everyone) throughout the political spectrum are freaking out about the rise in pharmaceutical/drug costs.
Furthermore, BOTH parties are very concerned about the so-called "Affordable" Care Act's impacts on small and midsize companies. Small and midsize businesses are obviously not the same as businesses with tens of thousands of employees, and they account for arguably the majority of jobs in our nation.
Whether it's more governmental controls or more free market choices (probably a bit of both), health care is getting too darned expensive for those paying premiums...and if you're someone who's getting subsidized, perhaps that thing called "reality" should step in, because SOMEONE is paying for you.
In other words, more HEALTHCare, not political football and feel-good nonsense while the middle class continues to get less and less health care for higher and higher premiums and drug costs.
3) Both parties and virtually all Americans are sick of both police brutality and the daily killings of black youths in cities such as Chicago ... dead Americans are dead Americans, and most of us get that.
It's neither "open-minded" nor "common sense" to shrug our collective shoulders when young people's lives are destroyed or taken away.
{module [1177]}
And if "Black Lives Matter" wants to shut down freeways, roads, and both recreational and political events, perhaps their radical leaders should ask what "Bridgegate" did to Chris Christie's presidential chances. People don't like to be bullied or stopped unlawfully for any reason.
There will always be a few who proclaims themselves Liberals or Conservatives, but so long as the world is just too obviously complex for those extremes a more appropriate and accurate definition will be those who correctly describe themselves as "leaning liberal" or "leaning conservative".
Because "conservatives" are, by and large, very open-minded (just like "liberals").
Because "liberals" are,by and large, very open to common sense (just like "conservatives").
And just because both political parties like to say otherwise doesn't make any liberal/conservative divide true.
And when the open-minded conservatives and common-sense liberals, or vice versa, come out of the closet and proclaim themselves as such, they'll be embraced by Americans who just want open-minded, common sense answers to their everyday problems.
(Ken Alpern is a Westside Village Zone Director and Board member of the Mar Vista Community Council (MVCC), previously co-chaired its Planning and Outreach Committees, and currently is Co-Chair of its MVCC Transportation/Infrastructure Committee. He is co-chair of the CD11Transportation Advisory Committee and chairs the nonprofit Transit Coalition, and can be reached at [email protected] He also does regular commentary on the Mark Isler Radio Show on AM 870, and co-chairs the grassroots Friends of the Green Line at www.fogl.us. The views expressed in this article are solely those of Mr. Alpern.)
-cw
CityWatch
Vol 13 Issue 77
Pub: Sep 22, 2015
