Mark Twain (1866) once remarked: "No man's life, liberty, or property is safe while the legislature is in session."
California passes more than one thousand laws every year - many of these laws seek to displace individual responsibility with legislative oversight. AB 2676, called "Humane Treatment for Farm Workers act," makes it a misdemeanor for someone to direct an employee to perform outdoor agricultural work without water or shade and AB 2346 (Farm Worker Safety Act) imposes penalties for violation of the law and would allow employees to file lawsuits for violations of the water and shade requirements. Hats would not meet the shade requirements and if the temperature is 85 degrees or cooler, employers must provide access to shade on request.
Whatever happened to the idea a worker should take some responsibility for his own safety? The cost of Workman's Compensation insurance already provides ample incentive for employers to eliminate potential injury to employees. Obviously, this type of legislation does little to create new jobs.
One might argue that professional sports teams are violating the law for allowing their employees on the field when the temperature rises above 85 degrees, and what about those football players involved in games in blizzard like conditions or conversely, when the temperature is over one hundred degrees on the field? Do you think these employers need a law requiring them to check for health issues in these adverse conditions?
Governor Jerry Brown vetoed both AB 2346 & 2376, but incredibly, he did sign AB 2109 into law. This bill will require parents to get a note from their doctor if they don't want their children vaccinated. The logic is that parents simply are not qualified to make this kind of decision. They must first seek out the advice of a doctor, for a fee of course, and after adequate counsel, the parent might be allowed to exercise his or her right of refusal. In the event the doctor refuses to provide a note, the parent would have to try again with another physician.
Clearly, California Legislators have reached into the family home and taken away parental rights under the assumption that government knows best. It should be noted these same legislators are unable to balance California's budget without dipping into education funds which would benefit the same child they are professing to protect from the parent's poor judgment.
A look at the California Legislative Record reveals that local assemblymen William Monning and Luis Alejo voted in favor of AB 2346, AB 2676 and AB 2109.
It was Monning who voted for ABX1 26-27 the termination of the Redevelopment Agency because of state-wide budgetary red ink with Alejo, State Senators Sam Blakeslee and Anthony Cannella opposed. But, in apparent contradiction to these cost cutting efforts, Monning, Alejo, Blakeslee and Cannella co-authored AB 1614 to extend the Fort Ord Reuse Authority for another ten years. The extension was subsequently reduced to six years. But what's the point?
Some of the Redevelopment funds were allocated to pay for FORA. Now, because Governor Brown signed this extension, Marina, Seaside, Del Rey Oaks, Monterey and Monterey County will have to pay FORA's $3 million annual operating expense and will still be required to share with FORA half of the revenue generated from land sales when these expenses could well be used by each agency to clean up the deteriorating buildings on what's left of Fort Ford.
The puzzling question remains: "If most Americans think our political leaders are doing a terrible job, why is it they keep getting returned to office?"
The Bill of Rights allows all Americans immense freedom, but this liberty comes with a price - the electorate is required to pay attention and vote accordingly.