WHAT PRICE LEADERSHIP?

As Americans struggle to make ends meet in an increasingly unequal society and are forced to make tough lifestyle adjustments because of the increase in energy prices, many look for a new kind of leadership that will propose and enact novel or creative solutions. At the federal level, Barack Obama promises a new type of leadership, while his Republican party opponent prefers a continuation of the Bush policies without the Bush bull. Whether Obama can deliver is an open question, even if he does manage a victory in November. Whether we want or need what McCain wishes to deliver should be answered by November.

Still, any successful transition to a new America embracing the challenges posed by a global economy and a world-wide demand for expensive oil must manage the hurdles posed by an antiquated political system and the patchwork pattern of state government across the continent. In California, we face a devilish dilemma as a result of a flawed initiative process that has balkanized part of the budgetary process, a skewed tax structure that is difficult to repair in light of the two-thirds requirement for the passage of any new state taxes, and the boom-and-bust cycle that makes a mess of the entire budget process.

Just a couple of years ago, Governor Schwarzenegger promised to fix the poor budgetary process once and for all if only we would agree to borrow another $15 billion to patch the then budget deficit. Two years later and we are another $15 to $20 billion dollars in the red. Since taxes are practically impossible to raise in California, the budget axe seems likely to be the only tool applied.

To solve the present problem, the governor first proposed an across the board cut of 10%, as well as the elimination of many state parks. That proposal did not sit well with many Democrats in Sacramento nor many voters deeply concerned about the direction California is headed. Of course, the lunatic fringe wants to blame everything on immigrants without ever wondering who would do a lot of the back-breaking work in California's fields or in its low-paying manufacturing and service industries. Nor do they seem to care that undocument immigration and its costs on California are principally the problem of the federal government, a government that seems both unwilling to offset the costs borne by California and other heavily affected states and incapable of dealing with the status of perhaps 10 million undocumented residents/workers/taxpayers in the United States.

As an educator, I am deeply worried about cutbacks in education. California already ranks at or near the bottom in educational spending. And, yes, it is expensive to educate many children whose first language is not English. But, how can we rectify the problem? A recent proposal by United Teachers of Los Angeles seems likely to miss its mark and leads this union member to question what the leadership was thinking.

Consider this: on 6 June 2008, UTLA has asked its members to walk off their jobs for one hour between 7:50 am and 8:50 am. Besides, the chaos that might ensue should every union member meet the call to action, what else will this "strike" accomplish? Will it persuade anyone in Sacramento to hold off cutting education or encourage them to insist on maintaining the present level of resources devoted to education in light of the glaring budget deficit? Will anyone in Sacramento even notice?

An even larger problem is perhaps the absence of groundwork laid in order to accomplish this job action. Teachers are conflicted and openly questioning the advisability of this action. Were we even asked our opinion before this was popped on us? How silly will we look if at least half of the membership refuses to participate?

There are other ways to accomplish our goal, methods that go beyond traditional lobbying in the state house. We could mobilize our members to protest these cuts during the summer on a day of the week that does not mess with the education of our students. We could also educate the public about the general problem that California faces: boom-bust state spending; the rigidities imposed by Proposition 13 and the two-thirds requirement for passage of new state taxes; and the iniquities inherent in the present tax system.

Instead, our leadership seem to have chosen the least effective means to accomplish the vaguest of goals. Worse: to accomplish this wispiest of goals, UTLA's leadership requires full support from its members, lest a public humiliation of the union be its fate. Thus, membership is left between a rock and a hard place. We can cooperate with the union's call to action and thus cut our noses off to spite our faces. Or, we can ignore the call to action and see the union leadership humiliated for the paltry response. Neither is a palatable choice. In either event, we are going to look pretty silly! By definition, THAT is not leadership!

Real leadership, on the other hand, crafts specific actions that have a reasonable chance to make an impact and carry the full weight of interested stakeholders behind them. Wouldn't it, therefore, make more sense to organize in as many cities, towns, suburbs and rural centers possible a state-wide protest against proposed budget cuts. Many districts, especially smaller, less urban districts, have already made difficult decisions regarding lay-offs. Let's also invite parents and students to participate by holding the event on a Saturday or a Sunday after school is finished for the year. Here's a suggestion: let's do this on Saturday, 28 June 2008, just before a final budget is due on 1 July 2008.

Change starts locally. If we allow local leadership - whether it's the mayors of our cities, the supervisors of our counties or the leaders of our unions - to call for senseless actions that have precious little chance at success and avoid creative steps that might lead to radical change, how can we expect leadership at the state, federal or global level to behave any differently. The revolution emerges from the base and eventually consumes the summit just as lava works it way from the mantle and explodes from the top of the volcano. That is change! Lead the way, please!