CALIFORNIA'S GOVERNING STYLE
Here's a story that illustrates how California has gotten in such a mess: Every cause produces a regulation or a subsidy. In a state where most citizens pay little attention to politics--civil society is actually primary--concentrated interests have disproportionate clout, even more than in most places.
State Senate President Pro Tem John Burton, D-San Francisco, is expected to introduce a bill this week that would virtually prohibit foie gras by essentially putting the Western United States' sole producer out of business while denying chefs ready access to the hyper-fattened duck liver.
The idea is being viewed with alarm by high-end restaurants in California and across the nation that serve foie gras, a dish enjoyed by many who fancy haute cuisine.
I'm not a big foie gras fan, and I do think the way they feed the ducks is great, but this is the perfect sort of debate to leave to suasion. Californians are, after all, quite receptive to arguments that they shouldn't eat this or that.