Has California become too complex to be governed effectively, regardless of who is governor or which party is in power?

Does the state's bicameral Legislature need to be wiped out and replaced with a new system?

The answer to both questions is “yes,” according to syndicated columnist Dan Walters, who has spent more than 30 years covering and commenting on capitol politics.

Walters served up his analysis of the state's political climate and its impact on Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's performance at the UCSB Economic Forecast Project's economic outlook symposium Friday at Allan Hancock College.

In a presentation peppered with his dry wit, Walters said Schwarzenegger was elected on promises to help the state recover from the budget deficit, reform the political process and rebuild the state's infrastructure.

But his efforts were blocked not only by partisanship and special interests in the Legislature but also by the voters themselves, who rejected his propositions on the ballot.

As a result, Schwarzenegger was forced to conform to the political process.

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“In effect ... to survive politically, regain his popularity and get re-elected, he essentially had to give in,” Walters said. “In the end, rather than reform the political structure, he had to adapt to it.

He was able to get some bonds approved to upgrade the state's infrastructure, but he couldn't reform government because he needed the Democratic Legislature's cooperation and he ended up having to borrow more money to finance a deficit budget.

Walters said part of the problem lies in the fact that California has the most complex society that's ever existed, its people grappling with problems that have never been dealt with before.

The state is incredibly diverse economically, geographically and politically, with people unable to agree on anything.

“When you go through the Gaviota tunnel, you're in a different culture,” he said, noting the proposal to create Mission County out of the northern portion of Santa Barbara County “was about cultural conflicts.”

There are so many factions - and factions within factions - that it's impossible to get a consensus on anything, Walters said.

“The governor naively believed the capitol was a place of people, that there were people in that building,” he said. “He was convinced he could get their cooperation.

“He found out the capitol is not a place of people; it's a place of interests. The legislators are essentially pawns in that game.”

Walters asked, if Schwarzenegger, with all his skills of persuasion, can't govern California effectively, who can?

“We are testing the American system of government,” he continued. “Can we even function at all when we achieve the level of complexity we have in California?”

Asked how he would fix state government if he woke up tomorrow as governor, Walters said he would “call for jihad” against the current system.

He said he would do away with the bicameral Legislature and create a parliamentary-style single house twice the size of the current Legislature and eliminate all the laws that prohibit the formation of additional political parties.

“Essentially, I'd wipe the slate clean and start all over,” he said.

Mike Hodson can be reached at 739-2221 or mhodgson@timespressrecorder.com.

May 12, 2007