Economy, war, water hot topics for 2008

E-Mail

Comments (0)

Text Size:

tool goes here

As a New Year's resolution, you may have decided to get informed on politics, so that you can head to the polls with an enlightened perspective.

All right, stop laughing. More likely, you want to lose 20 pounds, pick up a foreign language and maybe do some volunteer work.

But either way, 2008 promises to be a banner year for politics, with three elections featuring issues of local, state and national importance to be decided.

For the harried voter who's unsure he or she will have time to get into finer points of foreign policy, water issues or immigration, here are some trends to keep an eye on this year. How they play out will have much to do with how decisions -- and votes -- are made:

ECONOMY: This newspaper's number of public notices for foreclosures is strong evidence that pocketbook issues are going to be tops for many people.

Many economic experts believe the housing meltdown will spill into the larger economy, making many people tighten their spending and possibly bringing a full-scale recession.

In such times, voters will be listening for candidates who can create, or at least promise, real solutions for such issues as wages, housing and credit.

If the economy slumps further, count on plenty of rhetoric at all levels about cutting spending, using government leverage to boost the economy, and even the need to raise revenue, which means -- gasp! -- taxes.

IMMIGRATION: Tackling immigration issues has proven to be a third rail for politicians at the federal level, who have all but stopped talking about the need for reform.

But many voters still are concerned, sometimes virulently so, over ongoing illegal immigration as well as any possible amnesty for illegal immigrants.

A downtrodden economy could combine with this issue if voters think immigrants are a drain on resources or jobs, and began holding feet to fire on the issue.

WATER: At a highway worker's pace, state officials are crafting a new water policy they want to put before voters. But there still are huge disagreements on storage, conservation and environmental effects.

Watch the skies above to see how this topic develops. Another dry winter in Northern California could force the issue on a number of fronts, from farmers who worry about a reliable water supply to city officials who will consider mandatory restrictions on water use.

Crafting policy during a crisis is a good way to craft bad policy, but there may be no choice for politicians.

And don't forget about the global warming crowd, which will point to a budding drought as a sign that drastic measures need to be taken on a number of fronts.

WAR IN IRAQ: Hostilities are at a low ebb in Iraq, and that's blunted most agitation over the war. And there's another, more sober reality: Aside from perhaps gas prices, most families with no active-duty military members aren't directly affected by the conflict.

But a surge in insurgent activity, or distress in other regions such as Afghanistan or Pakistan, might lead to an uptick in military activity. And that will bring the protest marches and flag lapels right back.

The issue could be sensitive for many first-time congressmen, many of whom were elected in 2006 on an anti-war platform. Rep. Jerry McNerney, D-Pleasanton, could face questions over whether he's done as much to end the war as he vowed he would before he was elected.

HEALTH CARE: There seems to be a good chance that California voters will weigh in this year on a state-crafted plan to provide/mandate health insurance for all.

Health care costs aren't dropping, and as a subset of economic concerns, many voters worry about those costs. But small businesses, insurance companies and others are likely to wage an expensive war over the state plan's merits, and heat, rather than light, is likely to mark the debate.

And there are questions about whether the state's "something for everyone" plan is visionary enough to solve California's health care issues.

Bee staff writer Ben van der Meer can be reached at bvandermeer@modbee.com or 578-2331.