Adios to a Mean Initiative

It’s always good news when a bad end comes to an ugly proposition.

So let the rejoicing begin: Ten years after voters passed Proposition 187, threatening to bar illegal-immigrant children from public schools and health services, a similarly mean-spirited measure by the same group fell short of the signatures needed to qualify for the ballot.

Californians may well understand now that it’s in everyone’s best interests to have an educated and healthy population, and that most issues related to illegal immigration belong in the federal government’s hands.

But other, more practical considerations also guided the failure of the “Save Our State” initiative. Key among them was the decision by the Republican Party leadership and Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger not to fund or support the initiative.

Ten years ago, party leaders, from then-Gov. Pete Wilson down, embraced and funded Proposition 187. Though the courts later struck it down, the proposition had long-lasting, if unintended, results: Latinos distanced themselves from the Republican Party and started registering to vote in greater numbers.

This presidential election year, the state has at least 1 million more Latino registered voters -- and Republicans declined to make the same mistake twice.

Like Proposition 187, the new proposal would have created nothing but problems for the state. One provision would have made it a misdemeanor for state and local officials, such as police officers, not to report illegal immigrants to federal authorities. Police have good reason to resist enforcing federal laws -- so that immigrant communities might report crimes and act as witnesses.

Those who seek to divide California along ethnic lines and push a financially foundering state into taking on federal responsibilities failed to notice that people have other pressing concerns: the terrorist threat, the economy, drastic cutbacks in state services, the presidential election.

California is looking at the future, not back at initiatives that failed 10 years ago. The initiative’s organizers say they’ll be back with a new petition in 90 days.

Let them not forget a great American tradition: three strikes and you’re out.