zyzyly

I walked down to the State Capitol this afternoon, to take a look at the preparations fo tomorrow’s inauguration of Arnold Schwarzenegger as the next governor of California.

It was quite a zoo. There were satellite trucks backed up for blocks from news departments from all over the country. Even Fox News was there to make sure we received fair and balanced coverage.

guys working

There were hundreds of people running around putting last minute touches and making sure everything was ready to go.

There is a huge stage set up in front of the west entrance to the Capitol, but it is closed to the public. I started to wander up there but was turned back. Apparently waving a camera in a Highway Patrol Officer's face isn’t considered “press credentials”.

interviews

The news crews were out in force interviewing all the important people, who were out in force looking important and talking to each other on cell phones. I had my cell phone, but it wasn’t ringing.

sleeping guy

No one seemed too interested in interviewing this guy.

alan

This is Alan. No one was interviewing him either, so I thought I would ask him a few questions. He sleeps down the street from the Capitol, by the banks of the Sacramento River. It gets cold there at night.

I asked him what he thought of the current political situation, and whether he thought a Schwarzenegger administration would make a difference in his life.

He told me that the thing that would really make a difference right now was if he had enough to get something to eat.

I reflected that Alan was one of the disenfranchised—those who have absolutely no political clout. They don’t really mean anything to politicians of either party. Their opinions are irrelevant.

He didn’t get an invitation to the inauguration.

I didn’t get one either.

None of my friends are invited.

In fact, it is completely closed to the public.

There is only enough room for big donors, celebrities and other politicians.

Hey.

fenced off