POLITICIAN WATCH : Camera Ready?

Keeping Americans interested in public affairs requires both press and television. To their shame, California TV stations closed down their Sacramento bureaus years ago. So it is hardly surprising that a recent poll showed that only 12% of Californians could name their state representatives and another poll showed that some even think Congress runs California, with help from some governor.

A foundation-funded group, California Channel, has begun televising Assembly sessions, feeding coverage through cable networks to about 2 million viewers, hoping to reduce what it calls the isolation of Sacramento from the people.

One hopes that the exercise will disprove the allegation that the California Legislature doesn’t do much, or that what it does it doesn’t do very well. Or at least one hopes that televising Assembly sessions will give the politicians a chance to win back the public’s favor, demonstrate their political skills, rally public opinion behind their work.

Has anything changed in the first weeks of the telecasts? Well, one member showed up on the floor with a paper bag over his head. Some members are wearing brighter neckties. The quality of dialogue has not greatly improved. One member recently called for a vote on his “good bill” without mentioning what the bill was about. Weird.

But it took time for people to lose interest in state government. It will take more than a three-week test to draw their attention back. The Legislature can make television coverage permanent for less than it used to spend to print constituent newsletters. It should keep the cameras on.