A new political advocacy group, California Forward has been established to further the pie in the sky notion of governing from the center. Its websitesays its charting a new path to more effective state governance and helping the state overcome political gridlock and improve government performance. All of this is counter to 158 years of state history.

Don't get me wrong, I too get frustrated at the performance of our elected leaders and the slow, bureaucratic nature of government, but we shouldn't be so naïve to think that special interests will lay down their weapons in the middle of a political debate so that people can feel that Democrats and Republicans are working together to solve the state's problems.

And why should they, we're talking about people engaged in politics after all.

So long as humans are involved, so too will their natural interests, whether that be the belief in progressive taxation or cutting taxes, welfare for the poor and sick or ending the social welfare state.

Californian Forward may seek to influence the public to support political compromise, but it will not end my beliefs about government's role in health care for children and the working poor, increasing public education spending on a per capita basis from K-College or ensuring the wealthy meet their share of taxes.

Surely they cannot expect me to stop lobbying for the issues I advocate, in deference to some middle of the road policy on any given issue which I may find objectionable.

For far too long, I have heard these people who want to come together to change the nature of politics by governing from the center. These same folks predictably want to reform redistricting.

But as the old saying goes, if it ain't broke, don't fix it. Redistricting, which is only done once every 10 years, except in Texas is not broken, but humans, indeed some conservative Republicans don't like their minority party status.

There is no reason to change the rules that have been in place for some 158 years. They should change their political arguments. They should register and turnout more voters that are not Democrats if they want to change the political decision-making. None of this involves tinkering with the constitution.

Even if you create your non-partisan redistricting commission which actually includes partisans (5 Republicans and 5 Democrats) by construct the commission will still be held to the same U.S. constitutional standard applied to every state. And since there are still more Democrats than Republicans, you will still see more legislative districts that must be carved in that manner.

They will also have to consider race and ethnicity when they determine the districts just as the state legislature does now. What will change, largely nothing.

The Capitol Weekly reports California Forward will also start a political lobbying arm or 501(c)(4) which will also allow them to participate in elections. Its first effort is the California Voters First Act. This is an initiative to create a 14-member Citizens Redistricting Commission with five Republicans, five Democrats and four independents. The effort started in October with an agreement between Common Cause, the AARP and the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce, and members are currently gathering signatures with the goal of getting on the November ballot.

Government heavy hitters, Business lobby are at the table, but organized labor, a key stakeholder in Sacramento is ominously missing from the makeup of this non-partisan group while the ultra-conservative Business Roundtable and state Chamber of Commerce are represented. So it already appears tilted in one direction.

I suppose governing from the center means governing for business interests only. Please correct me if I'm wrong.

Here's a list of its founding board.

Thomas V. McKernan, co-chair, Chief Executive Officer, Automobile Club of Southern California
Leon E. Panetta, co-chair, Founder and Director, Leon and Sylvia Panetta Institute for Public Policy, California State University Monterey Bay
Thomas J. "Tom" Campbell, Bank of America Dean and Professor of Business, Haas School of Business, University of California Berkeley
R. William "Bill" Hauck, President, California Business Roundtable
Antonia Hernández, President and Chief Executive Officer, California Community Foundation
Fred Keeley, Treasurer, Santa Cruz County
Stewart Kwoh, President and Executive Director, Asian Pacific American Legal Center of Southern California
Sunne Wright McPeak, President and Chief Executive Officer, California Emerging Technology Fund
Bruce McPherson, former California Secretary of State
Charles "Chuck" Poochigian, former State Senator and Assemblymember
Cruz Reynoso, former Associate Justice, California Supreme Court and the Third District Court of Appeal
Constance L. "Connie" Rice, Co-Director, Advancement Project
Eugene J. "Gene" Voiland, President and Chief Executive Officer (retired), Aera Energy LLC