In a terrific column for the June 3, 2003 Los Angeles Times, Patti Morrison shoots down the arguments against the High School Exit Exam and the racism of low-expectations. At the end of the article, she proposes that if every high school student just learned the following list of 100 words by graduation, the need for a language exam might not be so acute. The list of suggested words is put out by Houghton Mifflin, the publishers of the American Heritage Dictionary and can be viewed at http://www.houghtonmifflinbooks.com/booksellers/press_release/100words/.

Between June of 2003 and January of 2004, the Leonard Letter featured a few of these words each week. After the definitions were sentences applying the word to California politics or current events, often the recall of Gray Davis and election of Arnold Schwarzenegger, which dominated the news during this time.

Abjure (v)—to render under oath; to repudiate; to give up (an action or practice): The California Legislature should abjure the habit of spending more money than the state collects in revenues.
Abrogate (v)—to abolish, do away with, or annul, especially by authority: The California Governor has abrogated his responsibility to pass a responsible budget.
Abstemious (adj)—sparingly used or consumed; restricted to bear necessities: Rather than raising taxes, the Legislature should consider passing an abstemious budget instead of expanding services, creating new programs and hiring more state workers.
Acumen (n)—quickness, accuracy, and keenness of judgement or insight. No one could accuse the California Legislature of handling the state’s budget with great acumen given its tardiness and inaccuracy.
Antebellum (n)—belong to a period before a war, especially the American Civil War. During the antebellum, the U.S. government was funded primarily by tariffs, but after the Civil War, the pressure for an ongoing income tax grew.
Auspicious (adj)—attended by favorable circumstances, marked by prosperity or success. If the Legislature would pass real workers’ comp reform and the Governor would reign in state overspending, California’s economy could be auspicious once again.
Belie (v)—to misrepresent; to contradict: Previous experience belies the Governor’s belief that tax increase will generate as much new revenue as he predicts.
Bellicose (adj)—warlike in manner; having or showing a disposition to fight: Senator Republican Leader Jim Brulte is bellicose in his opposition to tax increases.
Bowdlerize (v)—to modify or omit parts considered offensive: Republicans would like to bowdlerize tax increases from the Governor’s budget to make it more acceptable to taxpayers.
Chicanery (n)—deception by trickery or sophistry: The governor and legislature are being accused of chicanery for saying they are not raising the car tax because the increase is being implemented administratively.
Chromosome (n)—a strand of DNA that contains the hereditary information necessary for cell life: The liberals in the Legislature cannot bring themselves to cut spending; it is if the need to spend tax dollars is in their chromosomes.
Churlish (adj)—surly, difficult to work with, intractable: Those who want to raise taxes say that Senator Brulte is churlish; those who do not want to pay higher taxes appreciate his unwavering commitment.
Circumlocution (n.)-- The use of unnecessarily wordy and indirect language. The Republican position on the budget has not been filled with circumlocution; they have been very clear and direct in their demand for no tax hikes.
Circumnavigate (tr. v.)-- To go around; circumvent. Successful resolution of this year’s budget crisis may require circumnavigating the Assembly and Governor; Senators Burton and Brulte may just have to write the budget themselves.
Deciduous (adj.)-- Falling off or shed at a specific season or stage of growth. Would it not be useful if we have a deciduous budget process where state programs simply go away when they have outlived their usefulness?
Deleterious (adj.)-- Having a harmful effect: The absence of a state budget will begin to have a deleterious effect on people who provides services to or receive services from the state soon.
Diffident (adj.) -- Marked by a lack of self-confidence; shy, timid: Proponents of the Recall Governor Davis campaign are anything but diffident; in fact, their confidence and energy seems to grow daily.
Enervate (tr.v.) – To weaken or destroy the strength or vitality of: To paraphrase Chief Justice Marshall – the power to tax is the power to enervate.
Enfranchise(tr.v.) --- to endow with rights of citizenship, especially the right to vote: California voters have been enfranchised with the powers of initiative, referendum and recall, the latter of which they are now exercising with vigor.
Epiphany (n.pl.) --- a sudden manifestation of the essence or meaning of something: A few Democrats have had epiphanies that high workers’ comp rates and increasing unemployment insurance premiums are driving businesses out of the state.
Equinox (n.) --- either of two times of the year when the sun crosses the plane of the earth’s equator and a day and night are of equal length, about March 21^st and September 22^nd: If the stalemate continues, California may experience a budgetary equinox this year—the length of time without a budget may equal the time with one.
Euro (n.) --- the basic unit of currency among participating European Union countries: Gov. Davis wishes the California economy would emulate the recent financial performance of the Euro.
Evanescent (adj.) --- vanishing or likely to vanish like vapor: Budget agreements can be evanescent in Sacramento during June and July; believe nothing until it is voted but the Legislature, signed by the Governor, and delivered to be chaptered by the Secretary of State.
Expurgate (tr.v.) --- to remove erroneous, vulgar, obscene, or otherwise objectionable material before publication: It will be impossible to expurgate the final budget to please everyone; even those who vote for it will find some parts of it objectionable.
Facetious (adj.) --- given to wit and good humor; cleverly amusing in tone: Senator Ross Johnson’s ‘Red Ink Diaries’ brought a facetious face to the many spending abuses in state government.
Fatuous (adj.) --- vacuously, smugly and unconsciously foolish; delusive; unreal: The Democrats are subject to the fatuous thinking that tax increases will not further damage the state’s economy.
Feckless (adj.) --- lacking purpose or vitality; feeble or ineffective; careless and irresponsible: One of the reasons for the enthusiasm behind the Davis recall is the public’s perception that he is a feckless leader.
Fiduciary (adj.) --- of or relating to a holding of something in trust for another: Elected officials have fiduciary responsibilities to the voters who entrust them with running the government efficiently.
Filibuster (n.) --- a tactic to delay or obstruct legislation by making long speeches: At times, a lawmaker may believe the best means of carrying out his fiduciary responsibility is to engage in a filibuster to keep a bad bill from moving through the process.
Gamete (n.) --- a mature sexual reproductive cell having a single set of unpaired chromosomes: What do you get when you cross the gamete of an Assembly Republican with an Assembly Democrat’s? We do not know its never been tried.
Gauche (adj.) --- lacking social polish; tactless: It may be gauche for the Democrat Party, which controls the executive and legislative branches, to claim the budget crisis is the fault of the Republican Party minority, but they are doing it anyway.
Gerrymander (tr.v.) --- to divide a geographic area into voting districts so as to give unfair advantage to one party in elections: The 2000 redistricting process resulted in California having a new kind of gerrymander that resulted in groups of safe districts for each party.
Hegemony (n.pl.) --- the predominant influence, as of a state, region or group, over others: The great out migration from California over the last decade has created a Democrat hegemony in California, mitigated only by the Constitutional requirement for a 2/3^rd vote on tax increases and the budget.
Hemoglobin (n.) --- the iron-containing respiratory element in red blood cells of vertebrates which is necessary for life: If California’s deficit is not resolved soon, the opposing parties will need a transfusion of hemoglobin to sustain them.
Homogeneous (adj.) --- of the same of similar nature or kind: The Republicans in the Legislature are of a homogeneous mind when it comes to opposing tax increases.
Hubris (n.) --- overbearing pride or presumption; arrogance: Voters find many politicians’ hubris to be off-putting.
Hypotenuse (n.) --- the side of a right triangle opposite the right angle: Last week it was confirmed that Arnold Schwarzenegger had a colorful past, but no one expected this body builder- turned-movie star to have lived a life as straight as a hypotenuse.
Impeach (tr.v.) --- to make an accusation against; to charge a public official with improper conduct in office before a proper tribunal; to challenged the validity of, try to discredit: The recall of Gray Davis is an impeachment of his service as Governor.
Incognito (adj & adv) --- with one’s identity disguised or concealed: When higher car tax bills hit mailboxes, legislators who supported the hike may want to return to their districts incognito to avoid being the target of public outrage.
Incontrovertible (adj.) --- impossible to dispute: It is inconvertible that California government is in serious financial trouble.
Inculcate (tr.v.) --- To teach (others) by frequent instruction or repetition; indoctrinate: We should try to inculcate future political leaders with this basic tenant: if you spend more money than you take in, it is a recipe for disaster.
Infrastructure (n.) --- An underlying base or foundation especially for an organization or system; the basic facilities, services, and installations needed for the functioning of a community or society, such as transportation and communications systems, water and power lines, and public institutions including schools, post offices, and prisons: Despite the gross amount of overspending in recent years, California has not invested in its infrastructure, leaving our schools, colleges, roads, hospitals, water systems, sewer systems, courthouses, and prisons inadequate for the growth we are experiencing.
Interpolate (v) --- To insert or introduce between other elements or parts; in mathematics to estimate a value of (a function or series) between two known values: California’s bureaucracy and regulations have grown so much that they now interpolate themselves into nearly every aspect of our daily lives.
Irony (n) --- The use of words to express something different from and often opposite to their literal meaning; incongruity between what might be expected and what actually occurs. Electoral math could result in the outcome of the recall election being ironic: in an attempt to oust an unpopular Governor, we could end up with a new Governor who has even less popular support than Gray Davis.
Jejune (adj) --- Not interesting; dull; lacking maturity; childish: The behavior of many political candidates is jejune for voters interested in serious solutions to serious problems.
Kinetic (adj.) 1. relating to the motion of material bodies and the forces associated therewith; 2. characterized by motion; 3. supplying motive force: Congressman Darrel Issa’s large financial donation was the recall’s kinetic kickstart.
Kowtow (intr. v.) To show servile deference: Gray Davis has been criticized for kowtowing to the leftist agenda of the Democrat Legislative Caucus.
Laissez faire (n.) An economic doctrine that opposes governmental regulation of or interference in commerce beyond the minimum necessary for a free-enterprise system to operate according to its own economic laws; Noninterference in the affairs of others: Most of California’s economic problems stem from state government policies that place huge burdens on those who create jobs; to reverse that problem the pendulum must swing toward laissez faire policies.
Lexicon (n) Dictionary: Last week’s gubernatorial debate introduced at least one new word into California’s political lexicon: Terminator.
Loquacious (adj) Very talkative; garrulous: I wonder, if Arianna Huffington does get a role in "Terminator 4" will she be even more loquacious than she was at the debate?
Lugubrious (adj) Mournful, dismal, or gloomy, especially to an exaggerated or ludicrous degree: Arianna Huffington and Cruz Bustamante accused Arnold Schwarzenneger of having a lugubrious outlook on the state’s economy, but they are misled if they do not realize that our business climate is as dismal as he said.
Metamorphosis (n) --- A transformation; a marked change in appearance, character, condition, or function: Tomorrow’s recall election could cause a terrific metamorphosis in California politics.
Mitosis (n) --- The process in cell division by which the nucleus divides: While cell division is a predictable, scientific process, the political mitosis we have seen in California has been much more haphazard and the results are less foreseeable.
Moiety (n) --- A half, part, portion, or share: The philosophy of the welfare state is that the government can give a moiety to each resident by taking from those that produce more.
Nanotechnology (n) --- The science and technology of building electronic circuits and devices from single atoms and molecules: California’s job climate must become more inviting if we are to attract the high-paying and creative jobs that come with fields like nanotechnology.
Nihilism (n) --- 1) Philosophy. a. An extreme form of skepticism that denies all existence; b. a doctrine holding that all values are baseless and that nothing can be known or communicated; 2) Rejection of all distinctions in moral or religious value and a willingness to repudiate all previous theories of morality or religious belief; 3) The belief that destruction of existing political or social institutions is necessary for future improvement: George Will’s criticism of the recall crosses the line and wrongfully paints Californians as nihilistic for their having rejected the traditional means of representative government in their eagerness to fix what is wrong in the state.
Nomenclature (n) --- A system of names used in an art or science: California’s political nomenclature is adapting with the recall and identifying a new breed of voter called the Schwarzenegger Conservative.
Nonsectarian (adj) Not limited to or associated with a particular religious denomination: Arnold Schwarzennger’s transition team is politically nonsectarian, pulling from the left, right and center of California politics.
Notarize (tr. v.) To certify or attest to (the validity of a signature on a document, for example) as a notary public: The Secretary of State has until November 15 to notarize the recall vote and make it official.
Obsequious (adj) Full of or exhibiting servile compliance; fawning: Governor-elect Schwarzenegger has an advantage over other newly elected officials in that he is familiar with many people’s obsequious behavior around famous, powerful people and, therefore, less likely to succumb to it.
Oligarchy (n) --- Government by a few, especially by a small faction of persons or families: I worry that term limits and the lack of competitive legislative districts has rendered our Legislature into a liberal oligarchy.
Omnipotent (adj) --- Having unlimited or universal power, authority, or force: The liberal faction that runs the Legislature cannot continue to believe in omnipotent powers now that we have a Republican Governor.
Orthography (n) --- The art or study of correct spelling according to established usage: Copy editors around the state are brushing up on the orthography of the Governor-elect’s last name.
Oxidize (v.) --- To combine with oxygen; make into an oxide: Oxides of nitrogen degrade the quality of California’s air but dramatically so when arson terrorists light up our wildlands.
Parabola (n.) --- A plane curve formed by the intersection of a right circular cone and a plane parallel to an element of the cone or by the locus of points equidistant from a fixed line and a fixed point not on the line: The new parabolic skis make it easier to execute quick turns, a talent that politicians have had for generations.
Paradigm (n.) --- A set of assumptions, concepts, values, and practices that constitutes a way of viewing reality for the community that shares them, especially in an intellectual discipline: Arnold Schwarzenegger’s election may well constitute a shifting paradigm for California voters who are tired of politics as usual.
Parameter (n)--- One of a set of measurable factors, such as temperature and pressure, that define a system and determine its behavior and are varied in an experiment; a factor that determines a range of variations; a boundary: In politics, as in science, it is necessary to define the parameters of the situation, but it will take some time before all of the variables that contribute to the Schwarzenegger administration are known let alone measurable.
Pecuniary (adj) --- Of or relating to money: Governor-elect Schwarzenegger’s biggest challenges are pecuniary, although the recent wildfires also present issues relating to forest management, environmental concerns and emergency resources.
Photosynthesis (n) --- The process in green plants and certain other organisms by which carbohydrates are synthesized from carbon dioxide and water using light as an energy source. Most forms of photosynthesis release oxygen as a byproduct: Noxious weeds are particularly efficient at photosynthesis and their quick growth crowds out native plants from being re-established after a wildfire.
Plagiarize (v.) --- To use and pass off (the ideas or writings of another) as one's own: Legislative plagiarism is not only common, but necessary in an era of term limits when a few years in office is not enough to get a bill passed so the idea must be turned over to the next officeholder.
Plasma (n.) --- Cell-free, sterilized blood plasma, used in transfusions: One of my first cases as a Board member involved applying the manufacturer investment credit to a biopharmaceutical company that produces medical products from donated human plasma.
Polymer (n.) --- Any of numerous natural and synthetic compounds of usually high molecular weight consisting of up to millions of repeated linked units, each a relatively light and simple molecule: Political polymers are the time tested method for political parties to gain strength by linking together a number of individual issue groups to form a powerful governing coalition.
Precipitous (adj) --- Resembling a precipice; extremely steep; a sharp drop: California’s tax revenues are not in precipitous danger, but you could never tell this from the liberal drumbeat to raise tax rates.
Quasar (n) --- An extremely distant, and thus old, celestial object whose power output is several thousand times that of our entire galaxy: The sooner that the Legislature recognizes that Governor Schawarzenegger is the quasar and they are orbiting asteroids, the sooner they will respond seriously to his agenda.
Quotidian (adj) --- Everyday; commonplace: Although last week’s inaugural ceremony was low-key, it was anything but quotidian.
Recapitulate (v) --- To repeat in concise form: Governor Schwarzenegger will have to recapitulate his reform message to Democrat legislators many times.
Reciprocal (adj) --- Concerning each of two or more persons or things; interchanged, given, or owed to each other; performed, experienced, or felt by both sides; interchangeable; complementary: One of the reasons for Gray Davis’s failure as Governor was the lack of reciprocal respect he showed to the legislature early on in his tenure when he announced that the legislature’s purpose was to implement his will.
Reparation (n) --- The act or process of repairing or the condition of being repaired; the act or process of making amends, expiation; something done or paid to compensate or make amends: Governor Schwarzenegger was elected on a platform of making reparations for the recently imposed tripling of the car tax.
Respiration (n)--- The act or process of inhaling and exhaling; breathing: Californians are respirating easier now that we have a new Governor who is committed to solving the state’s financial woes.
Sanguine (adj)--- 1: confidently optimistic and cheerful 2: inclined to a healthy reddish color: Economic predictions have turned sanguine following news of greater productivity.
Soliloquy (n)--- The act of talking to one's self; a discourse made by one in solitude to one's self; monologue: As an actor, Arnold Schwarzenegger may have delivered dramatic soliloquies, but as Governor, his State of the State address will be the beginning of a great dialogue about the future of our state.
Subjugate (v)--- To bring under control: Governor Schwarzenegger is attempting to subjugate the legislature’s desire to spend.
Suffragist (n) --- An advocate of the extension of political voting rights, especially to women: In 1911 California’s male voters approved a statewide referendum on women's right to vote by a wide margin, making California the sixth state in the nation to approve women’s suffrage.
Supercilious (adj) --- Feeling or showing haughty disdain: In rejecting the Governor’s call for a spending cap, the legislature has demonstrated its supercilious attitude toward voters’ demand for reform.
Tautology (n) 1: (in logic) a statement that is necessarily true; "the statement `he is brave or he is not brave' is a tautology" 2: useless repetition; "to say that something is `adequate enough' is a tautology": The Democrats engage in tautology when they argue that taxes are not high enough for the state budget’s needs.
Taxonomy (n) classification of organisms into groups based on similarities of structure or origin, etc.: A political taxonomy of California would show a shift away from the far-left and a growth in self-proclaimed nonpartisans.
Tectonic (adj) 1: (geology) pertaining to the structure or movement of the earth's crust; 2: of or pertaining to construction or architecture: The recall election was as the political equivalent of tectonic plate movement during a California earthquake.
Tempestuous (adj) --- Tumultuous; stormy: Governor Gray Davis’ tempestuous relationship with the voters of California resulted in his recall.
Thermodynamics (n) --- The science which treats of the mechanical action or relations of heat: Senator Everett Dirksen used to say that if you make politicians feel the heat they will soon see the light; this is simply the principle of thermodynamics applied to politics.
Totalitarian (adj) --- form of government in which the political authority exercises absolute and centralized control over all aspects of life, the individual is subordinated to the state, and opposing political and cultural expression is suppressed: President Bush’s efforts in Iraq have eliminated the totalitarian regime and are working to foster an open, democratic political system.
Unctuous (adj) --- Characterized by affected, exaggerated, or insincere earnestness; of the nature or quality of an unguent or ointment; fatty; oily; greasy: Lt. Gov. Bustamante could not even manage an unctuous treatment of Governor Schwarzenegger at the State of the State; he treated the Governor with a critical and ungracious manner.
Usurp (v) --- To seize and hold (the power or rights of another, for example) by force and without legal authority: Some legislators believe the Governor usurped their authority in his executive order backfill the car tax revenues to local governments.
Vacuous (adj) --- Devoid of matter; empty; lacking intelligence; stupid; devoid of substance or meaning; inane: Californians are anticipating a budget debate that is serious and substantive, not vacuous discussions of pat positions with no attempts to find common ground.
Vehement (adj) --- Characterized by forcefulness of expression or intensity of emotion or conviction: Governor Schwarzenegger is vehement that California government needs to be seriously reformed if our economy is to prosper.
Vortex (n) --- 1) A spiral motion of fluid within a limited area, especially a whirling mass of water or air that sucks everything near it toward its center; 2) A place or situation regarded as drawing into its center all that surrounds it: Governor Schwarzenegger has become not only a political but also a social vortex in Sacramento.
Winnow (v) --- To examine closely in order to separate the good from the bad; sift: The budget process should be a winnowing process of determining what programs the state can afford and what programs cannot be a priority at this time.
Wrought (p.t. of work) --- now used to signify "work" in particular senses: fashioned, ornamented, shaped by tools: The state budget will be wrought in many late night negotiating sessions over the next several months.
Xenophobe (n) --- A person unduly fearful or contemptuous of that which is foreign, especially of strangers or foreign peoples: Many Californians are concerned about the economic consequences of illegal immigration, but others are just xenophobic.
Yeoman (n) --- An attendant, servant, or lesser official in a royal or noble household; a petty officer performing chiefly clerical duties in the U.S. Navy; a diligent, dependable worker: To whoever is willing to perform yeoman work on the budget will be given the credit for setting our fiscal priorities.
Ziggurat (n) --- A temple tower of the ancient Assyrians and Babylonians, having the form of a terraced pyramid of successively receding stories: There is actually a ziggurat in Sacramento now owned by the California Department of General Services, but I doubt if it is a temple to state government.