When Sonoma County Supervisor Valerie Brown announced this afternoon that she wants to maintain funding for the Orenda Center drug and alcohol treatment program, Orenda Center supporters applauded. But Brown asked them to stop.

Six years ago, the brawny movie star rode into town on a promise to kick butt and take names. Remember? Unfortunately, his good intentions ran headlong into the immoveable object. These days, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is just another garden-variety politician, humbled by his failure to slay the beast that is state government.

The announcement came only 58 minutes after the polls closed on Tuesday night. With the defeat of ballot measures designed to stave off a financial calamity, the Bay Area Council was amping up its campaign to re-invent state government.

Even in liberal Sonoma County, the message from voters was clear and unequivocal: We're tired of the endless posturing and paralysis. We're tired of the smoke and mirrors. We're tired of government pretending that it's not subject to the same economic realities as everyone else. If state government has to crash and burn, well, so be it.

I'm heading out to vote, mindful of what a friend said about this election: I'll vote with two hands, he said, one to mark the ballot and the other to hold my nose.

For many years, in good times and bad, the people who represent us in Sacramento have rejected every opportunity to bring spending in line with revenue. They also refused to put money aside for hard times. Now they have a crisis, and no one trusts them.