Today’s political climate is so discouraging that I wonder what it actually takes to accomplish anything.

I am so frustrated with a lack of progress on many state and federal issues that I have decided to declare myself the founding member of the Political Agnostics.

The party’s motto shall be “I know there is a political party out there that works, I just have not found it yet.”

Look left and look right, and what I see out there today is not all that encouraging.

If the president has something he wants to do, there is a House and Senate fired up to try and block the attempt. Should House and Senate Democrats have an agenda, the president is sitting there with the big ol’ veto pen in hand, ready to scribble away.

Drop down to the state level and we have Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger traipsing all across the country, issuing his political viewpoints on every issue he can think of. He even issued a formal statement on the shootings this week at Virginia Tech, adding his thoughts to those of every presidential candidate.

Oh great, California’s governor is playing shadow presidential candidate, if not shadow president. How about coming back and focusing on the issues affecting the people of this state before running off to preach bipartisanship on Capitol Hill?

Schwarzenegger’s actions are barely different than those of Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, Rudy Guiliani or any of the pack of candidates trying to gather enough momentum to climb over one another and emerge on Nov. 4, 2008 as Commander in Chief.

At both the state and federal level, let’s see what we can do about issues that do far more than just trickle down here. Lets see someone come up with substantive and effective immigration reform, rather than using it as election fodder, as happened last year.

Anyone out there in Elected Officialville think there’s a way to deal with the oil empires here and make them justify $3.25 and more a gallon for gas while their profits hit all-time highs?

There are dozens of issues to deal with, but solutions seem harder to reach in today’s political climate. The latest argument sure to go round and round, round and round, round and round, is gun control.

Enough arguing already, let’s challenge the parties to come up with people who can produce solutions we all can live with.

Until then, you can join the Political Agnostic Party by posting your acceptance in the comments section of this blog on the Web.

Top online reads

Here’s the list of the 10 most viewed items from the previous week at napavalleyregister.com, just in case you missed them, including the date the item first appeared..

1. I want rent and food for an hour’s pay a day, April 13 Talking Points blog

2. Kid athletes and their mistakes, March 29 Lawley’s Locker Room blog

3. CHP: Silverado crash victim sustains major injuries, April 17

4. Surviving a pet food recall, April 17

5. Racial prejudice runs deep, even here, April 14

6. City proposes layoffs, cutbacks, April 17

7. Judd’s Hill celebrates move into new winery, April 13

8. Two Buck Chuck going green? April 18

9. Napa’s double murder hits TV, book stores, April 16

10. Youngster injured in car crash, April 19

City Editor Dan Ross blogs during the week on local, state and national topics. Take a look at the topics and add your comments to the dialogue at napavalleyregister.com/blogs/dan_ross