Fiddling as Golden State Crumbles : California Dream Turning Bad Through Government Inaction

Remember the rallying cry of the American Revolution: “No taxation without representation!” Today, California offers a new political mantra--”Without responsible representation, who needs taxation?”

While Gov. George Deukmejian extols the virtues of California’s economy, the foundation that sustains our current prosperity is growing weaker by the day. Regional studies by the Southern California Assn. of Governments, the city of San Francisco and private think tanks provide the same inescapable conclusion. The schools, highways, streets and water projects necessary to move our people and commerce are being badly neglected by government.

It didn’t used to be this way. The wholesale abdication of the basic responsibilities of government that we are witnessing today represents a betrayal of the best of California’s not-so-distant past. Governors representing both parties, Earl Warren and Pat Brown, built the foundation for the economic prosperity we still enjoy.

Somewhere along the line our current leaders lost the courage to address the most difficult issues before us. “Tell the people only what they want to hear” has become the guiding principle of politics. “Play it safe. Accept the status quo. Never get caught out front.”

What the pundits of political success fail to note is the price of present day expediency. Failure to address critical issues today just passes on much higher costs to subsequent generations as they attempt to solve problems that will only have gotten worse. Not only will the monetary cost of our neglect and “deferred maintenance” present a tremendous burden to future generations, but hidden beneath the bottom line are what the economists would call “opportunity costs”--declining job opportunities, a spoiled environment and a lower standard of living for most of our people.

The challenges we face today are very real and can only become more painful as our population grows and society becomes increasingly complex. Current fiscal policies are a prescription for economic stagnation, inevitable decline and increasing social unrest as our institutions--schools, hospitals, highways, libraries and prisons--are unable to keep pace with increasing demands.

The status-quo budget recently signed by Deukmejian is just another step down that road leading to a lower standard of living. There is nothing in this budget that will release California from the distinction of having the nation’s worst teacher-student ratio. Nor is there anything that will move California up from a last place ranking in per-capita spending on transportation. These are not designations we can be proud of and they are clear indicators of a declining ability to compete in the world economy.

A recent report issued by the California Economic Development Commission concluded that nothing less than a pact involving all major segments of society would be necessary to address the challenges before us and maintain the quality of life we have come to expect.

Perhaps most indicative of the failure of state government to address critical issues is the fact that transportation spending remains at the same relative level as it was in 1948 even though our population has increased by 150%.

Caught in the fiscal quandary of the so-called Gann Expenditure Limitation and a failure of will to address the problem, Californians can expect action only through one of three options as proposed by the Legislature: a stop-gap Band-Aid funding boost of $4 billion; a change in tax definitions, or an advisory measure suggesting an increase in the fuel tax.

Even these modest initiatives are long-shots to appear on the November ballot, so we’re not likely to see any increase in transportation funding for 2 1/2 years--by which time the state transportation plan that guides spending will run out of funds. Without leadership we’re rapidly approaching paralysis.

No less than 29 initiatives and bond proposals will appear on the November ballot--yet another symptom of the absence of direction in government. Gubernatorial silence and legislative gridlock have resulted in five separate interest-group initiatives that offer various auto insurance “reforms.” Will voters be able to distinguish between them and produce responsible rate reform? Not likely.

Rather than imitating the demagogues who would like to see government fail, now is the time to get about the business of restoring confidence in government, building for the future and responsibly raising revenues such as the gas tax in order to meet our needs.