Bullet Train Not All that Environmentally Friendly
Governor Brown wants to use cap and trade fees to help pay for the state’s high speed rail project. Those fees are assessed against enterprises in California that emit greenhouse gases and are supposed to be spent to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Governor Brown argues that the bullet train will reduce greenhouse gases, so spending […]
Beginning to Solve California’s Budget Crisis
We all know California is over its head in budget troubles. The budget deficit is at least a $20 billion, state debt levels are unsustainable, we have racked up overwhelming pension obligations, and no agreement on how to tackle these problems. There is no silver bullet solution-a great many things are going to have to change in California to solve these problems.
Let me suggest two things to start.
First, “Reinventing Government” author and Clinton administration management expert David Osborne provides part of the solution in a new Reason study on how California can build a better budget. The Next California Budget urges the governor and legislature to start from scratch. Rank education versus transportation versus state prisons and evaluate specific programs within these areas. Not everything can be funded, so what are the state’s specific goals and top priorities? What are citizens demanding and what are they willing to live without? Do taxpayers want to reduce spending or raise taxes to achieve the goals they set?