Memo to California Reformers: Breathe and Read Some History
In the 24 hours after the election, would-be reformers around California have turned on a fire hose of proposals on the media and the public.
Everyone’s selling a solution. Higher taxes. Lower taxes. Tax reform. Spending limits. A lifting of spending programs. Reality-based budgeting. Zero-based budget. Performance-based budgeting. Marijuana-induced budgeting. A new ballot initiative that would require legislators to read the bills before they vote.
And most of all, a California constitutional convention.
Let’s call a time out and breathe. Here’s my own reform proposal for the reformers. Before proposing anything, open up Carey McWilliams 1949 classic, “California: The Great Exception.” You don’t have to read the whole thing, but I’m assigning all of you Chapter 10, entitled “Perilous Remedies for Present Evils.” California has a penchant for the same.
After the failure of the Special Election, where does California go from here
Yesterday, the voters sent a strong message to the California Governor and Legislature – enough is enough! Taxpayers have done their part and will continue to pay their fair share of taxes to the California treasury. After all, California taxpayers pay some of the highest taxes in the nation. Now it’s the time for politicians to give taxpayers something in return: Like topnotch, efficient services and the best value for their tax dollars. We must stop wasteful spending, end programs that don’t work and adjust spending to the revenue stream – that’s what hard working Californians do in their household and business budgets and that’s how their state government should operate.
Taxpayers are willing to pay for education, but they don’t want to pay for increased spending in public school, which has ballooned more than $11 billion in the last six years despite a declined enrollment of 75,000 students. Especially when test scores and drop-out rates have remained stagnant and these problems continue to go unaddressed.
O’Brien to Not Run
A few weeks ago, I wrote a piece titled “A Real Lawman” about the potential candidacy of Tom O’Brien for Attorney General. As you might recall Tom is the extremely effective U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California. He has an impeccable record in fighting crime from human trafficking to cybercrimes to white collar fraud. He has also tackled street gangs in Los Angeles.
I have just learned that Tom has decided against a run for Attorney General at this time. That’s too bad. Not just because I think he would have been a formidable Republican candidate, but because all Californians will not have the opportunity to have someone of his caliber and character as their chief law enforcement official.
The California Republican Party is at its lowest point in decades. If ever there was a time for new faces and new solutions to old problems that time is now. Tom would have brought new energy and vitality to a party that desperately needs it.
Stop the Proposition 65 Shakedown
If I hear one more thing about how Proposition 65 is the great environmental protector I think I am going to have to check myself in. This initiative was passed by the voters of California in 1986. Whatever the voters thought they were doing has really turned into a windfall for a small group of attorneys.
Recently, our esteemed Attorney General Jerry Brown, posted the 2008 list of Proposition 65 settlements for our state. It is an absolute joke what is going on in California in the name of environmental protection. One firm, the Environmental Law Foundation, had one settlement against Laidlaw for $6.6 million. Guess what the attorney’s fee was in the case – $6.6 million. The Mateel Environmental Justice Foundation had 39 settlements for a total of $1,775,300. Its fees totaled $1,060,000. Insane and it gets better.
One organization called the Consumer Advocacy Group seems to have boutique practice at tackling Prop. 65 warnings. The firm had 31 settlements totaling $1,003,250. Its fees… $972,750! Are you kidding me!?!?!?!?!?!