The California State legislature did not pass the "compromise" budget as expected this past weekend. That means, for the moment, Californians are spared an increase of $14billion in increased taxes, part of the planned budget.
Now the bad news...
We are also no closer to having a state government that respects its constituents and their tax dollars.
As has been stated here before, this isn't just about money. It is about the job performance of our elected officials and the quality of services provided by the state.
In "Annie Hall", Woody Allen recalls the following joke:
Two elderly women are at a Catskill mountain resort, and one of them says, "Boy, the food at this place is really terrible." The other one says, "Yeah, I know; and such small portions."
Well, our state politicians are trying to push the same joke on us, but are telling it with a straight face. Too many public schools are failing the students, traffic remains gridlocked in our cities, unemployment is on the rise, etc etc etc. So, what is their solution? Throw more money at everything!
We need leaders - not just politicians, but LEADERS - who will take a hard look at every service provided by the government and decide two things: 1 - Do we need this service or not (or, is this a service that should be provided by government or the private sector)?; 2 - If we do need the service, how can we improve its quality and efficiency?
For example, in regards to education, we need to cut the red tape and mounds of paperwork local schools must deal with just to get access to money. Get the funds directly to the local schools for them to spend as they best see fit (working with PTA's and local school boards). Not only does this provide vitally needed local control, it also cuts time and wasted money.
The same can be done for all government programs that are not cut. Give them power and responsibility over the money, with very clear instructions on what the state expects to receive for that funding. No more spending on vague transportation bills that promise improved infrastructure, yet lack in details on how or where the money will be spent. No more giving funds to failing government programs solely because they received money the year before.
State politicians must stand up for the taxpayers' money, and they should provide us access to what we are getting for our dollars. Every organization that receives state taxpayer funding should have to fill out a three page report (no 50 page reports filled with graphs and pie charts). Page 1 should outline their successes during the past year. Page 2, their failures. Page 3 would state how they plan to build on their successes and rectify their failures over the next year. Then, it would be very clear to elected officials how much (if any) of the tax dollars the organization should receive. Of equal importance, those short reports should be posted on a state website for all Californians to see.
Priorities, responsibilities, accountability and specificity. That is how most of us run our personal and business budgets. It must become how California runs our state budget.
The tax hike may have been staved off for another day, but beast remains alive.
CAN THE LOTTERY...Feed the hungry, Not the Beast!
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