The history of the California State budgeting process makes it clear that neither major political party is truly interested in the welfare of its citizens. Rather it seems that the budget is held hostage every year in the service of getting re-elected. Each year, in spite of the fact that the Constitution of the State of California mandates that the budget be passed by a fixed date, both parties go beyond that date so that they can show their constituents that they have been forced, kicking and screaming into compromise.
The Republicans had to hold on to their “no new taxes” base. The Democrats had to find a way to look like they were saving the safety net programs. Both should be able to claim a success when they run for re-election, unless they are ousted by term limits. The televised media sideshow that is normal Sacramento behavior became a second rate main tent affair. While the Governor was assailing the “girlie men” of the legislature and State Senator Burton complaining that Arnold should be negotiating instead of making speeches, no one paid any attention to the fact that neither had lived up to the constitutionally mandated responsibility.
The new budget presents a different future for the citizens of California. I don't think that anyone can stand up and say that a budget which increases borrowing, defers needed maintenance to our infrastructure and reduces MediCal payments to a level where hospitals are canceling their contracts with the State to avoid bankruptcy.
The budget process is only part of an ongoing revision of government in California. The second step is outlined in the report of the California Performance Review Board, appointed by Governor Schwarzenegger shortly after he assumed office. While the verbiage surrounding the report talks claims that the board “targeted duplicative and wasteful overhead costs, and found solutions to deliver services more effectively in a governmental structure that will be more responsive and
accountable to the public.” The reality of many of the changes is that there will be a reduction in the role of government that is unavoidable and which may not serve the citizens of this state. This is particularly true with state agencies and boards whose major responsibility is to act on behalf of the citizens of California to protect us from the unscrupulous and the incompetent.
The final step is to try and reduce the power of the Democratic dominated legislature. A new effort to redefine the legislature as “part-time” is being backed by Ted Costa, the force behind the recall of Gray Davis. While this appears to be only another case of partisan warfare, it must be considered as part of an overall strategy to reduce the role of government in all aspects of civic life. If term limits has given us a State Assembly led by a first term assemblyman, what level of experience and competence will we have with a part time legislature?
While many of the reforms that the California Performance Review Board have identified are truly needed, they have focused on how government does things and not nearly enough on what should government be doing. I have yet to find any case in which they suggested that some agency of government should do more on behalf of the citizens of California and that is obviously needed when government is our protector.
The one thing clear to me is that there is now an opportunity for an outside party to give voice to the needs of those citizens. Rather than sound bites of Democratic and Republican power games we need to what neither side will tell us, that cost effectiveness is not the only measure of good government, the effective government does more than parcel out money.
I can think of no better voice to articulate the needs of our citizens than the Green Party. No other organization is on the right side of so many issues. No other organization is as insulated from corporate funded influence. I can think of no better time for the Green Party to assert itself than now.
We need to be asking how local government is expected to operate given the manner in which the State can “borrow” the funding needed to operate. We need to be questioning a division of revenue that favors the suburban schools over those of the inner city. We need to be asking what our State should be doing to protect the health of it's citizens, providing medical care for the young and the elderly. The list is nearly endless.
Start with every local paper and challenge every level of government to measure their worth according to the needs of their citizens. That is how we demonstrate that this party is not like all the others.
Posted by at August 10, 2004 08:24 AM