By the time you read this, hopefully, the Legislature will have passed a budget that has been signed into law by the Governor. I say “hopefully” because as I write this, the Constitutional deadline to pass a budget has been missed yet again. In my seven years as a legislator, the June 30th deadline has been met only once. Why? I believe it is due to the “bill factory” mentality that puts too much emphasis on activity as opposed to achievement. For example, so far this year there have been approximately 2,800 bills introduced in the Assembly and the Senate.
All these bills take up the time of the Legislature. Virtually every bill, no matter how minor or ridiculous, is entitled to a hearing. Some of these bills are downright silly and provide fodder for commentary. You may have heard about the bill to prohibit parents from spanking their children, or legislation to outlaw the incandescent light bulb. Now there is one to provide restraining orders to the family cat. It is not that all of these bills are going to succeed. The problem is that each of these is a diversion from what ought to be our real task: tackling the big, tough issues like spending and building more roads and freeways.
Legislators “work” on a budget each year. However, we do not give it the extensive time and attention required. For example, we fail to examine spending in depth without analyzing whether we are getting the results we want for the taxpayer money we spend. That is one of the reasons some of my colleagues call for raising taxes or fees continually. To them, it just seems easier than reining in spending. Yet every family and business understands that an important way to balance the budget is to control spending. At the state level, we should examine the budget line by line.
One way to focus attention on spending would be to require that one year of every two-year legislative session be focused on the budget. We should conduct in-depth oversight, and hold state bureaucracies and government accountable. We should ensure that spending matches results, eliminating programs that do not work and supporting those that do. Yes, this approach would require time and expertise, but the stakes are big, and the future of California should not be shortchanged.
Unfortunately, that is not how a budget comes together. Essentially, the Budget Committees in the Assembly and Senate each work on their own proposals that do little to examine if we are truly prioritizing spending in the most efficient manner. Instead, it all comes together at the last minute with little chance to review the details, requiring an up or down vote in the face of mounting pressure caused by a missed deadline.
Unless we change the bill-factory mentality and restructure the activities of the Legislature to focus on spending, results and cost-effective solutions to the big problems in our state, we will continue to have overcrowded roads and freeways, the continuing exodus of jobs to other states and an education system that should be better. We owe it to every taxpayer and the future of our state to address this problem.
All these bills take up the time of the Legislature. Virtually every bill, no matter how minor or ridiculous, is entitled to a hearing. Some of these bills are downright silly and provide fodder for commentary. You may have heard about the bill to prohibit parents from spanking their children, or legislation to outlaw the incandescent light bulb. Now there is one to provide restraining orders to the family cat. It is not that all of these bills are going to succeed. The problem is that each of these is a diversion from what ought to be our real task: tackling the big, tough issues like spending and building more roads and freeways.
Legislators “work” on a budget each year. However, we do not give it the extensive time and attention required. For example, we fail to examine spending in depth without analyzing whether we are getting the results we want for the taxpayer money we spend. That is one of the reasons some of my colleagues call for raising taxes or fees continually. To them, it just seems easier than reining in spending. Yet every family and business understands that an important way to balance the budget is to control spending. At the state level, we should examine the budget line by line.
One way to focus attention on spending would be to require that one year of every two-year legislative session be focused on the budget. We should conduct in-depth oversight, and hold state bureaucracies and government accountable. We should ensure that spending matches results, eliminating programs that do not work and supporting those that do. Yes, this approach would require time and expertise, but the stakes are big, and the future of California should not be shortchanged.
Unfortunately, that is not how a budget comes together. Essentially, the Budget Committees in the Assembly and Senate each work on their own proposals that do little to examine if we are truly prioritizing spending in the most efficient manner. Instead, it all comes together at the last minute with little chance to review the details, requiring an up or down vote in the face of mounting pressure caused by a missed deadline.
Unless we change the bill-factory mentality and restructure the activities of the Legislature to focus on spending, results and cost-effective solutions to the big problems in our state, we will continue to have overcrowded roads and freeways, the continuing exodus of jobs to other states and an education system that should be better. We owe it to every taxpayer and the future of our state to address this problem.