Interesting Times in Which We Live

America seems to be a nation of political contradictions. In November we elected the most liberal Democratic nominee in a generation. Since President Obama's election Washington has gone on a spending binge that was only slightly tempered when worded leaked that funding for condom programs was somehow considered fiscal stimulus.
While Washington has been on a spending bender, the voters in very blue state California yesterday rejected a series of ballot initiatives designed in large part to preserve the budget status quo. Advertising for the initiatives suggested that, without their passage, schools would close and the displaced children would join just released prisoners wandering the streets of the Golden State. Still, the voters said "no" and resoundingly.
So, is it a conservative backlash and revival as some want to claim? I do not think so. If the election for Governor were held tomorrow, I believe California would elect a big government, big spending liberal. Then again, the election is not tomorrow, it is in a year and a half so maybe yesterday's results do offer a glimmer of hope for conservatives.
Right now we are, as a populace, taking contradictory positions. A recent Field Poll (4/30/09) in California was instructive. When asked about individual areas of spending, the respondents did not want to see cuts. When asked overall, and when they voted on Tuesday, respondents felt government is spending too much. The answer seems to be: spend on the things I like, but not on the things I don't care as much about. It is a microcosm of the interest group politics that have crippled California's budget process.
Over the years Californians have voted themselves all sorts of toys and trinkets and feel good policies. The most dramatic was Proposition 98 which required a set percentage of the state budget to go to education. The percentage stayed the same in good times and bad, whether it was needed or not (I know there are those who will argue that more money is always needed for education).
After seeing the success that the education lobby, particularly the teacher's unions, had with hijacking the budget process, other groups have stepped in the get their share. Public employee unions sought and gained huge pension promises. The state got into the stem cell research business. We are now left with a budget that basically cannot be balanced. Too many spending programs have been embedded as Constitutional Amendments leaving any Governor and Legislature with little discretion. When the economy turned down, this process ran on to the rocks.
So what happens now? Californians are still going to want their spending. What is needed is a process of educating the public on what the state spends its money on. The commercials suggest that any cut in the education budget means kids not having bookss and good teachers losing their jobs. It is not that simple. The Governor and the Legislature need to shine the light on all educational spending and show how much of it does not go into the classroom. How much bureaucracy is being funded? How many "studies" are we paying for? Show the people what the education budget really is, then let's prioritize.
It's more than just the education budget however. California is rich in commissions of dubious value, yet great expense. Let's give their benefactors a chance to explain what they are and what they do, then let's prioritize.
Tuesday results show the voters are not fond of decisions made in the backrooms. Sweetheart deals for certain interest groups also are not popular. Yes, we may be living in an era when the people want more government, but cost matters. Perhaps now politicians will turn on the lights and talk to us like adults to explain the programs, the priorities and the costs.
Then let the people decide how much government they want and are willing to pay for. Yes, we are living in interesting times.