On Progressive Politics - Being Fair and Practical
A reader writes:
There’s lots of talk - notably from the Republican side - about “living beyond our means” and about the people of California “getting what they asked for.” There’s very little mention of anything like the need to raise revenue in a truly progressive fashion, that requires those better off among persons and corporations within the state to help the people at the bottom to be stronger citizens - who can then further contribute to society, and patronize those large businesses that benefit from our higher standard (and cost) of living and our beautiful climate.
To which I respond:
I hear you. But at a certain point, it becomes both unfair and impractical to ask/force the rich to “help the people at the bottom to become better citizens.” The fairness issue can be debated, but the practical issues are quite real. Tax revenues are down in large part because a great many companies–and wealthy individuals–have left because of onerous regulations and high taxes. Making this state even more unfriendly to wealth creation is not going to help.
As I see it, the big problem is essentially the inefficiency of government due to a blend of bureaucracy and corruption. Have you ever tried to get a permit to build anything in this state–even something minor, like converting your garage to a playroom? It costs a fortune and can take literally years to happen. And have you noticed that some of the public works projects we DO pass are an obvious waste of money? You don’t live around here, so you’ll have to take my word for it, but this bridge (over a seasonal creek in an uninhabited forest) and this new passing lane are totally unnecessary. The only possible explanation? Somebody bought somebody off. Those tens of millions of dollars could have lowered the deficit, or been invested in something that would have truly made a difference.
