Assemblyman Jones Reacts to the Governor's State of the State Address

I listened with interest as the Governor recently delivered his 2012 State of the State, and came to the conclusion that Jerry Brown is a very good story-teller.  

But his budget tale is like a two-layer box of chocolates:  the first layer is pretty yummy - lots of gooey, cream filled tasty sweets, but the layer beneath is bitter and stale.

The Governor said that "California is on the mend" - yes, tax receipts are up, but can't he see the unemployment elephant in the room, which is stubbornly hovering around 12%, and in some age groups as high as 34.8%?  And frankly, I don't get how he could positively hail his recent transfer of "key functions to local government" when we are already seeing the dangerous effects of  his grand, unfunded "," otherwise known as "realignment".

The Governor is using the same playbook as last year, using "cuts and ."  This is a real-life version of the movie Groundhog Day, and I, for one, am not interested in reliving what doesn't work, and I don't think Californians want to either. Still, Governor Brown repeats that "."  Why, then do we keep doing it?  

I wish he would hearken back to the truth of his own words that "The financial downgrading of the United States, as well as of several governments in Europe, should be warning enough."

His own impending doom scenario and declinist perspectives should lead him to the inevitable conclusion that paying down debt, as he said is "the best policy." Then why does he continue to walk head long into the financial abyss of High Speed Rail?  

It is a boondoggle of epic proportions and in spite of his vast comparisons to other visionary public works projects; it's like comparing apples and oranges. They weren't faced with environmental roadblocks, labor issues or ridiculous permitting processes.  

The citizens of California were sold a lemon with High Speed Rail; we were fed flawed cost estimates, rosy ridership numbers and millions of dollars have been spent on public relations - all without laying a single inch of track.  You can't have it both ways, Governor Brown - you don't get rid of debt by indebting the state further with a billion dollar fiasco.

I do agree with the Governor's statement that California has problems but "rumors of its demise are greatly exaggerated" and that 2012 presents plenty of opportunity.  I don't believe, though, this will happen with plans to stimulate jobs with renewable energy - this is a job killer of the highest order, and means higher energy prices and costly delays.  He must recognize this, especially given his comments on "the state's plethora of complex laws and regulations which can discourage investment and job creation."  

Again, you can't have it both ways.  Why does he sign bills that continue to add to our regulatory mess?  And as to his statement that the state is "demanding more efficient structures, cars, and machines" - I question this.  It's the Legislature that demands this - fully ignoring the effectiveness of the free market.  

Governor Brown also made a declaration that California's wealth is "different" these days, that it comes from "creative imagination:"  While the ingenuity of mankind should never be discounted, we can't forget that there are four economic areas that ultimately create wealth:  agriculture, extraction, manufacturing and construction.  Hampering any one of these will have a devastating effect on our overall economic health, and unfortunately, Sacramento has hampered all three.

Fixing our state's budget mess is a big and onerous job, and although I applaud Governor Brown's attempt to get the state fiscally back on track, but we can't keep doing things the same way, and we certainly can't tax ourselves into prosperity - that never works and ignores the systemic problems of spending more than we take in. Besides, if he can't convince four Republicans in the Legislature to support his tax increases, what makes him think he can convince a majority of Californians to increase their taxes?

We must start thinking about things differently.  Public safety and education should not get "scraps" from the budget table, and frankly, I can't figure out why school districts, PTA's, teachers and parents aren't screaming for this.  If we are going to put something on the ballot, why not fully fund education and public safety first, and then go to the voters and ask them to support a tax increase to support everything else - whether it is entitlement programs, over-paid state workers or a union bloated infrastructure.

Governor Brown may chastise those "who fantasize that California is a failed state", but I contend that no one believes California has failed; rather, we are failing - there's a big difference.  I believe wholeheartedly we have the power to stop the decline, but it will take a different way of doing things.

California's best and most prosperous days lie ahead (potentially right around the corner), but we must first shed the failed liberal policies that have dominated Sacramento since...well, since the last time Brown was governor.  We must fight for economic freedom.  We must release the phenomenal, latent, potential of our entrepreneurs, scientists, explorers, builders, manufacturers, farmers, small businesses, risk takers and every other hard working Californian.  California is the land of "dreams".  Let's let the dreamers dream and get our government out of their way.