Help California face the truth

Inter Lake editorial

California voters on Tuesday made an irrefutable and bold statement to their political leaders in Sacramento: Enough is enough; the status quo has got to go.

A slate of propositions aimed at propping up the state's completely dysfunctional government were resoundingly rejected except for one that capped salaries for elected state officials. As a result of the votes, California's state government is now faced with a budget deficit exceeding $21 billion.

And that's after a $12.8 billion tax increase earlier this year, plus a healthy infusion of billions in federal stimulus money.

So now Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and legislative leaders are faced with some really tough choices, and that's how voters apparently want it. By all means, Americans living in other states should back their California compatriots by vigorously opposing any efforts to tap into the federal government for a state "bailout."

Going in that direction would only enable California to continue with the ruinous regulatory and tax-and-spend policies of the past.

The fact that the budget-correcting propositions were defeated with majorities of 62 to 66 percent is ample evidence that Californians want reform.

One of the propositions that went down was a gift for the state's education unions, committing an additional $9.3 billion toward school spending. Sorry no, the voters said.

And voters also made it clear they didn't want another $16 billion in tax increases, which one proposition would have created (with the slim consolation of an imposed spending cap).

Another measure would have capitalized on a practice that has contributed to the state's sorry situation in the first place - borrowing. In this case, the debt would have been incurred by digging into future lottery revenues.

The other failed propositions involved budget maneuvers to shore up the state's general fund.

As a result of the special election outcome, there will certainly be pain. Likely fixes may include reductions in eligibility for health-care programs, selling state properties and releasing prisoners. Most importantly, Gov. Schwarzenegger must now stand up to the state's public employee unions. He announced Wednesday plans to lay off 5,000 of the state's 235,000 workers.

If one doubts how powerful a force public unions have been in driving California politics, consider this: teachers unions poured $30 million into campaigns backing the failed propositions, outspending their opposition by 10 to 1.

Curbing state spending, even when it results in substantial job losses, is harsh but necessary medicine. California cannot continue to turn to higher taxes and fees that ultimately drive productive citizens and businesses out of the state.

A reckoning has come for California state government, and the rest of the country should help see it through.