State Issues

By Scott L. Levitt

This paper gives a brief overview of several key issues that need to be addressed in order to sustain the viability of the State of California.

Government was created primarily for the defense of the Nation. It has evolved into something drastically different. The government has now become the hundred-armed creature that has its tentacles stretched into every facet of business and personal life.

Government, in a general sense, should exist only to protect the Health, Safety, and Welfare of its citizens. We need to cut down the number of people employed by the government. The governmental agencies need to be working smarter, harder, leaner, and run with an emphasis on efficiencies.

Practically every time a new bill is passed, the subject matter of the bill pertains to some sort of rules, which in turn requires oversight, which in turn requires agencies to conduct the oversight. This non-stop practice over the past 50+ years, especially in the State of California must end. The number of employees of the various agencies of the State of California is staggering.

CAMPAIGNING

Campaigning in American politics has grown to be a monster. The campaign itself, rather than the candidate is what the average voter sees. Millions of dollars of "donations" from corporations directly, and through their lobbyists, fund these giant campaigns. All candidates should have self-imposed contribution limits, without such they will always "owe" those contributors once in office.

I pledge not to accept any donation greater than $5,000.00 (for each the primary and the general election) from any individuals or corporations. Furthermore, I vow not to have a single fundraiser which costs more than $150.00 per person to attend. It is deplorable how many candidates run as the `common man', and have dozens of $500.00 per person events. Obviously, they are either so far out of touch with the `common man' that they do not realize that 99.9% of the population can't afford such extravagance, or they don't really care about the `common man'.

All current sitting politicians whom seek election to a different office should be mandated to resign on the day that individual declares candidacy. It is dishonest and unfair for politicians to receive tax-payer funded salaries while they are campaigning for themselves.

IMMIGRATION

Illegal immigrants are violating federal laws of the United States and should be dealt with swiftly and justly. However, the issue is more complicated than just that. Many illegal immigrants have children whom are U.S. Citizens if born on U.S. soil and the question becomes, what happens to those families. Generally, illegal immigrants need to be, and should be deported, and the borders strengthened. In the situation just mentioned, a closer look by the proper authorities will have to be conducted so that the children whom are U.S. citizens are not left stranded without parents. Amnesty is inexcusable and not a solution. As it rewards those whom have no regard for the law and it mocks those whom wait year after year for their legal papers. A comprehensive study needs to be conducted and joint cooperation between the home countries and the U.S. required to truly solve this issue.

ECONOMICS

Overregulation will only hamper a growing economy. The government has rarely done a better job in maximizing resources than the private sector has. Only in a free marketplace can true innovation take place. If the government takes profit-motive away from business through over-regulation and taxing, businesses will cease to innovate and create, and jobs will be lost. It is only arrogance abound, when legislators decide that they know better than the millions in the common market place.

CRIME

California spends almost 11% of it budget on the jails and prisons in the State, but only 7.5% of the budget on secondary education. There is no easy answer to solve the crime problem in the State. But to deal with it properly, punishment must be harsher, capital punishment must be enforced, and programs to steer youths toward responsible citizenship must be further promoted. Parents must get involved at the very infancy of their children's lives to promote such ethical and moral living.

EDUCATION

Education in California is currently suffering due to lack of funding stemming from the recent budget cuts. Teachers are short on resources, and schools are becoming short on teachers. Classes are packed, and learning is harder for the students. As a former substitute teacher in one of the largest cities in the country, and as a adjunct college instructor, I know first hand how difficult and important teaching is.

I have spoken to dozens of teachers who tell me that they want to see parents even more involved and interacting with their schools. Education is comprised of two components, the teaching done in the classroom in K-12, and the teaching done at home. Again, learning begins at a very young age and needs to be promoted and fostered even before children are sent to school.

Lastly, it is time that all teaching in public schools in California be conducted only in English. It is unfair for the taxpayers of the State to pay for teaching to cater to each child's linguistic needs. It would be great if such could be accommodated, but it is not feasible, given the limited resources of the State of California.

GLOBAL WARMING

Global warming has become a partisan subject in the past 15 years. It shouldn't be. It appears there is evidence of global warming, but much of it is embroiled in controversy. California and the U.S. should wait to implement programs that hamper commerce in the name of fighting global warming until such data that exists is uncontested. AB32 should be halted until findings become proven.

TAXES

Most people do not realize that until 1913, there was no true Federal Income tax. That is right, the United States somehow functioned without income tax. It relied mainly on tariffs, land sales, and excise taxes to fund its needs. That was less than 100 years ago. Now the U.S. and California can barely get by on the taxes it collects each year, some of which top 35% on the Federal level, over 10% on the state level and close to 10% on the local level. So what has changed over the past 85 years? Overspending has created the need for such astronomical tax rates.

Overtaxing will be the proverbial death of California. What California needs is greater GDP, and that cannot, and will not happen with businesses leaving the state at record pace to seek tax-friendly states in which to reside. California needs to cut its swollen social programs to an affordable, manageable, and realistic size, and concentrate on bringing businesses back to the State. It will not be easy to endure such cuts, and many will lose the programs and funding they depend on, but you can't force the tax payers to pay for programs that only help a select few.

NEEDED CHANGES + BROADVIEW

California needs to cut spending on social programs, eliminate wasteful programs, and stand up to the public employee unions. There is no longer any justification for the "Cadillac" benefit packages that are provided to state employees. Such packages have all but vanished from the private sector. The employees of the State are essential to its functioning. They are hard working people, and I believe would continue to be and work for the State even if the benefits packages were cut down to a level comparable to that in the private sector.

Many studies now suggest that government employees make more on an annual basis than the private sector in terms of just their base pay. Obviously, the scales are even more unbalanced when the public employees benefits packages are added to the equation. These reductions in benefits need to be implemented through attrition, retirements, etc., and also start with the new hires.

California needs to focus more on victims' rights than the rights of the criminals. It needs to concentrate on education and less on regulation. It needs to promote commerce through positive business programs. And it needs to let the marketplace soar rather than attempt to tame and train it.

California, as a cost cutting measure, needs to adopt a single, official language to save money on services that only help some. Official California materials should only be printed in English. Court appointed court interpreters should be eliminated. If individuals need interpreters, they can hire them in the open market place. There are over 50 different languages commonly spoken in California, how can the government accommodate them all.

Again, government's role in any society should be for the preservation of the health, safety, and welfare of the people. Everything beyond that should be examined closely, and scrutinized. The days of every person feeling entitled to every service and accommodation, and at little or no cost to them must end now!