Vision for the Lt. Governor's office

By Ron Nehring

The office of the Lt. Governor should be a catalyst for reforming, modernizing and improving California state government to help it better serve the people.

Ron Nehring's vision is to use the office as a platform for developing and advocating for the kind of bold reforms needed to make government better.

The realities of Sacramento's regular legislative process makes most battles about either spending more or less on existing programs, or passing narrowly tailored new laws that are often advanced at the behest of one special interest group or another. Seldom are bold, root-and-branch reforms of existing government programs and departments contemplated, much less advanced.

During the annual state budget process, the debate is often a false one between spending more, or less, on existing programs. Yet, spending more an ineffective program doesn't necessarily make it more effective, and spending less on an inefficient program doesn't necessarily make it more efficient. In fact, spending less on a program can make it even less efficient if those implementing the cuts, for example, concentrate the cuts on front line workers to the exclusion of management. Meanwhile, putting more money into an inefficient program can just mean more money is spent...inefficiently.

Bold reform is a greater challenge than simply deciding whether to spend more or less on an existing program.

Yet, bold reform is what's needed.

The Lt. Governor is by law the Chair of the California Economic Development Commission, which is not being used to its full potential. This Commission should serve as an incubator of comprehensive reform proposals focused on the areas of greatest need as it relates to California's economic competitiveness, starting with the California tax code: an outdated, inefficient, job-killing mess that is driving jobs and people elsewhere. Previous efforts aimed at tax reform have failed, so this must be an ongoing priority for a new generation of state leaders. Globally, California's tax structure is putting our state, and its workers, at a disadvantage. Bold reform that improves California's competitiveness is consistent with the Commission's mission and should be a priority. Plans and action on regulatory and lawsuit reform should follow.