There is a very effective way for the California Legislature and governor to solve California's budget problems: downsize government bureaucracies. Responsible businesses do this all the time. They eliminate nonprofitable operations, streamline departments and lay off nonproductive employees.
When Ronald Reagan became governor of California he erased a huge deficit by doing the same thing. He slashed state spending by reducing and consolidating bureaucracies, and with the line item veto, he saved the state from bankruptcy.
One rarely hears of government bureaucracies downsizing or reorganizing. Government agencies have no incentive to do this because they have no competition. They thrive on growth as an end in itself, and the only way to do this is to request more taxpayers' money. And if they are mismanaged, they just appeal to legislators for more money to bail them out of the mess, and, unfortunately, they usually get it, even brazenly calling a reduction in projected growth a "cut." Government workers fear a "reduction in force" more than anything! Bureaucrats become masters of obfuscation.
Many government bureaucracies can be eliminated entirely and they won't be missed. Others can have their workforces cut by as much as 90 percent without materially affecting output. If this happens, the few good men and women remaining can perform functions more efficiently at far less cost. Traditionally unread paperwork is eliminated, too.
Even schools and police departments are all too often saddled with oppressive bureaucracies. To improve efficiencies, don't reduce the numbers of teachers and police officers. Just trim the bureaucracies. Bad teachers and professors should not be immune -- revoke their tenure and fire them! Legislative committees, school boards and police commissioners can do the trimming.
There is always plenty of money in any agency to do all the things that are really needed without raising taxes.
-- Lou Gates, Westlake Village