Contributor

John Campbell

John Campbell (R-Irvine) is an Assemblyman representing the 70th District in Orange County. Mr. Campbell is the Vice-Chairman of the Assembly Budget Committee. He is the only CPA in the California State legislature and recently received a national award as Freshman Republican Legislator of the Year. He represents the cities of Newport Beach, Laguna Beach, Irvine, Costa Mesa, Tustin, Aliso Viejo, Laguna Woods and Lake Forest. He can be reached through his Assembly website and through the website for his California Senate campaign. [go to Campbell index]

Finally, A Budget
Not exactly perfect...
[John Campbell] 8/2/04

Finally, another year of protracted budget negotiations ends with the budget's passage in the Senate today and expected Governor's signature on Saturday. The California State budget is over 500 pages in length. Because of that, and the fact that it requires an affirmative vote of at least 2/3rds of both houses of the legislature and signature of the Governor, it will always be a compromise document that includes lots of things that any one person will like and lots also to dislike. The decision to vote for it or not must therefore be based not on any given detail or set of details, but on whether or not the budget on balance moves the state ahead or backwards. I voted for this budget because I believe the overall balance is favorable.

I don't like that the budget increases spending from last year, although that increase is below the rate of population and inflation growth. I don't like that it leaves a good sized deficit to deal with in the next three years, although the amount of that deficit is reduced from last year. I don't like that it has more borrowing than I would have preferred. And I don't like that Democrats insisted on the removal of the Governor's proposed reforms to the state's broken pension system. But I do like that the budget not only did not raise taxes, but actually has some significant tax decreases. The budget permanently reduced the car tax to it's current level by removing the infamous "trigger mechanism" by which Gray Davis tripled the car tax without a vote. It also reduced property taxes by $300 million per year by repealing a Davis-era ability to charge property owners extra for fire fighting protection. I do like that it largely repeals the so-called "sue your boss law" which permitted and encouraged abusive lawsuits to benefit trial lawyers and hurt business and jobs. I do like that it requires Indian gambling tribes to start paying something into an economy from which they extract so much. I do like that the deficit is now less than it was.

As I have often said, it will take longer than 1 year to dig out of the budget hole that Gray Davis took 5 years to dig. Many of those Davis Democrats will be back next year pushing for tax increases and more spending increases and standing against major structural cost reforms. We must continue to be resolute to win this battle......oh, and it will help if there are fewer Davis Democrats after the November elections. Next Steps: So, now that the budget is over, what will you guys do now? Expect the Governor and Republicans to continue with a positive forward-thinking agenda for reform and restructuring. Over the next year, look for a long-term sustainable energy policy which proves that environmental improvement and economic growth are not mutually exclusive; a complete restructuring and downsizing of state bureaucracy known as the "California Performance Review"; comprehensive proposals to restructure the state employees pension system which is headed for fiscal disaster; real performance based reform of our K-12 public school system; a real limit on spending which will prevent deficits in the future; and a state version of welfare reform to wring out the fraud and abuse while securing the safety net for the truly needy.

It's ambitious. But you do not make great strides with small ideas. One America: As a final note, I have heard over and over again this morning the replay of John Edwards' speech at the Democratic convention last night and his call for "One America." It seems that the speeches of Democratic leaders continually preach the opposite of what they actually vote for and do. Are they for "one America" when they divide, classify and value us all differently based on our race, skin color, ethnicity, religion, gender and sexual habits? Is it "one America" when they call for those of accomplishment and achievement to be punished, resented and disliked for their achievements? Are we only "one America" when we are subjugated to excessive and onerous regulations requiring us to all act and think the same? And is it "one America" when we are all hyphenated Americans instead of just Americans? Or does it just mean that individuality is unacceptable? The party whose political success in the past few decades has been based upon promoting division, envy and resentment between one "group" of Americans and another cannot now claim to champion "one America." CRO

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