Governors' "Stopgap Mania" Silly Proposals

Written by CA Political News on February 08, 2010, 12:04 PM

Stopgap mania



The Press-Enterprise editorial, 2/8/10

Desperation is the hallmark of the governor's proposals for raising state revenue from drivers and highways. Such expedients only help legislators ignore the real reasons behind the state's budget crises -- and duck the task of truly stabilizing the state's finances.

Legislators should reject proposals that would tap speeders and highway signs for more money, and focus on crafting honest, lasting budget solutions instead. Granted, the Legislature has shown no hint of such resolve. But giving legislators more options for avoiding the issue only promotes fiscal irresponsibility.

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's 2010-11 budget plan calls for authorizing cities and counties to use automated cameras to catch speeding drivers. The plan would raise $338 million for the state and $60 million for local government, though the legislative analyst estimates the actual revenue would be about half that amount.

But generating money -- not boosting public safety -- drives the camera plan. The idea is effectively a tax increase targeted at speeding drivers, with little thought for policy. The fines for the same speeding violations would be higher at the camera locations than elsewhere, for no reason beyond raising revenue.

The plan would lean on cities and counties to convert about 600 existing red light cameras in order to catch speeders. Yet intersections with traffic lights are probably not local government's biggest speeding worry. Cities and counties would also collect a smaller share of the fines than they get from police writing tickets or existing red-light cameras. The lower payback under the governor's plan gives local governments little incentive to participate.

The governor last week also revived an unsuccessful idea from 2008: selling advertising on Caltrans' electric highway signs. Motorists hardly need another distraction while driving, however, especially from glaring state signs that might pitch everything from food to financial services.

Even worse is the financial thinking: The governor's office reportedly estimates the state could raise about $2 billion over 20 years -- and get most of that money as a lump sum to plug budget holes in the next fiscal year. So the state would take a long-term source of revenue and blow most of it in one year, leaving a budget hole to re-emerge in the future.

Such gimmicks attempt to fix the state's finances without addressing the fundamental issue: The state routinely spends more than it collects in taxes. Only bringing spending in line with revenue on a perpetual basis will repair the state budget. That task requires tough decisions about spending, taxation and what services the state should provide. But Democrats oppose spending cuts, while Republicans will not raise taxes.

So the governor resorts to gimmicks, which only guarantee continued fiscal turmoil. California does not need politicians who repeatedly dodge hard choices; taming the budget requires a Legislature full of grown-ups.