Other people’s mistakes

It has been said that fools never learn and wise men learn from their mistakes. But geniuses should learn from other people’s mistakes.

The great state of California seems on the verge of becoming the late great state of California as it struggles to survive the current recession. Because of a few quirks in their state laws, combined with the fact that the legislature is required to produce a balanced state budget, the financial condition of the state is dire.

Some folks living outside of California who find it amusing, even righteous, to look
down upon the state and all its components (especially Hollywood and its Democrats) may be tempted to express a certain amount of glee at how the mighty seems to have fallen, apparently forgetting that it was California and specifically Hollywood that gave us the late, great Ronald Reagan.

But “left-coast” critics around the country, as they decide how to address their own fiscal crises, would do well to try to understand how that state got into this particular fix, for there is much to be learned from it by others.

Back in the day, as we love to say, California was thriving. But in 1978, “thriving” wasn’t enough for some — nor, for that matter, was their system of representative government, apparently, for beginning with the now infamous Proposition 13, they began to opt for anarchy.

California is one of the states that allows for new laws and even constitutional amendments to be accomplished through referendum — that is, a popular vote that effectively bypasses the legislature. Inquiring minds might want to know why anyone should bother with electing a government at all.

So the citizens passed a constitutional amendment, wildly promoted by anti-tax folks, limiting property taxes to 1% of the assessed value of a home and limiting assessment increases to 2% per year until the property changes hands.

By contrast, here in Waxahachie the property tax (including all local taxes) is about 2.35%. Given that just about everything is more expensive in California, the difference is striking.

Of course, here in Texas we have the homestead exemption, which includes a 10% cap on the amount an appraisal can be increased from year to year, a bit more than 2%.

Not satisfied with reducing future property tax revenues, the greedy folks who brought this about made it retroactive, sending out millions of dollars in refund checks the first year; all the homeowner had to do was ask.

Howard Jarvis, half of the Jarvis-Gann team who led the effort to put Prop 13 on the ballot, is quoted as having characterized all taxes as “felony grand theft.” Texas TEA-party folks would be proud.

Added to the existing law requiring a two-thirds vote for any tax increase anywhere in the state, and another prohibiting local agencies from setting any new tax, the collateral damage was huge.

Very soon after the amendment went into effect, the quality of life in California began to change dramatically. Public libraries began closing down to half-days, “non-essential” school personnel (like counselors) were laid off, and according to Wikipedia, citing a report from the Public Policy Institute of California, “Fire departments were gutted because of a drastic loss of funds. … Cities also cut water, gas and electricity expenses.”

According to a 2003 report in the Rand Review, “Widely regarded as one of the best systems of education in the country as recently as 30 years ago, the California public school system has since become, according to most measures, one of the worst.”

Does this sound like something we want in Texas?

One more thought:

The current web site of the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association boasts that Proposition 13 has "saved California taxpayers" over $528 billion. As of June 2009, Reuters reported, California’s present struggle is to overcome a $24 billion budget deficit.

You do the math.

Where to begin?

There is a certain amount of excitement in being a news junkie. Not only do you get your daily adrenaline rush from fear, fury or frustration as events unfold, secrets are revealed, prevarications are spun into tangled webs and once again the Emperor is seen strutting about naked, but you learn about some really interesting things you might never know if you weren’t an addict.

Of course, that begs the question: Now that I know all this stuff, what do I do with it? Do I even need to do anything with it? After all, it’s a very exciting hobby in and of itself, just knowing what’s going on in the world. But for some of us the need to share is irresistible.

Sometimes, like a joke, it’s because the pleasure grows with sharing. And sometimes “misery loves company” would explain it. But at other times it feels urgent, like spreading the alarm about a tornado watch, even though warning your neighbor doesn’t guarantee that he’ll seek shelter.

Molly Ivins looked at it this way:

I just think it helps, anything and everything, if the people know. Know what the hell is going on. What they do about it once they know is not my problem.

Last week we learned that 4,032 American troops have been killed in Iraq. We don’t hear as much about the estimated 50,327 who have suffered severe injuries, including amputations and brain damage, and of course there’s no way of knowing the eventual toll in psychological injuries including post-traumatic stress disorder.

But President Bush was pleased to announce that the surge in Iraq has “revived the prospect of success.” He announced there will be a troop reduction between now and July (the troops originally slated to be brought home by July; this isn’t because of the surge, it is because they will have been there 15 months and must be brought home).

Speaking of which, it was also Mr. Bush’s pleasure to announce that the length of deployment will be reduced to 12 months (which is where we were before the deployment increase back in April of 2007, by the way). And how many folks do you suppose noticed that this kindness will apply only to those troops deployed to Iraq after August? Any respite for troops presently in harm’s way? Forget it.

And as for the prospect of success, Gen. Petraeus told Congress last week that the progress in Iraq is fragile and reversible and he really can’t say when – indeed, if – any further troops will be coming home during Bush’s term in office. Just can’t speculate, sorry.

He also declined, though pressed, to define success, or even to describe the conditions that might make it possible to send more troops home.

By the way, the Iraqi government is expecting a $25 billion budget surplus this year, up from its surplus last year in excess of $13 billion. While the price of our gasoline surged, so to speak.

Don’t get me wrong: I don’t blame the 6 o’clock newscasters for not talking about every item that I think we should know about. Truth to tell, there’s just too much out there for any one source to cover. You almost have to be a news junkie just to keep up with the important stuff.

It’s a function of the world we live in, a world much larger in many ways than the world of our youth. If you don’t believe me, take a look at today’s high school math textbook – why, kids are learning stuff you and I never dreamt of; what used to be taught in college is now a requirement to get into college.

Anyway, the least I can do is share.

As for spin: The proponents of the Bush/McCain plan to stay in Iraq for an indeterminate number of years insist upon contrasting their position with what they call the Democrats’ plan for “precipitous” withdrawal. So here’s my question, and I think it’s a fair one:

If wanting to begin drawing down the troop level in 2009 and be done with Iraq within 20 months or so after that is “precipitous,” what time frame would not be? Just curious.

Despite the fact that a new president will be sworn in on January 20, 2009, the Bush administration proposes to enter into an open-ended troop commitment with the Iraqi government, but claims it need not be approved by our Congress. The irony is that the government in Iraq insists that their congress should approve it and we have agreed to that condition.

Last but hardly least, it was revealed last week that, beginning back in 2002, the National Security Council's Principals Committee — a group including Cheney, Rice, Rumsfeld, Powell, Tenet and Ashcroft, among others — met in the White House to discuss torture, and specifically which kind to apply to which terrorism suspect.

Torture planning. In the White House.

In the words of John Ashcroft himself:

History will not judge this kindly.