How strange are the ways of politics? Here in California, a state with two Democratic Senators, a big Democratic majority in its House delegation, a liberal-ish Governor, and a lopsided Democratic majority in both houses of the Legislature, we are witnessing a breathtaking, unalloyed Republican triumph on a bedrock issue of paramount importance to everyone in the state: if given a choice between raising taxes and cutting government spending, cut every time, no matter where, how often or how deep.
Now we can all enjoy the experience of finding out how deep. No doubt many are thinking that when all is said and done the doomsaying has just been a scare tactic and that we won't really notice a change - after all, government never works even when times are good, so how bad could it be?
But this time I think it will take some serious reality-avoidance to remain unaware. The Guv is fond of pointing out that if California seceded from the United States we'd be economically the fifth largest country in the world. We can change "world" to "third world."
"Oh, pshaw," you say. "So we cut a little here and there; so each classroom has a couple more kids, so the line at the DMV is a little longer, maybe there's a little more graffiti in the parks - nothing major."
All things considered that would be great, but I think "cut" isn't really going to describe the situation. The next time our elected officials sit down with the budget it's going to look like a surgical tent at the Battle of Gettysburg.
"We done run out of scalpels, son - all we got left is these here bone saws, so bite down on somethin' 'cause this is gonna be moderately excruciating."
I have to tip my hat to the Republicans, who by their dogged determination to hold up the budget for endless months with their "let the world end but no new taxes" pledge managed to throw the issue into the lap of a public which, partly thanks to the appearance of total legislative dysfunction created by the GOP itself hates the government. Bravo.
So the Republican dream of less government will now descend on us all and we will find out whether they are right or wrong.
Back in the '30s an enthusiastic Russian Stalinist proclaimed "The mass trials are going well. There will be fewer, better Russians." We know there will be fewer public employees - quite a lot fewer. Will the remainder be better?
Like it or not, a large number of things we have taken for granted are about to become the stuff of legend. Get used to whiling away your day sitting through automated phone menus unsupported by any live humans no matter what government agency you dial - bring a book and hope you don't need something not covered by the options. Get used to finding your public library closed more than it's open.
Get used to the unfortunate but undeniable fact that it's harder to raise standardized test scores in a class of 40 than in a class of 20. Get used to greatly expanded user fees. Get used to city, county and state parks becoming distinctly less appealing. Get used to fewer inspectors of food, water, air, restaurants, building construction, fire safety, and a raft of other things. Get used to reduced enforcement of regulations of every sort. Get used to potholes, burned out streetlights, and overwhelmed public health facilities.
Now I'm not saying this will be a bad thing. Perhaps it will be fun. One way or the other, we are all going to conduct the experiment in genuinely reducing the size of government and we can see how we like it. Maybe it will take up the slack, become more efficient, and serve us just as well as it did when we funded it; who knows, it could happen.
The most important thing, and the reason this is all happening, is that our largely-Democratic state has decided the Republican position is the right one after all. We are not raising taxes; we are keeping those hard-earned dollars surgically attached to our pockets. Now we'll see what the savings cost.
Robert Mitchell
Robert Mitchell Despite being an award-winning columnist, Robert Mitchell doggedly remains the same eccentric attorney who has practiced general law in Morgan Hill for more than 30 years. Reach him at r.mchl@verizon.net.
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