The nonpartisan Legislative Analyst’s Office just released a report on how the $100 billion state budget surplus just went poof! There could be a $25 billion deficit for the 2023-24 fiscal year.
Time to clean out some waste in government by eliminating four unneeded statewide offices. Any functions they have can be transferred to the governor’s office in three cases, and to the controller in the case of the treasurer.
First, lieutenant governor. Five states don’t have this post. In Arizona and Oregon, if the governor is incapacitated or is promoted by the voters to U.S. president, the secretary of state takes over. In Maine, New Hampshire and Wyoming, it’s the state senate president. These states do just fine without the otherwise irrelevant lieutenant governor post.
Second, state superintendent of public instruction. Only 12 states make this an elected position. In California, it’s a wholly owned subsidiary of the California Teachers Association. According to Vote Smart, incumbent Tony Thurmond received $2.4 million in contributions, half from public employee unions. His opponent, Lance Christensen, received a total of just $150,000 from small donors. Christensen would have turned the post into a bully pulpit for parents and students, but was wiped out by union money. Instead of such futile battles, just make it an appointed position.
Third, the insurance commissioner. Only 11 states elect this position. The candidates for the job were so inadequate this year the editorial board of this newspaper declined to give any endorsement. Incumbent Ricardo Lara was involved in a pay-to-play scandal and challenger Robert Howell, the board noted, “said he made the decision to run for insurance commissioner because he was ‘looking around for a place to throw my hat in the ring,’ and it looked like a good opportunity.” He also admitted he knew little about insurance.
The position was created in 1988 with the narrow passage by 51.1% of Proposition 103. I remember it well. It was a project of activist Harvey Rosenfield, a follower of Ralph Nader, and now the head of Consumer Watchdog, an organization that has been hounding Lara for his ethical problems. The reforms obviously didn’t work, so this post ought to be folded back into the governor’s portfolio. Then if something goes wrong, he’ll get the blame and maybe fix it.
Fourth, state treasurer. The job is appointed in 12 states and doesn’t even exist in two large states, New York and Texas. This job mainly oversees the state’s investment portfolio. Reforms in this industry in recent years have standardized investments. No need for a separate position. It could be folded into the controller’s position, which works in Texas.
I’m also tempted to remove the controller’s position from the ballot. Outgoing incumbent Betty Yee hasn’t even been able to compose a new Annual Comprehensive Financial Report for the state since June 30, 2020. And Malia Cohen, just elected to the post, shows no sign of having much interest in doing much better. Although perhaps she will surprise us.
In the end, it’s good to keep the controller as a watchdog post. Lanhee Chen would have used the job to investigate state finances for waste, fraud and abuse. He came closest of all Republicans to winning his election with 44.5%. If state finances implode during the coming recession, in four years Chen might stand a chance.
Related Articles
‘Mansion tax’ likely to fall short on revenue and housing production
Title 42 is just a pretext to make things harder for asylum seekers. It needs to go.
California’s COVID-19 ‘misinformation’ law chills constitutionally protected speech
Public pension debt grows as CalPERS reports even more losses
Twitter’s more like traveling circus than public square
By removing these four positions from the ballot, voters could concentrate on the remaining posts: governor; controller-treasurer; secretary of state, which should be separate because it safeguards elections; and attorney general, whose separate position is supposed to guarantee a fair justice system.
Another reason for consolidating these positions is the dominance of the Democratic Party. If we’re ever to get back to even a little competition from Republicans, they need to be able to concentrate their energies on fewer races.
Let’s cut the eight state elective offices to four and give clarity to voters while saving money in the approaching hard times.
John Seiler is a member of the editorial board.