Scrap Budget Script, Cut State Spending

By Bob Dutton

This op-ed appeared exclusively in the Riverside Press Enterprise. As a subscriber to the Dutton Report I thought you would also find this interesting.

As I look at the sea of red ink the state finds itself swimming in, with a projected budget deficit of at least $14 billion, I'm reminded of the 1993 hit movie "Groundhog Day," where Bill Murray's character relives Feb. 2 again and again.

Not until his character truly made a commitment to change was he able to move on.

In this modern-day version of the movie, no matter how many times the Legislature says it's going to bring spending under control, we wake up every year to the same story -- California spends more than it receives in revenue. And the story repeats.

Despite the fact that voters passed a $15 billion economic-recovery bond in 2004 with the promise of using those funds to balance the budget, and despite the fact that revenues to the state have increased by nearly $27 billion over the last five years, the state continues to wake up awash in a deficit.

I am pleased that Gov. Schwarzenegger has vowed to make balancing the state's budget his priority and has called a special session of the Legislature. California can't effectively deal with health care, water, prisons and other issues until its fiscal house is in order.

But despite the call for real change, many in the Legislature believe the solution to the budget problem is to simply increase taxes. In fact, the budget as presented by the governor does create a new tax (in the budget it's called a fee) on all homeowner and business insurance premiums.

We must put all spending in this state under a microscope. We can start by examining the billions of tax dollars spent each year to support those who are in this country illegally. We can also put everyone on notice that California will take fraud, waste and abuse of your tax dollars seriously. Consider that just 1 percent less in fraud, waste and abuse equates to $1 billion in general-fund savings!

I'm convinced that until we make the real changes necessary to bring our revenues in line with spending, we will continue to wake up to the scary sameness of "Groundhog Day."

Bob Dutton, R-Rancho Cucamonga, represents the 31st District in the California Senate.