SACRAMENTO, CA - If there’s been an economic downturn one would never know it from the way new cars are flying out of dealerships and into mall parking lots. But while there may be plenty of gifts under the tree for Californians, the state’s public policy “wish list” is a long one.

Recent educational tests show that the state remains near the bottom of the national rankings in science, an important subject for a high-tech state that competes in a global marketplace. These dismal results come in spite of reforms, centered on class-size reduction and peer review, backed by the governor. State Superintendent of Education Delaine Eastin responded to the news by acting as though her job description was Official Composer of Excuses.

As long as a government education monopoly is guaranteed an endless supply of taxpayer dollars, regardless of performance, nothing will change and corruption and failure will continue to thrive. Change will come only when parents, not self-interested bureaucrats, make the key decisions regarding the education of their children. Legislators should give every parent the right to choose, as a matter of basic civil rights.

On other policy fronts, legislators can help not only by giving but by taking away. The 14 counties on the coast, for example, all have duly elected officials, as do the many coastal cities and towns. There is no need for a body such as the California Coastal Commission to usurp the authority of the people’s duly elected representatives. The Commission has been rife with corruption (former boss Mark Nathanson was hitting up Hollywood stars for bribes)and its primary legacy has been to make it more difficult and expensive for Californians to live near their own coast. Eliminating this useless body would reduce the cost of government, increase local control, and restore property rights.

Another welcome legislative gift would be the elimination of the state income tax, a move many other states have made successfully. The state sales tax, one of the highest in the nation, could likewise do with some trimming. That would be a real gift for low-income Californians, as would further reductions in the car tax. Legislators would also do well to discard any thought of a value-added tax, and they should remember that letting workers keep more of what they earn does not constitute government spending.

Californians seeking to launch businesses still face many onerous and expensive regulations. These particularly affect women who seek to establish home-based businesses. Eliminating many of these regulations would be a gift, but not a handout.

It would also help if the Attorney General, California’s highest law enforcement official, would enforce the laws. The current Attorney General, Bill Lockyer, declines to enforce Proposition 209, which bans government racial preferences. A primary duty of the state is the protection of our rights, our lives, and our property. If Mr. Lockyer is doing anything to make the state safer from terrorism in the wake of September 11, he should tell us what it is.

Come to think of it, the state could also benefit from a new crop of public officials. That’s another gift the new year holds for Californians - the chance to enforce term limits.

K. Lloyd Billingsley is editorial director of the Pacific Research Institute in San Francisco. He can be
reached via email at klbillingsley@pacificresearch.org.