In 2003, newly elected Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger ordered what he called the California Performance Review. The top-to-bottom analysis of state government operations released in 2004 called for many structural reforms to eliminate obvious redundancies among state and county agencies with overlapping duties, particularly in health care. The review won praise from the Legislative Analyst’s Office but went nowhere because of the Legislature’s refusal to consider changes that could lead to the elimination of 29,000 government jobs.
In a similar vein, in 2013, then-Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom published “Citizenville: How to Take the Town Square Digital and Reinvent Government,” which he described as a blueprint for a smarter state government during his 2018 run for governor. But when he took office, his reform agenda vanished, never to be heard of again.
This backdrop is what makes the findings of a comprehensive analysis by investigative reporter Julie Watts so unsurprising. In reviewing 10 years of reports by the Office of the California State Auditor, the CBS News veteran found that Govs. Newsom and Jerry Brown and the Legislature ignored the great majority of recommendations to improve the state’s response to “some of California’s most expensive and urgent problems, including unemployment fraud, homelessness spending oversight, public safety funding accountability, wildfire risk and drinking water safety.”
For one grotesque example, the $20 billion-plus in unemployment benefit fraud seen in 2020 after the COVID pandemic led to layoffs of about 2.6 million Californians could have been sharply limited if earlier audits warning about the extremely sloppy practices of the state’s Employment Development Department had been heeded.
For another, the auditor “repeatedly warned lawmakers that California lacks a statewide plan, outcome tracking and accountability for homelessness program spending. The state spent more than $20 billion without uniform standards to measure effectiveness.” Californians know the result: Money was thrown at a huge program to marginal effect.
At least Schwarzenegger actually pushed reforms before giving up. At least Brown actually fought to control spending. Newsom has done neither.
This year, as a crowded field of candidates vies to be the next governor, they should be asked repeatedly and insistently if they would heed the auditor’s and the LAO’s reports if elected. There are real “blueprints” for reform in hand from two of the few state agencies that are working well.
But no one should have any illusions that progress is likely in a state in which incumbents are constantly re-elected — even as life in the Golden State keeps getting incrementally more difficult for millions of low- and middle-income households. If this reflects “social justice,” the term is meaningless.