I posted recently regarding the threat to local control mounting from the Governor and State Legislature. It seems apparent that much of this is coming in retribution for cities throughout California banding together with voters to pass Proposition 22 in 2010: http://ballotpedia.org/wiki/index.php/California_Proposition_22,_Ban_on_State_Borrowing_from_Local_Governments_(2010) This proposition was supposed to prevent the State from diverting any more local revenue to state coffers: “Keep Local Revenue Local”. While it did that, it also raised the political ire of the Governor and the Legislators to wit they responded with the intended elimination of redevelopment in California, along with a spate of other bills intended to eradicate cities and local control of anything.
According to many elected folks in Sacramento looking to put a positive spin on the situation, many of the current bills coming off the Governor’s desk were theoretically authored because they shared the statewide dismay at what happened in the City of Bell, City of Vernon, and a few other cities where local officials ran amuck or failed miserably in their responsibilities as stewards of their communities’ resources. Reaction to these obvious violations of ethics and the public trust is understandable. The situations in these few cities warrant immediate attention and correction.
Both the International City/County Management Association (ICMA) and the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) have stepped up to assist the new City Council in Bell. Ethical, competent, and experienced City Managers have stepped up to offer pro bono assistance to the Council until Bell can get back on their feet. The IPCA provided Council a list of highly qualified, retired Police Chiefs from which to choose a new Interim Chief; which they did just recently. And, these folks have helped identify strong, talented, and ethical candidates for other executive positions in the City of Bell.
This is how the issues get proactively and positively addressed when there is an identified problem in a California city. It is far more productive and responsive than attacking the remaining 481 cities simultaneously and painting them with a broad stroke of the same brush. Far more productive than passing poorly crafted legislation for the “feel good” factor rather than providing real, thoughtful solutions. And much more efficient and effective than taking away authority and responsibility from local government where most services are delivered and pushing them upward to a distant, beleaguered, financially challenged, and under-resourced State government.
There are far more pressing issues lying at the doorstep of State government; issues that affect all governmental entities in the state. The most egregious and glaring issue is that of the equitable and logical allocation of statewide revenue. There is very little disagreement that the public finance mechanisms in California are broken; or that to restructure the flow of revenue in the state is an enormous and almost overwhelming endeavor; or that accomplishing this daunting task is absolutely essential to the long-term financial health of government in California and cannot be accomplished without State leadership.
So where is that leadership? Where is the Governor with his campaign promise to return revenues to the local level closest to the service delivery point? Where is the State Legislature, other than engaging in severe partisanship and one-upmanship that has Sacramento in gridlock, and which is pitting cities against counties and both against school districts?
Isn’t it past time that all of us in public service, elected or appointed, remember who we work for; to turn our talents and expertise to improving our cities and school districts and protecting the quality of life for voters, taxpayers, and all others living in our communities? It is way past time to set aside partisanship, payback, special interest protections, petty behaviors, and any other obstacle to doing the people’s business effectively, efficiently, and cooperatively for the health and safety of our communities.
