Can democracy work when people are idiots?

California's main problem these days is the people who live here:

Californians object to increasing taxes in order to pare the state's massive budget deficit, and instead favor closing the breach through spending cuts. But they oppose cuts—and even prefer more spending—on programs that make up 85% of the state's general fund obligations, a new Los Angeles Times/USC Poll has found.

That paradox rests on Californians' firm belief that the state's deficit—estimated last week at nearly $25 billion over the next 18 months—can be squared through trimming waste and inefficiencies rather than cutting the programs they hold dear. Despite tens of billions that have been cut from the state budget in recent years, just a quarter of California voters believed that state services would have to be curtailed to close the deficit.

It's no wonder Scientology is so big out here. Apparently Californians will believe anything, no matter how moronic.

Comments

[Max Lybbert]

The only way California could cut out that much inefficiency would be for there to be large amounts of inefficiency (yes, a tautology). Why aren't Californians up in arms about their wasteful state government? It makes no sense.

[Cornellian]

And how, exactly, is this different from voters in any other part of the country? They all oppose both tax increases and spending cuts on things that make up nearly all of the federal budget. Heck, that's the Republican campaign platform these days - cut spending, protect all entitlements and just pretend that pesky deficit will take care of itself.

[Rick M]

You missed the Wall Street Journal poll that came out today? Nationwide people are opposed to tax increases, opposed to cutting Medicare, social security, and defense. In other words almost exactly the same result as what the Times found in California. Think it might have something to do with all the rhetoric over the years coming from Republicans about tax cuts paying for themselves, and we can balance the budget by eliminating waste and fraud? Or worse, deficits don't matter?

[Matthew Bilinsky]

Unfortunately this phenomenon (refusal to pay more taxes, desire to cut deficit, but no willingness to cut anything) is not unique to California. It's the same nationwide.

[Passing By]

California is among the highest states in state/local government spending. So either California provides more and/or better government services than most states, or else there's flab in there somewhere.

My experience suggests that California's government services are average at best. If you have evidence that they're more and/or better, please cite it. Otherwise, California's "moronic" citizens may have a valid point.

[DB]

America has the same problem.

[Fred Drinkwater]

Yes, apparently the folks at the LA Times believe that there have been tens of billions in budget cuts in recent years. My own analysis of Sacramento's published numbers indicates otherwise.

[WhiskeyJim]

Even the GOP does not like to cut spending.

I believe the answer is decentralization. First, it is more difficult to raise objections. Besides, it is constitutional.

Counties will privatize and slash, and generally provide more connections to the needy and unemployed.

On health care, counties are in many cases the size of a good sized buying group.

Counties are inherently more answerable to the people.

Even pundits may salivate over the hundreds of social experiments counties represent.

The Federal or state government could pass on the programs along with the spending, with a declining payout over, say 10 years.

[Cornellian]

"I believe the answer is decentralization. First, it is more difficult to raise objections. Besides, it is constitutional."

Absolutely, and let's start by demanding those freeloading red states start pulling their own weight instead of mooching off the wealthier blue states like California and New York. California should demand equalization - at least as much federal spending on California as California sends to DC in taxes. That would help California's fiscal situation a lot.