I’d like to see a debate between Mark Leno and Pete Wilson. Not on the subject of Jessica’s Law, which will be decided in November when California voters pass a ballot initiative that, reasonably, separates child molestors from children. No, the debate I’d like to see is a larger one on government spending priorities that is not going to be settled anytime soon.
In today’s Los Angeles Times, Leno tells George Skelton that the peculiarly named Assembly Public Safety Committee that he chairs is not too liberal. Rather, his committee "kills ‘a lot of bad bills’ that are just too costly." He goes on to say that: ""The percentage of our general fund spending on corrections is out of control. Growing, growing, growing. After all, we’re dealing with a Legislature that refuses ever, ever to raise a tax."
So Leno is a fiscal conservative, which is heartening. Except that it is completely and totally at odds with his voting record since the day he arrived in the state legislature (not to mention his disparaging reference in the same statement to legislators who don’t enjoy raising taxes as much as he does.) Through years of support for tax increases and larger spending on almost every other area of government except public safety, it seems that Leno is more than willing to spend ever-increasing amount of tax money in almost every area. It’s only when the discussion turns to protecting citizens from crime that he starts tightening the purse strings.
This is actually a coherent policy position. It’s wrong — truly, madly, deeply wrong. But the idea that almost every other area of government deserves money before public safety is an opinion that ought to be fleshed out in more detail.
There is an opposing view, of course, best articulated by former governor Pete Wilson. During his time in office, Wilson was frequently asked why he was so willing to spend large sums of money on law enforcement and corrections. His answer was always both direct and concise: any government’s first responsibility is maintaining the safety of its citzens. Once that basic need has been addressed, then it was appropriate to think through other possible areas for government spending. But public safety comes first.
Leno has yet to articulate his opposing position as succinctly as Wilson. But based on his statements in today’s Times, he certainly deserves the chance.