FLASHREPORT

The sentence above is directly from the California Constitution, and it explains the only Constitutional duty of the State Controller.  It shows why the Controller can be a very powerful position if the California voters elect the right person.  Many Controllers have a narrow vision of this office and would simply write checks that other government agencies demand.  But Tony Strickland reads that one word-- "duly" --in a responsible manner.  He would only write a check if the legislature and the governor have actually approved the appropriation and if the check is legal.  This means he can audit any state or local government agency he needs to in order to make sure that the money is spent properly.  Those who like big government tend not to conduct such audits, but those who treat taxpayer dollars as if they come out of their own pocket will be very frugal in approving any check.  This is perhaps the biggest difference in the 2006 election between Club for Growth President Tony Strickland and Board of Equalization Chairman John Chiang.  Strickland will audit more government agencies than Chiang would.

In addition to that important duty, the Controller is the key vote on the state’s two big tax collecting boards: the Franchise Tax Board and the Board of Equalization.  These boards not only administer the collection of all of the state's taxes, but they also adopt regulations with the force of law to implement the tax policies approved by the legislature and the governor.  These regulations often have huge impacts on millions of taxpayers.  My predecessor tried to implement a policy that when considering tax regulations or tax disputes we should ignore how much money the state would gain or lose but instead focus on what the law says and what is good public policy.  He was correct.  We should not adopt tax regulations based on how to fill the state treasury.  Strickland will look to the law, not to the balance sheet.

As a member of these two Boards, the Controller is also in a lead position to eliminate inefficiencies and waste in government due to the overlapping nature of these taxing authorities.  With multiple forms, offices, auditors, collectors and bureaucracies, our state’s tax structure is crying out for reform.  Tony Strickland will advocate from a strong position for the useful consolidation of duplicative state departments.

Much attention has been turned upon the pension boards lately and the Controller will have a lot to say about public employee pensions.  Should the pension boards and the Controller invest the employees’ money in politically correct ventures or should they consider the security of those pension funds the highest priority?  Tony Strickland will protect the employees' money.  New rules will require that the pension boards be honest about the pension liabilities.  California pension boards have routinely underestimated the gap between the amount of money coming in from employees, governments, and investments when compared to the money owed to retirees.  Tony Strickland will demand and get honest accounting for government employees' pensions.

Tony Strickland’s correct understanding of the state Constitution, his commitment to putting the law over politics, and his dedication to proper handling of fiduciary responsibilities make him the best person for State Controller in 2006.  Please join me in voting for Tony Strickland.