In the coming weeks, every kind of commentator from every corner of the state is going to have a recommendation about how to solve the budget crisis. Democrats are going to pound their chest and say they won’t "cut" government any more. Thousands of articles are going to be written attacking Republicans for being obstructionists (and that will be the nicest things they say), everyone is going to have a solution, an idea, a comment, a thought, every kind of way of "solving" the crisis, most of which will tell legislators that they have to "leave their ideology" at the capitol steps, and become "problem-solvers." These are media speak for "Republicans have to raise taxes."
In my opinion, there is only one strategy that will actually solve this crisis, and the crises that will occur in the future. Republicans must stand firm. I realize that is asking a lot. Republicans have never stood firm. Republicans have always given in. Republicans in the Legislature are as responsible for today’s collapse because past leaders have given in to Democrat demands for bigger government, and have never stood up against the ravenous demands of those same Democrats for more tax dollars. Not just this year, but every year. The behavior of the Democrat leadership is easy to understand. Republicans have always given in, why won’t they this time too?
If Republicans ever want to be a factor in the governance of this state, this is the Waterloo. The Democrat Napoleons have charge across this state for years, and defeated Republicans at every turn. They think they have a birth right to run things, mainly because Republicans have never seriously challenged them, either on a policy or political level. The question Republicans need to ask themselves now is: do they ever want to govern California? This budget fight will answer that question. If they do not stand tough for the budget reforms that are necessary now, they do not deserve to be in the majority. They don’t deserve to govern California.
When I was in the Legislature, I watched year after year as the weakest links in our party caved in to Democrat demands for bigger government. The one time we stood tough, we laid the ground work for the first recall ever of a sitting governor. We then squandered that opportunity by returning to business as usual.
We are at that point again. Republicans can prove they have the intestinal fortitude to govern. People are actually watching, and actually care about what is happening in Sacramento. If Republicans squander this opportunity now, it will be another generation before people will actually pay attention to them, or give them the opportunity to govern. Are they up to the task? Can they stand firm? We are about to find out.