To that end, the Governor has outlined a series of sweeping changes in the fundamental structure of the government. They have received scant attention in the pundits’ race to dissect budget numbers – but are the most profound and far-reaching parts of the proposal, and if adopted this year, all of the infirmities of his 2004-05 budget will soon be forgotten.
The centerpiece of his State of the State address was his proposal for a Performance Review Commission. The recommendations of previous commissions have simply been ignored, but if it is given real teeth to effect a reorganization of the bureaucracies – “blowing up boxes,” as he put it – it promises to be one of the most significant reforms in two generations.
But that’s just the start. The Governor has also proposed a constitutional amendment to provide for the contracting out of state services, he has demanded real workers’ compensation reform, and he has taken the first steps to bring California’s welfare rules into conformity with the federal welfare reform act. He is pushing to transfer funds from the sink-hole of school finance – categorical programs – directly into the classroom and to restore management of those funds to the people directly involved in classroom instruction.