Morning Bell: Avoid California’s Mistakes

Conn Carroll / May 19, 2009

Today voters in California will go to the polls to decide the fate of six ballot propositions, four of which would raise taxes on Californians. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has pushed heavily for all six ballot measures which are designed to close the state’s $15 billion budget shortfall. But even though Schwarzenegger’s legacy depends on the passage of these initiatives, he will not be in California tonight to see the results. The Los Angeles Times reports: “His absence in the face of widely forecast defeat drew mockery from his foes.”

Instead Schwarzenegger will be in Washington, DC, where he is scheduled to join President Barack Obama at the White House to celebrate the federal adoption of auto emissions standards that mirror standards previously adopted by California. The Los Angeles Times describes this as “a win for California.” That may be. But it is a loss for the rest of the nation. And it may be just the first of many. (more…)