With Mike Morrell: The Effects of Progressivism Part 5

ALL> The nature of progressivism is to control and regulate almost every aspect of our society and economy through government expansion. However, it often causes more problems than it purportedly tries to fix. Awhile back, I had the opportunity to speak with the CEO of a prominent hospital and we discussed the challenges their facility encountered. She observed that for the first 40 or 50 years of the hospital’s existence, there was little or no interference by the government and it was built into one of America’s finest medical centers. Yet, within the last four decades, things have gone in the opposite direction. Certainly, there is an appropriate level of oversight for hospitals, but in just one month, she said they had 113 government inspections. Imagine the costs of all these government inspections? Why all of the frequent government visits? Much of it has to do with the fact that the administrative state needs to justify its size and existence – all the while creating more hurdles to jump over. Consider the real estate and building industry. According to studies, over the last ten years, for every 100 new California residents, only 21.5 building permits have been taken out for housing. Due to environmental impact studies, costly local building permits and numerous regulatory hurdles, it is becoming almost impossible to build homes for first-time buyers in our state. Depending on the area, the added cost could be over $100,000 per lot before it is even graded and built on. Demand for housing in California is at an all-time high. If we moved in a direction that allowed for more construction, it would be a boon to the economy and create thousands of jobs. These kinds of examples translate into every area of our lives, as government more and more tells us how to raise our children, how much businesses can produce, and how much of our money we keep. The state is restricting the strength and productivity of all aspects of our economy. As we see government driving up the cost of living, people across California are feeling forced to make difficult decisions, including whether to stay here or leave the state altogether. In the book How Money Walks, author Travis H. Brown chronicles the rates of migration between states, and how those numbers are impacted by states’ tax levels. California is near the top in outward migration, with educated young adults leading the way. And recently, a report by Spectrum Location Solutions showed that within the last seven years, over 9,000 businesses relocated out of California. These numbers are telling of the difficult reality facing our state. It is past time that California takes a page from the playbook of states like Nevada, Arizona and Texas. They are frequently ranked among the most “job-friendly” states in the nation. What are they doing? Keeping taxes low and doing everything possible to streamline the regulatory process so that businesses succeed and that more jobs are available. This year, I tried clearing the way for business owners to get started in California, beginning with veterans, but even this effort was re-buffed in the State Assembly. In considering the dangers posed by a big government, Thomas Jefferson put it this way: "The natural progress of things is for the government to gain ground and for liberty to yield." With liberty comes freedom and with that freedom, should be the opportunity to find a good job, including here in California. Yet the progressive nature of Sacramento in recent years is putting this basic notion of our nation’s foundation in question, fulfilling Jefferson’s prescient words. Senator Mike Morrell, R-Rancho Cucamonga, represents the 23rd District in the State Senate which includes portions of Riverside, San Bernardino and Los Angeles counties.