California Goes Its Own Crazy Way

Steven Greenhut: Early results suggest that Jerry Brown will be California’s next governor, Barbara Boxer will remain as senator, marijuana will remain illegal (technically, any way), Democrats will be able to pass budgets (and, most likely, taxes) with a simple majority, redevelopment agencies will have more cash to condemn private property and the state’s business-killing and borderline-insane global-warming law will remain in force. Californians are immune to the populist wave overtaking the rest of the country. Our fellow citizens love big government and high taxes and think that unions ought to have even more power over the governmental process. They have rewarded the majority party, and soon enough we all will get what we deserve … good and hard, as Mencken put it. It’s hard to believe that California ever had a reputation as a freedom-loving entrepreneurial place. We are becoming a seamless garment of big government, but the weather is no nice and the scenery so luscious that no one seems to care. We will soon become the nation’s basket case — a place the rest of the nation will watch with amusement. Wealth is not created by high taxes and more regulation and powerful government unions. Apparently, it will take a lot more hard times before Californians learn that basic lesson.