My Adjectives are Small & Limited

July 14th, 2023 | Written By Tenessa Audette for Sierra Thread

Hateful, crazy, racist, insane, take your pick at the adjectives used these days on both sides to describe the opposing political party. We have moved past the expected realm of political debate into name calling that doesn't teach or inform. My brand of politics seeks to have the debate on ideas. So let's talk about how we restore California to the basics of what the government is instituted to protect: that’s you. I am a California-grown mom who’s proud to know what it means to be an American and my preferred adjectives for government are small and limited.

California’s government has gotten so far in the weeds (to the tune of 400,000 regulations compared to the average of 135,000 in other states) that the sheer size and complexity for citizens to navigate has made it nearly impossible to be successful. Going back to the basics means looking at the proper role of and expectations for state government.

Over the past decade, social issues overwhelm the news and fight for the identity of political parties. I hear those issues and ask “Who is going to pay for that, and at what cost?” and “Does this infringe on the personal rights and responsibilities of the people?” In other words, “Is this a job for the government or the free market?”

Further I ask, “Does it make the government a moral authority or does it stay within the bounds of protecting space for every person to live free of government interference or coercion?” I do not believe we can legislate morality on either side—the gospel of “woke” Left or the gospel of “moral” Right. The role of government is to protect your right to live how you see fit with the same rights and responsibilities as everyone else.

I teach a class on the core values of the U.S. Constitution. We explore the ideas and civic debates that created our constitution and guided our laws to better understand why we structured our government the way we did. Without fail, the arguments we have now were debated then and will likely continue as the need for government must never be stronger than our resolve to restrain it.

The government can do three basic things with laws and regulations: 1) incentivize behavior; 2) discourage behavior; or 3) remain neutral and let the market decide (with some basic guide-rails and protections).

Incentives: Tax Credits, Subsidies, Direct Payments, & Grants

The government can incentivize behavior it desires. Where the money goes is what grows. This can be good in the case of more of your money in your pocket, not good when it's subsidizing and limiting what a free market can otherwise accomplish. Examples include:

• Married couples receive tax benefits because marriage is historically and scientifically proven to be best for a healthy and mature society.

• Homeowners receive tax write-offs to encourage home-buying and putting down roots creating stability and community.

• Business owners receive tax write-offs as incentive for reinvestment since they are the true engines of a vibrant economy in a free-market system. Strong businesses hire, train, and grow the workforce which provides livelihoods for families and useful products and services for consumers. Healthy companies that grow and succeed have the ability to employ more people and offer better benefits and opportunities for upward movement in responsibilities and pay.

Disincentives: Laws, Regulations, & Penalties

The government can try to disincentivize behavior through taxes, fees, licenses, forms, and processes upon processes. These actions often manipulate markets that drive up the costs, limit access, and discourage behavior. For crime prevention, that is positive to the community. But when it extends beyond the basics of protection, we have government overreach. There is no better example that affects more people than driving in California. The state has declared a war on your car and their weapons are regulations (laws) that give us tolls, taxes, fees, and the DMV.

• Toll roads discourage use by charging more to drive on the road–disproportionately hurting those with lower incomes.

• California’s gas tax, cap and trade fees, and regulations to refineries are the highest in the country to discourage buying gas and drive people to alternative forms of transportation–public transit, electric vehicles, bikes, etc.

• Car registration includes CHP, vehicle license, transportation and county fees every year. The state with the highest amount of car ownership should have the lowest cost of ownership because of economies of scale and yet
  we have the highest cost of ownership because the state punishes mobility.

• We’ve overregulated the trucking industry to the point where trucking businesses have fled the state driving up food costs in the state that grows much of the world's food supply. We’ve regulated ourselves into a supply chain crisis in the state that originates the supply!

One party has ruled California with complete control for almost three decades. So what is the result when the party of big government control rules with a supermajority? It is a deep and detrimental inequity to the American form of representative government. Not just to the markets, but to the minority.

The largest minority at the California Capitol are the Republicans and there are no cries for inclusion, equity, or justice for them and whom they represent. Under the Democrats' leadership in the legislature, if you are the minority party in California you are guaranteed to have less representation and less staff to assist constituents. The minority party are not getting their bills passed, their staff budgets are half of what Democrats are allocated, and they often don’t allow debate or amendments to bills in response to their districts' needs. Just ask how many Republican amendments are placed in Democrat bills. For the party that passed a law requiring diversity on every board of directors for “inclusion” of viewpoints, they certainly do not practice what they preach in the legislature.

The problem with making social justice your lens for leadership is that the government is not a great vehicle to drive culture. Laws should reflect culture not create it. Families, Faith, Community, Society should drive culture and our laws should reflect that. Otherwise we legislate a political morality and that establishes a “religion” that leads to coercion, punishment, and ultimately less innovation and growth. I do not want an orthodox Christian government any more than a Big Government. I want a small and limited government. One that values the power of the individual over the power of the state.

It is time we got back to the basics of providing protection to citizens and enforcing the rule of law, limiting laws to those that protect and promote growth and sustainability. Providing infrastructure that keeps our streets safe and our mobility unrestrained.

We must get back to free market principles with protections and remedies against the bad actors. Economist Thomas Sowell said, “Competition does a much more effective job than the government at protecting consumers.”

Free Market Economy

In certain situations, government restraint and neutrality can be the most effective way to influence society. By minimizing regulations and allowing market forces to operate freely, the government enables competition, innovation, and economic growth.

This approach empowers citizens, as it recognizes their ability to make informed choices based on their own needs and preferences. Government intervention should be reserved for cases where market failures occur or when essential services need to be provided.

The seduction of the “big government” mindset is the idea that the government can solve problems. Big Government tends to create a problem and then propose solutions that conveniently creates more government. The bigger the government the more power it has and the less the people have. The fewer choices people have, the more government programs look appealing.

We could go “crisis” by crisis and trace the origin to California's laws that created an issue and the “fix” that has resulted in a mass exodus of businesses, people, safety and hope.

Homeless Crisis, Safety Crisis, Water Crisis, Wildfire Crisis, Supply Chain Crisis, Education Crisis. All created and exacerbated by the government. The only fix is going back to the basics. Enforce the rule of law, hold lawbreakers accountable, store water, reduce wildfire fuel in our forests, educate our students with knowledge–not sexual ideology, and ultimately pull back the reins of the massive overreach of government interference and control.

We have neglected the basics of what the government is intended to provide.

California legislators have options that will reduce the government and unleash the markets. We the people are the market. We are the engines that drive a healthy community. The government should provide the safety and structure for us to succeed or fail and start again. You cannot have big government and a middle class. The more government you create the less middle class you will have. Sacramento has grown this government beyond what its people can bear.

I am a Republican that is for small and limited government so that the people of California can grow and live their dreams.