Step 1 – Make unionization of government employees illegal.
Step 2 – Privatize as much as possible. That means the universities, the prisons, highways, state parks, etc. Sell everything possible into the private market and let entrepreneurs make a profit off these ventures. The state will get a lot of immediate money, and the quality of the institutions will improve.
Step 3 – Petition the federal government to allow offshore drilling for oil and pass laws to encourage construction of more nuclear power plants.
Step 4 – Eliminate state income taxes on businesses and individuals.
Step 5 – Lower business license fees for companies with less than 50 employees from $800/yr to $50/yr.
Step 6 – Institute a voucher system for K-12 education that works as follows…parents are given a voucher worth $X per year (probably in the $7-10K range). This voucher can be used at any school (or home-school environment) where 75% of the students pass standardized tests, administered at testing centers separate from the schools themselves. These standardized tests would cover only reading, writing, and math. Whatever else the schools want to teach is up to them. Certain other standards would apply (non-discrimination, etc.). All public school properties would be sold on the private market to the highest bidder.
Step 7 – Create a new law that restricts spending to small percentage (1-3%, most likely) of the previous year’s state GDP or the actual revenues collected during the previous year, whichever is lower. Any extra revenue collected would go into an emergency fund.
Step 8 – Tort reform – in lawsuits the loser pays all court costs.
Step 9 – Reduce and/or eliminate onerous environmental and safety regulations. Promote personal responsibility and common sense when it comes to safety. Allow the threat of lawsuits by victims of environmental matters promote responsibility by polluters.
Step 10 – End all entitlement and welfare programs.
This would just be the start, but with these and other steps I guarantee California would become the most successful state in the country within five years, not just financially, but also in terms of educational achievements, overall standard of living, transportation, safety, and environmental matters.
That is good advice for all of America not just California.
I remember about 10 years ago a friend of mine had to lay off 90% of his employees because workman’s comp was so insanely expensive that he couldn’t afford it. He then hired family members because he didn’t have to insure them. That changed a few years back and he laid off his own kids because he couldn’t afford the insurance. After nearly 45 years in business he has one employee himself. Sad.
Only one step necessary: get rid of Arnold and bring someone competent instead!