California Be Damned--George Will Skewers The Golden State

Terrific job skewering the State of California for its current fiscal problems. Key graph:

"If, since 1990, state spending increases had been held to the inflation rate plus population growth, the state would have a $15 billion surplus instead of a $42 billion budget deficit, which is larger than the budgets of all but 10 states. Since 1990, the number of state employees has increased by more than a third. In Schwarzenegger's less than six years as governor, per capita government spending, adjusted for inflation, has increased nearly 20 percent."

This article damns not only the Republican Governor but also the politics of splitting the difference. There are lessons to be learned for our national economy from California's veer into shoal water; but will we pay attention?