Instead of raising taxes, California leaders should address rampant waste, fraud

I recently joined a number of my colleagues in calling for a special legislative session dedicated to addressing the rampant waste, fraud and abuse of taxpayer resources that has become all too common in our state government. California families are struggling with the nation's highest cost of living, crushing housing prices and exorbitant taxes. They deserve to know that their hard-earned dollars are being spent responsibly and effectively. Unfortunately, too often that is not the case. The examples of mismanagement are staggering. Our state has spent $37 billion on homelessness programs, yet the homeless population has increased by 36,000 individuals statewide since the spending began in 2019. During the pandemic, $32 billion in unemployment insurance benefits were lost to fraud, including checks sent directly to inmates in California prisons. Taxpayers have shelled out $1.1 billion for a new building for politicians, the Capitol Annex Project, even as project leaders sign nondisclosure agreements and refuse to share basic cost data with the public. And $450 million has been poured into a "Next Generation" 911 system that state bureaucrats now admit may never even turn on. Rather than addressing these failures, the legislative supermajority has moved in the opposite direction by reducing transparency and accountability. Bills like AB 1608 would halt the release of documents related to California's troubled High-Speed Rail project. AB 1821 would make it more expensive for citizens to file Public Records Act requests. Finally, AB 2624 would effectively criminalize investigative journalism by imposing fines on independent reporters who expose certain types of government fraud. To make matters worse, after auditors uncovered $267 million in Medi-Cal fraud involving fake hospice facilities billing the state, the supermajority's response has been to propose yet another tax increase on corporations to cover rising healthcare costs. This approach is tone deaf. The issue isn't a lack of revenue, it's a lack of willingness to respect taxpayers and root out waste, fraud and abuse. Instead, they would rather increase costs on businesses that will ultimately be paid by consumers and California families. We must demand better. A special session focused on waste, fraud and abuse would allow for thorough investigations, public hearings and concrete reforms. Californians have a right to transparency in how their money is spent. We should be strengthening public records laws, not weakening them. We should be protecting whistleblowers and journalists who expose wrongdoing, not punishing them. The people of California work hard and already pay some of the highest taxes in the nation. It is our duty as leaders to ensure every dollar is accounted for and deliver results. Until we address the systemic waste and fraud plaguing state government, we have no business asking taxpayers for more. Instead, Sacramento politicians should get serious about getting their own house in order. Assemblyman Josh Hoover represents the 7th Assembly District in Sacramento County, which includes the cities of Citrus Heights, Folsom and Rancho Cordova and the unincorporated communities of Carmichael, Fair Oaks, Foothill Farms, Gold River, Mather, McClellan Park, North Highlands, Orangevale, and Rosemont. You can follow him on X @joshua_hoover or contact his office at Assemblymember.Hoover@assembly.ca.gov.