Inaugural Address
Lieutenant Governor
Finch, fellow Constitutional Officers, Justice McComb,
Honorable Members of the Senate, Speaker Unruh, and Members of the Assembly,
Distinguished Guests:
To a number of us, this
is a first and hence a solemn and momentous occasion, and yet, on the broad
page of state and national history, what is taking place here is almost
commonplace routine. We are
participating in the orderly transfer of administrative authority by the
direction of the people. And this is the
simple magic which makes a commonplace routine a near miracle to many of the
world’s inhabitants: the continuing fact that the people, by democratic
process, can delegate this power, yet retain custody of it.
Perhaps you and I have
lived with this miracle too long to be properly appreciative. Freedom is a fragile thing and is never more
than one generation away from extinction.
It is not ours by inheritance; it must be fought for and defended
constantly by each generation, for it comes only once to a people. Those who have known freedom and then lost it
have never known it again.
Knowing this, it is hard
to explain those who even today would question the people’s capacity for self
rule. Will they answer this: If no one
among us is capable of governing himself, then who among us has the capacity to
govern someone else? Using the temporary
authority granted by the people, an increasing number lately have sought to
control the means of production as if this could be done without eventually controlling
those who produce. Always this is
explained as necessary to the people’s welfare.
But, “The deterioration of every government begins with the decay of the
principle upon which it was founded.”
This is true today as it was when it was written in 1748.
Government is the
people’s business, and every man, woman and child becomes a shareholder with
the first penny of tax paid. With all the profound wording of the Constitution,
probably the most meaningful words are the first three, “We, the People.” Those of us here today who have been elected
to constitutional office of legislative position are in that three word
phrase. We are of the people, chosen by
them to see that no permanent structure of government ever encroaches on
freedom or assumes a power beyond that freely granted by the people. We stand between the taxpayer and the taxspender.
It is inconceivable to
me that anyone could accept this delegated authority without asking God’s
help. I pray that we who legislate and
administer will be granted wisdom and strength beyond our own limited power;
that with divine guidance we can avoid easy expedients as we work to build a
state where liberty under law and justice can triumph, where compassion can
govern and and wherein the people can participate and
prosper because of their government and not in spite of it.
The path we will chart
is not an easy one. It demands much of
those chosen to govern, but also from those who did the choosing. And let there be no mistake about this; We
have come to a crossroad – a time of decision – and the path we follow turns
away from any idea that government and those who serve it are omnipotent. It is a path impossible to follow unless we
have faith in the collective wisdom and genius of the people. Along this path government will lead but not
rule, listen but not lecture. It is the
path of a Creative Society.
A number of problems
were discussed during the campaign and I see no reason to change the subject
now. Campaign oratory on the issues of
crime, pollution of air and water, conservation, welfare and expanded
educational facilities does not mean the the issues
will go away because the campaign has ended.
Problems remain to be solved and they challenge all of us. Government will lead, of course, but the
answer must come from all of you.
We will make specific
proposals and we will solicit other ideas.
In the area of crime, where we have double our proportionate share, we
will propose legislation to give back to local communities the right to pass and
enforce ordinances which will enable the police to more adequately protect
these communities. Legislation already
drafted will be submitted, calling upon the Legislature clearly to state in the
future whether newly adopted laws are intended to preempt the right of local
governments to legislate in the same field.
Hopefully, this will free judges from having to guess the intent of
those who passed the legislation in the first place.
At the same time, I
pledge my support and fullest effort to a plan which will remove from politics,
once and for all, the appointment of judges … not that I believe I’ll be
overburdened with making judicial appointments in the immediate future.
Just as we assume a
responsibility to guard our young people up to a certain age from the possible
harmful effects of alcohol and tobacco, so do I believe we have a right and a
responsibility to protect them from the even more harmful effects of smut and
pornography. We can and must frame
legislation that will accomplish this without endangering freedom of speech and
the press.
When fiscally feasible,
we hope to create a
While on the subject of
crime … those with a grievance can seek redress in the courts or Legislature,
but not in the streets. Lawlessness by
the mob, as with the individual, will not be tolerated. We will act firmly and quickly to put down
riot or insurrection wherever and whenever the situation requires.
Welfare is another of
our major problems. We are a humane and
generous people and we accept without reservation our obligation to help the
aged, disabled and those unfortunates who, through know fault of their own,
must depend on their fellow man. But we
are not going to perpetuate poverty by substituting a permanent dole for a
paycheck. There is no humanity or
charity in destroying self-reliance, dignity and self-respect … the very
substance of moral fiber.
We seek reforms that
will, wherever possible, change relief check to paycheck. Spencer Williams, Administrator of Health and
Welfare, is assessing the amount of work that could be done in public
installations by welfare recipients.
This not being done in any punitive sense, but as a beginning step in
rehabilitation to give the individual the self-respect that goes with performing
a useful service.
But this is not the
ultimate answer. Only private industry
in the last analysis can provide jobs with a future. Lieutenant Governor Robert Finch will be
liaison between government and the private sector in an all-out program of job
training and education leading to real employment.
A truly great citizen of
our state and a fine American, Mr. H. C. McClellan, has agreed to institute a
statewide program patterned after the one he directed so successfully in the
“curfew area” of
In the whole area of
welfare, everything will be done to reduce administrative overhead, cut red
tape and return control as much as possible to the county level. And the goal will be investment in, and
salvage of, human beings.
This administration will
cooperate with the State Superintendent of Public Instruction in his expressed
desires to return more control of curriculum and selection of textbooks to
local school districts. We will support
his efforts to make recruitmen of out-of-state
teachers less difficult.
On the subject of education
… hundreds of thousands of young men and women will receive an education in our
state colleges and universities. We are
proud of our ability to provide this opportunity for our youth and we believe
it is no denial of academic freedom to provide this education within a
framework of reasonable rules and regulations.
Nor is it a violation of individual rights to require obedience to these
rules and regulations or to insist that those unwilling to to
abide by them should get their education elsewhere.
It does not constitute
political interference with intellectual freedom for the taxpaying citizens –
who support the college and university systems – to ask that, in addition to
teaching, they build character on accepted moral and ethical standards.
Just as a man is
entitled to a voice in government, so he should certainly have that right in
the very personal matter of earning a living.
I have always supported the principle of the union shop even though that
includes a certain amount of compulsion with regard to union membership. For that reason it seems to me that
government must accept a responsibility for safeguarding each union member’s
democratic rights within his union. For
that reason we will submit legislative proposals to guarantee each union member
a secret ballot in his union on policy matters and the use of union dues.
There is also a need for
a mediation service in labor-management disputes not covered by existing law.
There are improvements
to be made in workmen’s compensation in death benefits and benefits to the
permanently disabled. At the same time,
a tightening of procedures is needed to free business from some unjust burdens.
A close liaison with our
congressional representatives in Washington, both Democratic and Republican, is
needed so that we can help bring about beneficial changes in social security,
secure less restrictive controls on federal grants and work for a tax retention
plan that will use some of our federal taxes here for our use with no strings
attached. We should strive also to get
tax credits for our people to help defray the cost of sending their children to
college.
We will support a
bipartisan effort to lift the archaic 160-acre limitation imposed by the
federal government on irrigated farms.
Restrictive labor policies should never again be the cause of crops
rotting in the fields for lack of harvesters.
Here in our own Capitol,
we will seek solutions to the problems of unrealistic taxes which threaten
economic ruin to our biggest industry.
We will work with the farmer as we will with business, industry and
labor to provide a better business climate so that they may prosper and we all
may prosper.
There are other problems
and possible problems facing us. One
such is now pending before the United States Supreme Court. I believe it would be inappropriate to
discuss that matter now, but we will be prepared with remedial legislation we
devoutly hope will be satisfactory to all of our citizens if court rulings make
this necessary.
This is only a partial
accounting of our problems and our dreams for the dreams for the future.
I have put off until
last what is by no means least among our problems. Our fiscal situation has a sorry similarity
to the situation of a jetliner out over the
Our fiscal year began
July 1st and will end on the coming June 30th – six
months from now. The present budget for
this 12-month period is $4.6 million, an all-time high for any of the 50
states. When this budget was presented,
it was admittedly in excess of the tax revenues for the year. It was adopted with the assurance that a
change in bookkeeping procedures would solve this imbalance.
With half the year gone,
and faced now with the job of planning next year’s budget, we have an estimate
provided by the experienced personnel of the Department of Finance. We have also an explanation of how a change
in bookkeeping could seemingly balance a budget that called for spending $400
million more than we would take in.
Very simply, it was just
another one-time windfall – a gimmick that solved nothing but only postponed
the day of reckoning. We are financing
the 12 month spending with 15 month income.
All the tax revenues for the first quarter of next year – July, August
and September – will be used to finance this year’s expenses up to June 30th. And incidentally, even that isn’t enough,
because we still have a deficit of some $63 million.
Now, with the budget
established at its present level , we are told that it, of course, must be
increased next year to meet the added problems of population growth and
inflation. But the magic of the changed
bookkeeping is all used up. We are back
to only 12 months’ income for 12 months’ spending. Almost automatically we are being advised, of
all the new and increased taxes which, if adopted, will solve the problem. Curiously enough, another one-time windfall
is being urged. If we switch to the
withholding of personal income tax, we will collect two years’ taxes the first
year and postpone our moment of truth perhaps until everyone forgets we did not
cause the problem – we only inherited it.
Or maybe we are to stall, hoping a rich uncle will remember us in his
will.
If we accept the present
budget as absolutely necessary and add on projected increases plus funding for
property tax relief (which I believe is absolutely essential and for which we
are preparing a detailed and comprehensive program), our deficit in the coming
year would reach three-quarters of a billion dollars.
But Californians are
already burdened with combined state and local taxes $113 per capita higher
than the national average. Our property
tax contributes to a slump in the real estate and building trades industries
and makes it well nigh impossible for many citizens to continue owning their
own homes.
For many years now, you
and I been shushed like children and told there are no simple answers to the
complex problems which are beyond our comprehension.
Well, the truth is,
there are simple answers – there just are not easy ones. The time has come for us to decide whether
collectively we can afford everything and anything we think of simply because
we think of it. The time has come to run
a check to see if all the services government provides were is answer to
demands or were just goodies dreamed up for our supposed betterment. The time has come to match outgo to income,
instead of always doing it the other way around.
The cost of
Well, we aren’t going to
do that. We are going to squeeze and cut
and trim until we reduce the cost of government. It won’t be easy, nor will it be pleasant,
and it will involve every department of government, starting with the
Governor’s office. I have already
informed the Legislature of the reorganization we hope to effect with their
help in the executive branch and I have asked for their cooperation and
support.
The new Director of
Finance is in complete agreement that we turn to additional sources of revenue only
if it becomes clear that economies alone cannot balance the budget.
Disraeli said: “Man is
not a creature of circumstances.
Circumstances are the creatures of men.”
You and I will shape our circumstances to fit needs.
Let me reaffirm a
promise made during the months of campaigning.
I believe in your right to know all the facts concerning the people’s
business. Independent firms are making
an audit of state finances. When it is
completed, you will have audit. You will
have all the information you need to make the decisions which must be
made. This is not just a problem for the
administration; it is a problem for all of us to solve together. I know that you can face any prospect and do
anything that has to be done as long as you know the truth of what you are up
against.
We will put our fiscal
house in order. And as we do, we will
build those things we need to make our state a better place in which to live
and we will enjoy them more, knowing we can afford them and they are paid for.
If, in glancing aloft,
some of you were puzzled by the small size of our State Flag … there is an
explanation. That flag was carried into
battle in
If this is a dream, it
is a good dream, worthy of our generation and worth passing on to the next.
Let this day mark the
beginning.