Wilson Says Put California First : Major speech emphasizes harmony and action

“Let’s get the job done.” That was an oft-repeated idea in Gov. Pete Wilson’s third State of the State address, delivered Wednesday at a joint session of the Assembly and Senate. And a good line it is, too--a clarion call to the Legislature that Wilson is willing to work with it after a bruising year of playing Sacramento hardball.

The governor’s new conciliatory tone reflects a welcome change of heart and hints of a fresh spirit of compromise.

Battered from last year’s standoffs with the Legislature, Wilson, whose public approval ratings have fallen to new lows, now says: “We can no longer afford to be a collection of disparate, rival interest groups. We must all be Californians first.”

His unifying theme--creating jobs by cutting taxes--carries considerable political capital and risks. In theory, everyone favors jobs and lower taxes. But with tax revenues down because of job losses and ailing business, are tax cuts really possible as California faces its third straight fiscal crisis, with an estimated budget deficit of $7.5 billion for 1993-94?

To make that assessment, Sacramento eagerly awaits the unveiling of the governor’s 1993-94 budget today, which should provide details, missing in Wednesday’s address, of how he plans to offset revenues lost in tax cuts. Wilson warned in his speech that state government cannot pay for all the increased services that are pending. He is expected to propose deep reductions in health, welfare and higher education to balance the budget.

Getting the budget done on time and with the least amount of rancor and disruption should be a top priority for the governor and the Legislature. A repeat of last year’s budget fiasco could further rattle confidence in California. Budget negotiations will be one of the most formidable test of Wilson’s State of the State promise to work in harmony.

In extending an olive branch to the Legislature, the governor vowed to tackle other measures to create a business environment conducive to job creation. Sacramento needs to concentrate on specific, doable measures. Start with reforming the state’s costly and fraud-ridden workers’ compensation system. Streamline government regulations and red tape that create costly delays for businesses, especially small ones.

The governor cannot achieve these changes alone. As he told the Legislature: “I can’t do it without you. And you can’t do it without me. But together we can get the job done.” This is the measure to which Sacramento will be held accountable a year from now, when the next statewide election is held.

Wilson billed his State of the State speech as “Setting the Stage for California’s Comeback.” If he can pull it all off, it could be Wilson’s comeback too.