‘We’ve Begun to See the . . . Economic Recovery’

At long last, we’ve begun to see the blooming of a vibrant economic recovery across California. Hand-wringing has been replaced by the ringing of cash registers.

As sales and payrolls grow, so do revenues to state government.

In last year’s State of the State message, I asked a distinguished Californian--former Secretary of State George Shultz--to investigate how and when California might best achieve the tax relief to sharpen our advantage in the global competition for jobs. . . .

Their report showed the unacceptably high risk to California if we continue as one of the highest tax states in the nation. . . .

So, tonight I propose a dramatic cut in California taxes for all individuals and businesses in our state--a 15% reduction across the board over the next three years. . . .

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We should not spend tax dollars hiring state employees to do work the private sector can do as well or better for less money.

After the Northridge earthquake, I used emergency powers to suspend regulations . . . to cut the time to do the job by cutting red tape. The result: We rebuilt the world’s busiest freeway in just 64 days.

Part of our success came from contracting with private firms--to speed rebuilding and to keep down the cost.

But when the director of Caltrans tried to use such reforms on everyday freeway projects, a judge threatened him with contempt of court. . . .

Let’s end that nonsense! I ask that lawmakers put on the ballot a constitutional amendment that will clearly allow the people of California to expand privatization, and to buy more goods and services from the private sector. . . .

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For the teen-ager laboring under the delusion that unwed welfare motherhood is her ticket to a place of her own and some cash, we must apply some sobering cold water. She must learn that her options do not remotely fulfill her fantasy.

Before she gets pregnant, she needs to know that after she is, she will live with her baby in her parents’ home, or in a foster family or group home. . . .

We will set a limit on our generosity, for the sake of the recipient and the taxpayer. For all able-bodied adults on welfare, the rule will be: Two years and you’re off.

And we demand that fathers shoulder their responsibility as fathers.

We will insist that before single mothers receive a welfare check, they identify the father of the child.

We will insist the father pay child support. We’ve got a message for deadbeat dads: Your child is your responsibility, not the taxpayers’.

We hold you accountable for the children you father.

But being a father means more than just sending a check.

It means giving the love and discipline, the nurturing and guidance that young children--especially young boys--need to keep them from becoming young thugs. . . .

We must reach out to help our kids choose the right path. But if they turn to violence, we will protect the people from them. This is our first responsibility.

If that means building more prisons, then we must build them. It’s not what we want to do; it’s what we must do. . . .

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When a criminal commits the ultimate crime and takes a human life, justice demands that he pay with his own.

Carjackings and drive-by shootings have made our streets like battle zones in Bosnia or Beirut.

I ask justice, and the protection for all neighborhoods against this brutality.

I ask the death penalty for the killers who take an innocent life committing these crimes. . . .

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The first education bill I’m asking for in this new year will abolish the present education code by 1997.

That will start the clock ticking for us to deliver a new foundation on which we can remake California schools. . . .

Local control must be the cornerstone of the new code. And local control should start with giving parents a greater role in the education of their children. . . .

All parents should play a central role in their child’s education. And in doing so, they deserve some fundamental rights:

* The right to request their child’s school and teacher.

* The right to monitor their child’s classes.

* And the right to meet with their child’s teachers and see their child’s test scores.

Lets pass the “parents’ bill of rights,” and make that the beginning of the new education code.

Next to a parent, the most important influence on a child’s education is their teacher.

Our children deserve the best teachers possible.

Why then do we tolerate a system that wouldn’t let George Shultz teach history, or let Amy Tan teach English, or let Bill Walsh teach gym in our public schools?. . . .

And when a teacher isn’t doing the job, he should not stay in the classroom. We wouldn’t tolerate a chef who can’t cook or a pilot who can’t fly. We shouldn’t tolerate a teacher who can’t teach.

Good teachers don’t need tenure. And our children can’t afford a teacher who is just punching the clock. Tenure should be repealed.

Finally, if we expect little from our children, you can be sure that’s what we’ll get. . . .

We must put an end to social promotion.

We must guarantee employers and universities that our high school graduates haven’t just warmed a seat for four years, but have actually mastered the skills necessary to succeed in the 21st Century. And when our students exceed these standards, they deserve to be recognized for their success.

So, to honor excellence, I propose a governor’s diploma for every student who has proven through rigorous examination that he or she has the skills the new century will demand of them.

Full Text of Speech

* The full text of Gov. Pete Wilson’s State of the State address is available on the TimesLink on-line service.

Details on Times electronic services, B4