California: Fast Start

• Share

"How in the devil a Governor can push through a billion-dollar tax increase and win popularity doing it is beyond me," grumbled a Democratic state assemblyman. Much to the bemusement of California's political pros, Freshman Republican Governor Ronald Reagan has done just that—and considerably more. He has also steered through a Democratic legislature major portions of his "fiscal conservative" program and at the same time managed to keep his name high on the list of the G.O.P.'s front runners in next year's presidential elections.

When the California legislature ended its 1967 session last week and the scorecard on Reagan's performance was tallied up even such powerful critics as Democrat Assembly Speaker Jesse Unruh conceded: "I think, all in all, that Reagan did very well." In the opinion of Pollster Don Muchmore, the Governor did so well that "by Californians' judgment, Reagan's presidential possibilities are considerably improved."

Painfully Aware. Reagan's biggest legislative victory was, ironically, passage of the largest tax increase in any state at any time. The additional $933 million in taxes—mainly from increased levies on income, sales, corporate and bank profits, cigarettes and liquor—was considered essential by Reagan to pay for state programs already budgeted. When Unruh and several Democratic leaders suggested that income taxes be deducted directly from paychecks, Reagan opposed them and won by arguing that the taxpayers should pay in one annual bite and thus be kept painfully aware of the cost of government.

Reagan insisted successfully that a $194 million debt left over from Democratic Governor Edmund Brown's ad ministration be paid off immediately rather than in installments. He sliced more than $43 million from the budget, based mainly on Brown's programs. When legislators complained at the loss of some of their pet projects, he compromised on some of his cuts, thereby had the $5.09 billion budget accepted with most of his economies intact. Reagan also won a partial victory on his campaign pledge to reduce property taxes by directing $148 million in state funds to local school boards. His tax bill provided a $22 million reduction in property taxes next year for Californians over 65. A major part of his crime program was passed, as were his bills to encourage water reclamation and governmental reorganization.

Political Force. There is no dark secret to Reagan's success. By holding frequent meetings with the lawmakers, he has infected them with his straightforward, purposeful approach. "I don't think there is a single legislator who doesn't like Governor Reagan as an individual," said Assembly Republican Caucus Chairman Don Mulford. He has held regular weekly press conferences, submitted to innumerable interviews and gone on television with direct, "state of the state" reports to explain his actions to Californians.