Is The Real Tom Harman Standing Up?
Posted by: Adam D. Probolsky | 06/30/2008 5:35 PM
Following his razor-thin win over Diane Harkey in the 2006 Senate special election, the heretorefore moderate Republican Tom Harman tacked sharply to the right. The big question on the minds of OC political observers was whether this signified a genuine philosophical conversion? Or was Harman changing his ideological stripes long enough to escape a 2008 primary from the Right, specifically from Assemblyman Chuck DeVore.Maybe we're beginning to learn the answer.
In an article in last week's "Harman Report" entitled "Bigger is Not Always Better," Harman claims "readers of the Harman Report know that I routinely advocate for limited government" and directs them to a study showing that countries that cut taxes and trim government experience greater economic growth than those with high-tax, big government regimes.
I agree wholeheartedly. So why doesn't Harman take his own advice?
I say that because Tom Harman is co-sponsoring a proposal by allegedly Republican Sen. Dave Cox to expand the size of state government by adding 200,000 more kids to the Healthy Families state health insurance program. Harman and Cox want to do this by diverting the Prop. 10 50-cent tobacco tax to way from county First 5 commissions and confiscating those county commissions accumulated funds. Harman and Cox intend to bribe local governments into supporting their government expansion plan by showering them with the confiscated funds (which amount to about $2 billion).
This is exactly the sort of big government pork-barreling behavior that got the GOP kicked out the majority party in Congress.
If Tom Harman wants to "advocate for limited government," he should try actually advocating for limited government. A limited government advocate would call for repealing Proposition 10 and the 50-cent tobacco tax that goes with it. Instead Harman wants to get rid of the local commissions but keep the tax and give the revenue to a state government devoid of any fiscal discipline.
There's a name for politicians like that: they're called Democrats.
But at least we can thank Sen. Harman for answering the question about whether or not his "turn to the right" was just political expedience.
Lesson 1 for Tom Harman:
More people dependent on government programs = bigger government
Fewer people dependent on government programs = smaller government
Please write that 100 times, Senator.
Harman isn't a conservative? Harman wants to make government bigger?
Wish I could say I was surprised.
Adam, here you go again attacking Harman for no reason. I am sure that you are well aware that the First Five is paid for with tobacco tax money that is diverted for children’s programs. This is because of Prop 10, which was an initiative spearheaded by Hollywood liberal and big-time Clinton supporter Rob Reiner who is a huge proponent of universal pre-school. Since the First Five was created, it has grown into another huge state bureaucracy. A State Auditor’s report found funding has been used for diversity festivals, marketing campaigns, ice skating lessons, Target gift cards, wine purchases and supplies for Halloween parties. Some of the Commissions do not use competitive contracting practices, and there has been a lack of documentation on how funds are being used. I’d say when California has a $15 billion budget deficit and the legislature is proposing to fix that gap by raising our taxes, I’m glad some of our legislators are paying attention to areas where state funds are being completely mismanaged. The First Five Commission has over $2 billion in reserves! I think the problem with our state is we don't know how to prioritize...we dump money into program after program. I'm appalled that any Republican would defend funding diversity festivals and Halloween party supplies when we are facing the threat of increased taxes. If I had to choose between seeing this money be used to purchase $50 bottles of wine or going to health insurance for children, I'd pick the latter. At least that would address a problem we have with uninsured children going to emergency rooms for an earache, and taxpayers having to foot the bill. With the findings that have come out from the State Auditor's report regarding how Prop. 10 funds are being used, I applaud some leaders for raising questions.
Nice smokescreen, No New taxes.
Let's cut to the chase: Harman and Cox want to add 200,000 kids to healthy Families. They want to use Prop. 10 revenues like walking around money to buy local government support for their scheme.
Cox and Harman want to make state government bigger. Not smaller -- BIGGER.
Flaws and stupid expenditures by First 5 commission doesn't make transform the Cox/Harman proposal into good policy. They want to make MORE Californians DEPENDENT on GOVERNMENT.
Last time I checked, that isn't what conservatives do. And this Harman/Cox scheme is an example of why the GOP is tanking -- because it's led by legislators like Cox and Harman who have no clue what conservatism is.
Thank you, Adam, for calling these guys out.