Here's to a saner, more prosperous new year
Across the nation, the sentiment seems to be almost universal: Good-bye, 2009, and good riddance. We must admit, we agree wholeheartedly.
The past 12 months were among the most difficult of the recently expired Aughts. The Central Valley, and Bakersfield in particular, saw some of the highest foreclosure rates in the nation. And though the U.S. seems to have emerged from the Great Recession, Americans were not unscathed. Unemployment continues to devastate families across the country, with the Central Valley among the hardest hit. Businesses, large and small, suffered.
The real tragedy of 2009 would be if we failed to learn anything from it all.
Those plunging home values and the epidemic of foreclosures are the reciprocal result of a mid-decade price spike that had many of us cashing in our equity like giddy slot-machine winners. Our state legislators spent like drunken sailors, same as in years past -- except that 2009's red ink seemed especially irresponsible, given the overall condition of the economy. Even worse, political polarization derailed any hope for a sensible compromise, and the Legislature again shirked its duty to resolve the situation. Civic organizations stepped up to fill some of the void, but not enough to compensate for some of the services we need and demand of government.
Things can always get worse, but there seems to be a sense it won't. The stock market, usually an accurate barometer of the national mood, continues to make an encouraging rebound. That's not just good news for Wall Street types -- it's a key trend for typical Americans who've staked their retirements on their 401(k) portfolios.
For the Central Valley to regain lost ground, however, we've got to keep investing in ourselves. We need to build on our infrastructure in a responsible way, develop in a manner that supports economic strength and vitality decades down the road, and make things hospitable for new and existing businesses without losing sight of health and safety concerns.
Perhaps most importantly, we must address the serious issues that have emerged with public education. We can make no greater investment of taxpayers' money and attention than K-12 schools, community colleges, the University of California system and the California State University system. We must address the dropout problem, continue to provide vocational opportunities for new graduates, and bring California up to speed in science, technology and engineering. As badly as we've fared in those areas statewide over the past decade, we've fared even worse in the Central Valley.
The to-do list for 2010 starts with a realistic state budget that brings us to some semblance of sanity. Then California voters must support a water bond in 2010 that responsibly rescues the state's water system to meet the needs of all users.
We were too greedy, too partisan and too short-sighted in 2009. Let 2010 be a year not only of optimism but of a determination honed by difficult lessons learned.
