Government in the Real World

Steve Greenhut explains the real world of how government works in California:

Well, we don't have to put up with the Gestapo knocking on the door, and we do vote for our leaders. But the system has strayed too far from the civics-textbook standard, and Sacramento is the poster child for that reality.

Instead of the voters choosing their legislators, the legislators choose their voters. Instead of government workers serving the public, the public is serving government workers. Instead of limited government, we face unlimited government.

Self-interest, surly government workers and anti-freedom ideas have always been a part of this and every other political system. But we've reached critical mass. The special interests in California have all the power, and the taxpayer has lost much of his influence.

How else could Orange County firemen make $175K a year with wages and benefits?