Paradise Lost: California's Experience, America's Future

by Peter Schrag

For much of the past century California was the envy of the continent, not just for what nature had made but for what civil society had created: speedy freeways, well-supported schools, the world's best public university system, public works that made the desert bloom. Not any more. California's public works and social services are crumbling, and public education has plunged from the top to near-bottom in nationwide measures. How could the American dream go so wrong so fast? Originally published in 1998, Peter Schrag's view of California seems as applicable as ever. In his new preface to the 2004 edition, Schrag updates the California scene and considers the fallout from such political earthquakes as the 2003 recall election.

Genres: Nonfiction, Politics, History

370 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1998

Reviews

[Vheissu · Rating 4 out of 5]

The rise and fall of California. Schrag confirms many of the observations made by Thomas Byrne Edsall and Mary D. Edsall in their convincing book, Chain Reaction: The Impact of Race, Rights, and Taxes on American Politics. Affluent whites are perfectly happy to support public services, as long as those service are not made available to non-whites.

Brown v. Board of Education (1954) overturned Plessy v. Ferguson (1896), but you wouldn't know it by observing contemporary America.

by Thomas Byrne Edsall and Mary D. Edsall

[Liam · Rating 4 out of 5]

"The electorate remains what it has always been: disproportionately white and middle class, even as the consumers of public services -- school enrollment particularly -- have become predominantly Hispanic and Asian. That imbalance is probably the most salient element in California's political history of the past twenty years." (62)

"Whichever way that question is answered, the issues behind it resonate with the now-prevalent myth -- the antimyth of the 1960s, when Kerr talked about the value of research universities as 'bait' in drawing industry -- that states and communities have to offer low taxes and minimal regulation to remain competitive. And that theory of bargain-basement public services makes no sense. ... When high-wage businesses hesitate about moving to California, concern about the poor condition of the schools and the social infrastructure appears to loom as large as taxes and the cost of living." (122)

"What had been El Dorado's perfectionist-driven willingness to take large, and perhaps excessive risks with great public enterprise has turned into a crippling search for security bordering on paralysis." (260)

[Ivy]

I am not a policy expert or legislative analyst, so I can't comment on this book's point of view, accuracy, bias, methdology. I can say that I enjoyed it immensely, and learned a lot. I had never connected so many fiscal dots from Proposition 13 to our current economic crisis. Schrag spends a lot of time discussing both the outcomes of the public initiative process the decline of California's public education, and when I say that I learned a lot, I mean that I had my heart ripped from my chest. I knew it was bad, but I didn't know it was as bad as he predicts. A slightly gloomy but utterly compelling book. I'd be into an update to see how he handles gay marriage and the initiative process.

[Katherine · Rating 3 out of 5]

"California's local governments are now run by officials who have never raised a tax and who don't understand the connection between services and taxes" (187).
"...the plebiscitary dynamic--call it the ethics of the initiative--has precious little room for spending that immediately benefits someone other than those who must vote on it. It is not prone to generosity and is rarely respectful of minority rights, much less of minority needs" (224).

[diana · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read an earlier edition of this book. The author was one of my favorite professors at Univ. of MI, he was visiting from UC-Davis. It's possible we got to read the book before it's publishing date. Anyways, it provides excellent insight into the California Initiative System - though I don't always agree with the author's conclusions.

[Amy Wolf · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very sobering book about Prop 13 and it's ruinous effect on California. Though long-time property owners are celebrating, the effect of holding RE tax at 1% based on the last appraised value (which could be from 1970) has led to the utter ruin of the state's infrastructure. That means crumbling -- and terrible -- schools & an underfunded, incompetent bureaucracy. Yes, I live it every day!

[Julia · Rating 2 out of 5]

Some interesting background on the rise of the ballot initiative industry and anti-tax activism in California. Elsewhere, though, there's an odd combination of sweeping generalizations and piles of anecdotes; there isn't much of a coherent argument to the book.