In a delightful display of governmental wisdom, California and New York are leading the way—down a costly path that seems to be paved with good intentions and questionable judgments. California’s latest contribution to fiscal frivolity is the so-called butterfly bridge. With a catchy price tag of $114 million, it’s designed for the winged wonders and not-so-domesticated cats to safely traverse one of the state’s major freeways. But, like most government projects, it’s veering way off schedule and well over budget. Perhaps they’re playing an extended game of how much money can be poured into concrete before anyone notices.
While Governor Gavin Newsom fights off critics by pointing vaguely at other states’ misadventures, like unfinished bridges, it fails to hold water. Those comparisons are just as incomplete as the projects themselves. The intention behind the bridge is nothing short of noble—a wildlife initiative to accommodate everything from butterflies to mountain lions. It sounds like a lovely fairy tale, one where the taxpayer is the unquestioning goose with golden eggs. It’s as if the state decided to visualize the phrase “money grows on trees,” only they left out the “money” part.
Shifting our gaze to New York, the news isn’t any less startling. Spending an astronomical $81,000 per homeless person certainly raises eyebrows. That’s triple the cost from just a few years ago. This spendthrift generosity doesn’t even seem to make a dent in what’s advertised as a social safety net. The only thing that’s dented is the wallet of the now-permanently-grouchy taxpayer. Governor Kathy Hochul is scratching her head and looking southward, pleading with well-off New Yorkers who sought refuge in sunnier, less taxed states, to return to the icy embrace of high taxes.
Governor Hochul seems to believe that financial patriotism should compel these high-earners to rush back with open checkbooks. She must have forgotten that the free market allows these individuals to enjoy better weather and financial relief. Besides, the state’s value proposition is as elusive as Bigfoot—surely spotted, but never quite real. With no visible efforts to improve living conditions or safety concerns, the return on investment for these tax dollars is about as non-existent as the pile of savings New York could boast of.
Meanwhile, Californian and New York leaders continue to unwittingly encourage a mass game of musical chairs, where one by one, the chairs are whisked away to more fiscally prudent states. While the wildlife meanders safely across new, overpriced crossings in California, New Yorkers contemplate creative ways to dodge taxed sidewalks. Maybe the way forward is indeed paved with good intentions; it’s just too bad the planners forgot to use common sense as an adhesive.
