☆ Moses: bloated government will keep looking for revenue
What does this election cycle say about which way Silicon Valley is heading? As part of an Opportunity Now exclusive series, municipal finance expert Mark Moses situates the role of local governments at the heart of affordability:
Affordability is a central concern in this election. The larger issue I see is how we expect government to respond. In housing, removing restrictions on what people may build is different from subsidizing selected developments. In the job market, protecting the freedom to start a business is different from subsidizing a favored employer. A worthwhile objective does not, by itself, establish a government responsibility or justify using its power to compel.
I would look beyond the size of the budget to the scope of government’s authority. My starting point is that government’s job is to protect people’s rights, not direct their economic choices. Mission sets the framework for goals, goals justify activities, and activities drive costs. Without a defined mission, there is no clear stopping point for new commitments—and debating tax rates does not supply one.
My concern is that we will keep treating accumulated responsibilities as a given and the resulting fiscal pressure as a revenue problem. Changing direction requires reviewing the activities government already performs: retain and properly perform those that protect people’s rights, remove restrictions that do not serve that purpose, and plan orderly exits from commercial and charitable activities. A smaller budget alone would not resolve an undefined mission. The question is what government should do, and what people should be free to do for themselves.
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