The Return of the Old Pete Wilson : A moderate program addresses California’s manifold ills

Pete Wilson put aside the face of demagoguery in his ambitious State of the State address. In a welcome return to common sense, the governor pledged to tackle a host of societal ills in the remainder of his term, most notably out- of- wedlock births and juvenile delinquency.

Can government policy reduce illegitimacy? Not even experts like Sen. Daniel Patrick Moynihan (D-N.Y.), who prophesied this damning trend nearly 30 years ago, claim to know the answer. But Wilson refuses to be deterred. And there’s a solid chance he can succeed in chipping away at the devastating trends if he stays focused on these issues in his remaining three years in the governor’s mansion. Selling the newly configured Legislature will help, and Wilson is a salesman.

Nevertheless, his message, however commendable, this time may fall on deaf Democratic ears because of the immigrant-bashing of his gubernatorial reelection campaign and his unrelenting assaults on affirmative action during his failed run for the GOP presidential nomination last year. This divisive rhetoric is part of his political baggage. But Wilson’s past political sins should not be used to undermine the merits of the proposals he made Monday.

The societal consequences of children born to poor single mothers are clear. Given only half a chance to succeed at birth, these sons and daughters are the most likely to fail at school and end up in jail or on welfare. Wilson is right to try to break this cycle before it begins by seeking to make contraceptive services more widely available. To deter adult men from impregnating teen-age girls, a common trend, Wilson would toughen enforcement of the statutory rape law.

When preventive policy fails, the ultimate provider is often the welfare system. If Congress and the White House allow states greater flexibility, California should be able build on the successes of programs like GAIN, the state workfare plan that helps recipients move from AFDC check to paycheck while saving taxpayers money.

The governor must fine -tune his ideas in the face of reality. Cutting welfare payments more deeply, as he proposes, would punish poor children without helping their parents get off the dole. Wilson’s proposed welfare noncash voucher plan bears discussion as an alternative. It would provide certificates good for shelter and other basic necessities in a system similar to food stamps.

Poor children need all the help they can get. Wilson’s proposed single-sex academies for boys and girls would provide role models for children at risk. There is also merit in Wilson’s plan to provide mentors for 1 million children. Wilson also should accept the $42 million gift to California schools under the federal Goals 2000 Program.

Boys who fail at school often end up in trouble with the law. Wilson would toughen the juvenile justice system by requiring teenagers 14 and older who commit adult crimes to transfer to adult prisons at the age 18. That might provide some second thoughts.

Washington will pick up some of the tab of Wilson’s social agenda, no matter what finally emerges from the federal budget battle, but the state will shoulder much of the burden. The governor rightly thinks that state taxpayers should share the benefits of California’s recently discovered $1-billion surplus. But he should split the benefit wisely. Reduce the proposed 15% tax cut and invest more of the windfall in children.

In this, his sixth State of the State speech, Wilson articulated some proposals, like the income tax checkoff for more cops, that should be slam dunks in Sacramento. Some proposals, like welfare vouchers, require debate. But the governor is right on his priorities--checking crime, slowing illegitimacy and beefing up public education--are key to a brighter future for all Californians.