The guiding philosophy at all levels of politics is “never face today what you can put off to tomorrow.” This is even true for matters that require immediate attention. Most politicians are, by nature, risk adverse, worried more about reelection (or the next higher office) than they are in solutions to real problems. But “kicking the can down the road” comes with risks. Moreover, neither political party possesses a monopoly on failing to act in a timely manner to serious problems before they become full-blown crises. Here in California, despite repeated warnings from the Legislature’s own Analyst, very little has...