No, California Democrats, you can’t keep the funding tap on full blast when you have shown, year after year, that you can’t properly manage the flow.

House Speaker Mike Johnson is correct in issuing a “no-blank check” warning to the state.

“Obviously, there has been water resource mismanagement, forest management mistakes, all sorts of problems,” Johnson said Monday, acknowledging that any aid package for California may come with conditions. “And it appears to us that state and local leaders were derelict in their duty and in many respects.”

It is crucial for California to ensure that such funds are allocated efficiently and intelligently. Without transparent oversight, there is a significant risk that these funds could be misallocated or disappear without trace.

We must not overlook the lessons from the past; during the COVID-19 crisis, the California Employment Development Department was unable to account for $55 billion in unemployment benefits.

If funds are disbursed hastily without adequate oversight, history could repeat itself.

The California government’s administration of public finances has been under scrutiny for years, such as its high-speed rail project.

Initially proposed to link San Francisco with Los Angeles, the project has dramatically ballooned in cost, with projections now ranging from $89 to $128 billion for a significantly reduced route from Merced to Bakersfield, according to the Institute for Energy Research.

In December 2024, Congressman Kevin Kiley (R-Roseville) introduced legislation that would eliminate federal funding for the California High-Speed Rail Authority, calling the project a failure due to political ineptitude, maintaining that there is no plausible scenario “where the cost to federal or state taxpayers can be justified.”

Addressing the homelessness issue has been equally fraught with challenges. Despite an investment of $24 billion over the last five fiscal years, as documented by the Legislative Analyst’s Office, homelessness has not decreased but rather increased by 3% in 2024, per CalMatters’ analysis.

The root causes, predominantly drug addiction and mental health issues affecting an estimated 200,000 individuals, remain largely unaddressed.

Yet the state’s “Housing First” policy, which prioritizes providing housing with minimal conditions, lacks accountability. It does not sufficiently tackle underlying issues like addiction, especially with the unchecked influx of fentanyl that pours across the border.

Gov. Gavin Newsom’s approach has been rightly criticized for intensifying funding for programs that do not yield proportional outcomes. Given these considerations, it is imperative to press pause before new federal funds are allocated.

California residents, particularly those in Los Angeles who are directly impacted by the fires, are calling for a more strategic, accountable approach to financial management.

California can’t afford to make the same mistakes, year after year.

Erica Sandberg is a freelance journalist and host of the San Francisco Beat.