There are two ways CA could be doing less for its citizens. They could be raising less money, or spending it more wastefully. The writer seems to assume all the problems he observes are due to the former and none to the latter. The first step in verifying his claims would be to check whether the state's revenues are in fact lower.
Are current state revenues lower than revenues in, say, 1960, when adjusted for inflation?
Are current state revenues lower than revenues in, say, 1960, when adjusted for inflation?