Mayor Pete Wilson looks at spending patterns of the government--local, state, and federal--and argues that Congress spends too much money on unnecessary government programs. He advocates accountability of success for all efforts begun with the best intentions. At the local level, he argues more local control is needed in the allocation funds because priorities are different for each city. Regarding the federal level, Wilson describes how he reduced the negative impact on his city by hiring a legislative analyst.

Wilson's biography includes: Mayor, San Diego, 1971-83; member, US Senate, 1983-91; governor, California, 1991-99; fellow, Hoover Institution, 1999- .