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Please check out California before you vote in 2012

Posted 8 months ago|17 comments|273 views
Written by
Charlie 19K
Victorville, CA
This post is based on Red State Guy's earlier post "Where does Liberalism take us." In that comment Red State Guy focused on President Obama's detrimental decision regarding our Space Program. His post made me think about the state of affairs of my Liberal run State of California as an example of what Democrats/Liberals really do.

California, once the state of choice for business, education, and raising a family is now a place where both businesses and people are fleeing. Though we are still leading the Nation in many aspects; unfortunately we are now leading in the wrong direction. California now has the second highest tax in the Nation, we now have 35% of all of the welfare cases in the Nation, we have comparatively high unemployment above 12%, we have one of the highest crime rates, we have some of the highest drop-out rates, and now we have recently been ranked as having the worst business climate in the Nation!

Now to rub salt in the wound, our brilliant legislature just decided to give money away to "undocumented" immigrants for their free college education—but not to worry, I am sure they are planning to raise our taxes to cover the shortfalls and expand the program even more :)

Even crazier than that our Progressives are busy at work finding more ways to cause economic damage by considering AB 889 "the Babysitting bill" which would require families to provide nannies and sitters who are over 18 years old with minimum wage, worker's compensation, paid vacation, and overtime pay. People who do not comply could be sued. So what does this mean…more jobs for babysitters? No, it will probably force many people to avoid using babysitters (hurting both those that employee babysitters and those that babysit).
Once again, thanks to our wonderful Progressive legislature.

If life like this seems appealing to you and like a good future for our Nation, please make sure you go vote for the Democrats in 2012—because I assure you that is what we are going to get!
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COMMENTS
Altruist
Altruist
Eugene, OR
8 months ago: California handed Jerry Brown a huge problem since Schwarzenegger just kicked the can down the road by borrowing to balance the budget.

California is not really a basket case. The California economy per person is growing at a 15% rate compared 8.9% nationwide. Direct state spending is just 7% of GDP compared to 50% for Greece, and California attracts 50% of all venture capital invested in America so that doesn't really indicate a poor business environment. http://www.marketwatch.com/story/the-tru...

People are moving out of the state but that is because of housing costs. And yes taxes are high. Once Brown got in lawmakesrs slashed spending for libraries, universities and colleges, state parks, child care, and programs for the poor, and cut the deficit in half. A proposal to shift tens of thousands of inmates from state prisons to local jails was also approved. Brown proposed slashing funding to 400 community development agencies to save $1.7 billion but that failed.

In fact California's budget problems began in 1978 with Proposition 13 which slashed property taxes 57%. Ever since then the taxes have been shifted more and more onto the middle class with regressive sales taxes, and with over reliance on income taxes which drop in bad times when more revenue is needed. Most of the California budget is education and since prop 13 the education system went from the best in the country to just about the worst. California requires 2/3rds of the legislation to raise any taxes ( a Republican idea) It also has severe deregulation problems which resulted in Enron. The main problems are the state still hasn't recovered from the dot com bust and the lawmakers are hamstrung by citizen's initiatives. http://money.cnn.com/2011/01/10/news/eco...

I think California is more of an example of how Republicans can trash an economy with austerity programs. Simplistic bumper sticker solutions do not solve complex economic problems. You can't just cut spending, you need to cut smart and still invest in the future. You can't just raise taxes you need to shift the tax burden back off the backs of the common people so they can spend more and revitalize the economy.
8 months ago: Uh...al.... Arnold was no conservative. Ever. Never.

I suggest it is no mistake you are comparing California to Greece.
(What I like best about your article is the picture of Lindsay Lohan.)

Al, your "taxes equal investment" and "mommy government" approach makes you a radical.

Sorry.
Charlie 19K
Charlie 19K
Victorville, CA
8 months ago: Al, I had a feeling you would respond :)

You say California is not a basket case. I live here and I strongly have to differ. Since I know you like to do your research and you like third party accounts bellow are some independent ratings on the California business climate:
• 44, in business costs according to 2010 Forbes magazine's Best States for Business and Careers
• 48, Overall 2010 Best to Worst Tax Systems for Entrepreneurship and Small Business
• 49, Overall 2010 Tax Foundation State Business Tax Climate Index
• 51, Overall in 2010 CEO Magazine's Best and Worst States for Business
• 48, in terms of being friendly to entrepreneurship (Found in the 2010 Small Business Survival Index, which is released annually by the Small Business & Entrepreneurship Council. The index looks at such factors as taxes, regulations, spending, and cost of government.)
• 51, overall for being good for business according to an annual survey of CEOs across the United States conducted by Chief Executive magazine (In the 2010 survey, 651 CEOs considered taxation and regulation, quality of workforce, and living environment. California was given an F for "taxation and regulation," a B- for "workforce quality," and a B- for "living environment."

Also, people are not only moving out because of the cost of housing (that is only one factor), the main reason they are moving out is because they cannot find work! According to the EDD Unemployment was at 12.5% in December, that is the official number based on their flawed system of accounting for unemployment, we all know that the actual number is much worse.

As for the 2/3 requirement for the raising of taxes—thank God! If not the Democrats would have just raised out taxes again a couple of months ago—trust me they tried hard. It is funny how Jerry Brown and the Democratic legislature began the year saying that the people should decide on the taxes—but when the polls started turning against taxes all of a sudden chants of letting the people decide disappeared and the campaign to twist the arms of the Republicans to raiser taxes began—it almost worked too!

I do however concede and agree with you regarding Schwarzenegger. However I submit that he was a Republican in name only. A Republican would not vote for the highest taxes increases ever, like he did. A Republican would not have signed AB 32 (the Global Warming Act) which is going to force our utilities to skyrocket and eventually drive more businesses away.

It's funny you say Republicans have trashed the economy with austerity programs when, thanks to gerrymandering, our State legislature has been virtually dominated by Democrats since I can remember. Yes we have had Republican Governors, but the legislatures, the ones who make the laws and budgets have been predominantly held be the Democratic party. So I am not sure how the Republians can be blamed for that.
Perfect Horizon
Perfect Horizon
Chicago, IL
8 months ago: "A Republican would not vote for the highest taxes increases ever"

It's interesting to see people make statements like this as I thought that the Republicans were supposed to be the Fiscally Responsible party...and since raising taxes on the ultra rich (a lot of whom live in California) would be Fiscally Responsible I think that most Republican's would vote for it...Conservatives in general cater to only one group...the filthy rich...and if you cater to that group you sure as hell can't raise their taxes because they got rich for the most part by taking advantage of opportunities and/or other people...making them pay a fair share would not align with this mindset.
8 months ago: Pefct.

You wish.

I ain't filthy rich.
8 months ago: I bet you pay his share of taxes though.
Perfect Horizon
Perfect Horizon
Chicago, IL
8 months ago: I never said you were rich...I said you cater to the filthy rich...as do all Conservative/Republican/Tea Party/Right Wing Whackjobs...
Perfect Horizon
Perfect Horizon
Chicago, IL
8 months ago: I pay far more in taxes than you do.
8 months ago: Figured Al would blame the Republicans. Old story line. It's going to be real fun in the next 18 months. Charlie. Ask Al if anyone in his family is on the California government dole. I'm sure he will be honest.
Perfect Horizon
Perfect Horizon
Chicago, IL
8 months ago: Just out of curiosity, lets just say that in the next 18 months the Tea Party gets obliterated and the RINOs and Republicans get obliterated...then what are you going to do? Start the whole thing over except change the 18 to 48?
8 months ago: Uh...pefect...if the Tea Party gets obliterated, the RINO's will win.
8 months ago: The last time Chicago burned it was caused by a cow. Funny that the next time Chicago burns it will be caused by Liberal / Democrats. No? You have 18 months to wait.
Perfect Horizon
Perfect Horizon
Chicago, IL
8 months ago: I assume you are going to ignore my question as usual?

What happens if in 18 months the Tea Party gets demolished? Wins nothing? What will you do if Democrats sweep into office again?

Chicago is doing just fine thanks, I'll take my functional education, healthcare and public transit systems...
8 months ago: This libs/socialists/statists really have no idea what's going on, do they?

Altruist
Altruist
Eugene, OR
8 months ago: I lived and went to school fro 10 years in California back when it was the best school system in the country and it only cost $95 a semester, and have lived there for the last two years so I know a bit about what is going on there. As far as conservatives not raising taxes or spending. Reagan was the biggest spender in California history He increased spending 177% during his terms. He also raised taxes equal to 30% of the general fund which is still a modern record. http://www.pensitoreview.com/2010/07/02/...

Yes CEO's do rate Texas as the best and California the worst because of lax pollution laws, low taxes, no unions, and the lowest wages in the country. Texas is becoming the China of the US. I wouldn't want to live in the pollution of China and I wouldn't want to live in the horrible environment in Texas either.
8 months ago: Yea, that freedom and liberty stuff his horrible.
Charlie 19K
Charlie 19K
Victorville, CA
8 months ago: It is not that I am saying that Republicans are all that great; what I am saying is that Democrat policies tend to hurt the middle class because many of their policies are so anti-business. Does that mean I do not agree with any Democrat policies or that I think Republicans are always right—No.

If you look at California which has had a Democrat controlled legislature for decades now, you can see how negatively their overbearing restrictions have hurt businesses—to the detriment not only of the businesses but of all Californians because as businesses leave, so do their jobs and that hurts everyone!

The bottom line is that real wealth is generated in the private sector. A strong private sector means more jobs. When you have a state like California losing businesses left and right—you have a serious problem. Granted that the economic crisis played a huge role in the problem; the way the Democrats (along with some RINOs) handled the situation only made things worse. This should have been the period where restrictions were loosened to give businesses an opportunity to survive, instead we temporarily raised taxes to the highest levels that they had ever been, we passed tighter Air Quality restrictions that severely hurt the transportation industry (and put thousands out of business), and we passed legislation that will increase the cost of utilities Statewide creating an even more uncertain climate. That is why I dislike Democrats, because though many of their policies sound nice, they always have latent effects that in one way or another are severly detrimental!

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