As a native Californian, it no longer astonishes me how so many in this state, one bountifully blessed by nature, have become deaf to reason. I’ve grown sadly used to such alleged thinking. The people of California who determine government, business and societal direction have swallowed their own hype, firmly believing that California’s greatness cannot be damaged or destroyed by their actions. In this they are completely mistaken, utterly unaware of this being the case.
These people are committed to the philosophy that wealth is both to be obtained at all costs and the greatest of evils, something to be seized and redistributed to those unwilling to work toward bettering themselves. California is a nanny state on steroids, driving businesses away and mocking them as they leave for failure to be good citizens, never once stopping to note how their departure also means the loss of jobs and tax revenue. It preaches diversity but practices division, excuses all from personal responsibility and promotes itself as a godless church giving alms to the poor while not once noticing that not only in doing so does it keep them forever chained to government handouts, the donation basket is empty due to having driven away all followers from its pews.
There is no reason to believe any of this will change in the near future. Politically, the state is firmly in the hands of liberal Democrats who are blind to economic reality, forever beholden to overpaid and horribly over-pensioned state employees who accept no responsibility for the economic crisis. Unemployment is rampant due to the state’s anti-business attitude and insanely excessive regulatory addiction. Taxes are obscene; the highest in the nation. The California GOP is pathetic, unable to find and support quality candidates that stay on message while speaking honestly about the state’s problems. Sacramento gleefully doles out taxpayer dollars to illegal immigrants while strangling farms with inane environmental laws that solve nonexistent problems while creating authentic new ones. California is tens of billions of dollars in debt with no cohesive policy, let alone the courage, to do what is necessary to solve the problem: create jobs by easing regulations and slashing taxes while simultaneously making deep cuts across the board in government spending, starting with its state workers salaries and pensions. Instead, it will most likely beg for a federal bailout, which it won’t get, and then either declare bankruptcy, hiding behind judicial decisions as to what will be done to relieve the debt, or simply default on what it owes to most everyone.
Well, apparently, that’s what California wanted.
Instead, it will most likely beg for a federal bailout, which it won’t get
Oh it’ll get it. If anything qualifies as too big to fail, it’s the state of California. It would be nice to see some significant loss of sovereignty, but I’m not going to hold my breath.
Yep, first the federal government creates the problem by destroying Northern California with its logging bans in the 1990’s, then the Central Valley with its water ban this decade. Then instead of reversing these mistakes it provides welfare to the state.
BTW, by moving to Nevada, a desert state, my water bill went from around $200/month to only $20/month for a house that is basically the same size (4,000 sq ft). And I didn’t have a lawn to water in San Diego, only pebbles and native plants.
My electric bill is also only about 40% of what SDGE was charging me.
So you wonder why I left…
Is it The Grapes of Wrath in reverse?
Ah, California. I was born and raised there. Joined the service after high school. Got married and moved to New York after my four years.
I believe California and New York are the two worst states in the union as far as taxes and profligate state spending are concerned. And they won’t get better anytime soon.
My husband and I are moving to South Carolina, which is actually encouraging businesses to move in and create jobs.
Pro-business, lower taxes, lower cost of living, warmer climate–I may watch Escape from New York to celebrate. 🙂
California, a population not worthy of it’s state. I drove in on I-40 recently, headed up the Imperial Valley, iirc to Fresno. Quite depressing. Shove the pacific, the high desert is the best part of the state. In part, possibly, because alla the kewl kidz are on the coast.
Not only can my ex not leave CA. She has to keep her govt. job for the next five years because it’s the only way she can afford the massive debt her MBA cost her. She found a program that allows her to pay off 1/5th of what her monthly cost was going to be and the balance is gone after five years. I suspect this means tax dollars pick up the balance. So how does govt. bloat get reduced under such circumstances?
Here I foolishly thought the feudal system was the great transfer of wealth to government!