Last May, California voters turned down every tax-hike that Sacramento threw their way by overwhelming margins in its attempt to fix the state’s $26 billion-dollar deficit. The Governor, Democratic legislatures, the California Teachers Association, the unions, and nearly all of the state newspapers labeled the May 19 propositions as the only way to solve the Golden State’s budget woes. Using the trusty weapon of fear, panic, and threats of “devastating cutbacks,” California's political establishment tried to scare its subjects into submission, and when they refused, lashed out. The Los Angeles Times and The Sacramento Bee, both pointed their pens at the supposed culprits behind the budget mess: California voters.
The arrogance and incompetence of California’s political elite is never surprising, and the fact they targeted voters for this state’s budget binging (and continue to do so) reveals that Sacramento is not only fiscally bankrupt, but is also bankrupt of ideas. After their tax-and-waste scam failed, Sacramento’s best and brightest started issuing worthless IOUs, refuse to make any serious cuts, and plan to beef up the state's tax collecting power. Every new proposal or bill that crawls its way across the floors of the State Legislature aims to cripple private enterprise, tax our "bad habits," and fails to place the blame where it belongs: on our legislatures and the union gangs.
Two decades ago, California was a business-friendly state that maintained a balanced budget. It has now turned into a state virtually run by public-sector parasites, and three in five of those public sector workers belong to unions, compared to the two in five average of other states.
The Democratic Party, which years ago sold its soul to the unions, has controlled the legislature and most statewide positions, translating into more government workers, higher salaries, and increased pension costs. Last year, California spent almost $7.3 billion dollars paying its pension fund, and more than 5,000 former public employees are taking $100,000 a year from taxpayers.
For the last two decades, Sacramento’s policy has been to loot and pillage the free and productive private sector in order to fund an increasingly wasteful and bloated public sector. As businesses raise prices, cut costs, close up shop, or leave the state altogether, it’s easy to see why the trough of entitlements is losing funding.
The stranglehold that the Democrats have had on Californians has created a top-heavy, bureaucratic monster in Sacramento that can only be tamed with more and more taxpayer money. Government has the unfortunate trait of never being able to go out of business, and when it fails, as it tends to do, it simply asks for more funding. Governments have no incentive to please their customers, manage costs, to be efficient, or to adapt to ever changing demands. The market, on the other hand, is government’s polar opposite, and it continues to be squeezed by Sacramento.
While the legislatures pick apart businesses to the bone, they throw us the scraps, and ordinary citizens are forced to save, tighten our belts, and are expected to bear even more of a tax burden. Fortunately, Californians are starting to see through the Sacramento statists’ bluff, and as an election leers just around the corner, it couldn’t have come at a better time.
Comments
We can't sell short-term debt (bonds) to cover the deficit, and the voters just said HELL NO to more taxes (just 3 months after legislators raised taxes by 15 billion, then promised they wouldn't do it again), so the only solution is cut!
Since 40% of the budget goes to education, why don't we in-source (allow H1B visas) for English speaking immigrants from India (Cali legislators love immigrants right?) to teach our children. Why, we can pay them 1/2 of what a teacher currently is paid, and keep classroom sizes down (it's all about the children right CTA?).
As an employee in the private sector (technology), I have to deal with the threat of out-sourcing all the time....why should public employees not have to deal with it themselves? We've all been sold that immigration and H1Bs are great for the bottom-line....so why not practice what you preach Sacramento? Budget problem solved...
As a Native San Franciscan and a Liberal Democrat, Robert has figured out half of the problem..."The Democratic Party, which years ago sold its soul to the unions, has controlled the legislature and most statewide positions, translating into more government workers, higher salaries, and increased pension costs".
The other half is that the Republican Party sold its soul to Big American Business (now better known as Large International Corporations since a lot are no longer American) to move plants to other countries then move jobs to other countries then move money to hidden offshore banking systems (Switzerland, Belize, Cayman Islands, etc.) to avoid paying any taxes, pay workers just enough to live to work another day and the bottom line got really fat so the V.I.P.s paid themselves a lot of money and bonuses..even as the companies were going out of business.
If we cannot make something here in this country, we don't need the damned thing!
California is bankrupt. The state's credit rating has been cut to BBB which is one level above junk. Our state's politicians are the laughing stock of the nation and have their own pet names such as SchwarzenKennedy, Piglosi, Feinswine, Boxhead, VillaLaRaza, and Newscum. State government is way too big and redundant. State pensions, pay and benefits are outrageously too high. Education takes 40% of the budget and ranks right above Mississippi in quality, that makes teachers overpaid, glorified babysitters. Add in millions of illegal alien parasites draining resources meant for citizens and and you have a perfect storm disaster of biblical proportions. Until spending is cut drastically to reflect current revenue, this will become an annual event. Do you really expect voters to re-elect politicians while their taxes are raised, their homes are foreclosed, they lose their jobs and services are cut? What are they smoking in Sacramento?
Arnold's campaign promise when running for his first term was to make significant cuts in the bloated government. California was a lot leaner until tax revenues exploded during the dot com boom. With more money than politicians knew what to do with, government and programs grew like Rosie O at a free buffet. California can be shrunk back to at least that level. Pension plans need to change-some state union employees max out on overtime during their last year before retiring at 50, so that they get an annual pension equal to 100% of their total annual income of that one year! They also retire with taxpayer paid health benefits.
There are people that are upset, and hope some politician will implement term limits! To collect a pension, a politician only needs to work 15 years, voted for by ignorant voters. If a politician somehow is not able to stay in office, such as Migdon, some other politician looks out for them, and appoints them to an office so they can make it to retireme
Instead of hoping and waiting for someone to talk about term limits, you will get old and die first. Originally, political office was never intended to be a career, but was supposed to be part time, low pay like you get when performing a public duty like jury duty, short term, fix a problem, and go back to your real job. The people can implement their own term limits.
Think NRA = Never Re-elect Anyone!!!!
When a politician does term out and tries for a different office or district, do not elect them for that job either. Think about it as if it was a job opening in a private business, are they qualified and the best person for the job? Of course not, so why let them have this job and spend your money?
"The other half is that the Republican Party sold its soul to Big American Business.."
--maybe true to some extend but no way near the relationship that democrats have with union bosses, they literally are sleep together.
"to move plants to other countries then move jobs to other countries then move money to hidden offshore banking systems (Switzerland, Belize, Cayman Islands, etc.)"
-- 95% of jobs are created by corporations and their are high paying jobs out their. This is typical mumbo jumbo from a person who doesn't want to work, spend too much time boozing and partying when he should have studied or learned some valuable skill. Probably attended one of those liberal art college, and can't make enough money to live. Also want to help others but with someone else's money.
"If we cannot make something here in this country, we don't need the damned"
--Talk about yourself. I want something of quality and value, not produced by union gangs and of crap quality.
vote every single one of them out of office... NO to every incumbant...
I hope nothing is passed until they come up with a balanced budget which will panic the Democratics' and their union friends...How can they justify paying fong 18 grand a month for the rest of her life is beyond reason..Nothing will change until the voters clean house, start over and clean up the mess...40% of the budget spent on a failed school system ranked 49th should tell voters something about California education..
Jack, I love your comment about H1B Visas for education. Its complete stupidity for government to tell people in the technology sector to spend money to get a college/ technical education, then make them compete with H1B workers. I have talked to medically insured people from Kaiser Hospital that have noted this as well. BUT IN EDUCATION WE DO NOT MAKE STATE EMPLOYEES HAVE TO COMPETE WITH H1B Visa workers. It's a double standard. ASIDE FROM THIS education can not improve much as we have to teach English to so many 2nd language or English deficient learners (About 47% Statewide Average, now in 2009, up from 34% a decade ago) that having H1B visa workers would not only save the state a TON OF MONEY, BUT WE ALREADY RANK ABOUT 49th in EDUCATION, COMPARED TO OTHER STATES. SO we can't go any worse. And we vastly overpay education salaries.
If State Senators and Assembly People cant get a budget done then everyone of them should be Fired as Nick said. Its time to budget.
The only other issue not covered here is dealing with the illegal alien issue. A start is HR 1868 to end the so called anchor baby rule. Call your Congressional Representative and demand they support this important bill.
Arce says it all! To blame one party and not the other is...naive and disingenuous.
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