California 'faces budget crisis' $11,200,000,000

[Horizon]

The governor of California, Arnold Schwarzenegger, has declared a fiscal emergency, amid fears the state could run out of cash by early next year.
He has ordered lawmakers to hold a special session to tackle the $11.2bn (£7.5bn) deficit in California, one of the world's biggest economies.
Across the US, state tax revenues are down because of the economic slump.
State governors have been meeting President-elect Barack Obama to press the case for federal help.
Governor Schwarzenegger on Monday invoked powers allowing him to declare a fiscal emergency as the new state legislature was sworn in.
"Without immediate action, our state is headed for a fiscal disaster," Mr Schwarzenegger said, saying that the current $11.2bn shortfall could swell to "a staggering $28bn" over the next 18 months.
"I compare the situation that we are in right now to finding an accident victim on the side of the road that is bleeding to death," the Republican governor told a news conference in Los Angeles.
"We wouldn't spend hours debating over which ambulance we should use, or which hospital we should use...No, we would first stop the bleeding, and that's exactly the same we have to do here."



http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7760249.stm




Not that is a surprise, Schwarzenegger says "Without immediate action, our state is headed for a fiscal disaster,"; we would ask which action has been taken by the politicians (actors not included), to prevent this catastrophic course of events, absolutely none, after me the deluge.

[Laworkerbee]

Governor Schwarzenegger pushed a bill that cost our state 3 Billion dollars for stem cell research. Thanks man, you're no different and no better than the man you replaced :roll

[Ordie]

Not that is a surprise, Schwarzenegger says "Without immediate action, our state is headed for a fiscal disaster,"; we would ask which action has been taken by the politicians (actors not included), to prevent this catastrophic course of events, absolutely none, after me the deluge.

"The public is a ferocious beast; one must either chain it or flee from it."
-Voltaire

I blame California voters for the mess we're in.

Proposition 13 was passed by the voters to require 2/3rd majority to pass tax proposals and limit property taxes.
Likewise the California legislature need 2/3rd majority to pass a budget while other states need only need a simple majority.
California voters passed term limits for State Legislators and Senators. Once elected they've already angling for other elected offices to stay in government and no incentive to compromise and develop policies. How can California voters expect the State Assembly and Senate to work if they limit thier time in office? and at any given time we have 1/3rd of the electeds as rookies.
Californians pass bond measures in referendums as if it were free money. No body questions the consequences if these bonds are not able to find buyers.
The referendum system is broken because anyone could hire a company to collect signatures to get anything on the ballot and having it passed. In contrast to our traditions of a representative democracy/republic.
It's time for a Constitutional Convention to fix the system.

What I like to see:

Two year budget cycles passed by simple majority
No term limits
All referendums requires 2/3rd majority vote
17% flat tax

[PALADIN]

I blame Californian's for the mess we're in as well...oh...wait.

[Hispeed1]

Whoever is in charge of the budget needs to be fired.

[Ordie]

Whoever is in charge of the budget needs to be fired.

Been there before with the recall of Gov. Gray Davis.
That's how we got the Governator into office.

[The Dane]

Will USA go bankrupt in a couple of years as some experts fears?
I know Mp.net knows the truth.. p-)

[timetraveller]

Will USA go bankrupt in a couple of years as some experts fears?
I know Mp.net knows the truth.. p-)

"Smirk"


p-)

[2Sheds_Jackson]

I lived in Pleasanton CA last year - it's up in the Bay Area near Oakland & San Francisco. Nearly empty buses plied the wide, landscaped boulevards night and day. There were miles and miles of empty parks and fancy hiking "trails". Storm drains on the curb - one every 200 feet or so - had little ceramic plaques affixed to them - telling me not to pour anything down there that wasn't natural, because it drained into the bay, and could harm wildlife...and each had a little molded-in sculpture of a dolphin, painted blue. I remember taking a walk, and seeing all that, and wondering how the hell anybody could live so well - how can they afford to have all this? Well, as it turns out...

[Ordie]

I lived in Pleasanton CA last year - it's up in the Bay Area near Oakland & San Francisco. Nearly empty buses plied the wide, landscaped boulevards night and day. There were miles and miles of empty parks and fancy hiking "trails". Storm drains on the curb - one every 200 feet or so - had little ceramic plaques affixed to them - telling me not to pour anything down there that wasn't natural, because it drained into the bay, and could harm wildlife...and each had a little molded-in sculpture of a dolphin, painted blue. I remember taking a walk, and seeing all that, and wondering how the hell anybody could live so well - how can they afford to have all this? Well, as it turns out...

Don't get me started with edge city high tech campuses with "see through" buildings with empty parking lots.

Much of that was a result of Proposition 13. Cities had to seek alternative means to make up the property tax losses. Therefore they shifted to sales taxes to make up the difference with 'big box' and office parks such as the one in Pleasanton.

[deagle]

so did he run it into the "fiscal disaster" as it is now ??

i'm sure all those hollywood celebs making millinos upon millins of dollars can afford to pay a bit more in taxes than the middle class family.

[philbob]

so did he run it into the "fiscal disaster" as it is now ??

i'm sure all those hollywood celebs making millinos upon millins of dollars can afford to pay a bit more in taxes than the middle class family.

I wonder why they have been so slow to respond to help out the state and the middle class seeing that was there ralling cry with Obama

[Ordie]

I wonder why they have been so slow to respond to help out the state and the middle class seeing that was there ralling cry with Obama

Washington DC is closer to Los Angeles than Sacramentop-)

[Laworkerbee]

Washington DC is closer to Los Angeles than Sacramentop-)

Tell me about it, the entire city of Los Angeles collectively puked when we saw our Photo-Op mayor Antonio Villaraigosa standing with Obama on his economic advisory team.

FFS!

[Mousepad]

so did he run it into the "fiscal disaster" as it is now ??

i'm sure all those hollywood celebs making millinos upon millins of dollars can afford to pay a bit more in taxes than the middle class family.

Correct me if i'm wrong, "Producers association" in 24/11 or 11/24 (for Yanks) cut by 50% salaries of actors and filming crew, they doomed to semi-luxury. Somebody think about children, Angelina and Bredd feeding theirs with red caviar instead of beluga. Dark times indeed.

[Ordie]

Tell me about it, the entire city of Los Angeles collectively puked when we saw our Photo-Op mayor Antonio Villaraigosa standing with Obama on his economic advisory team.

FFS!

Sacramento is an out of sight - out of mind location. (The place sucks especially during the Summer) I'd bet if the State Capitol were to be in Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Jose or San Diego we would be seeing a different reality today. Most notably how the press scrutinize the government and how lobbyist work.

[Macs.]

The governor of California, Arnold Schwarzenegger, has declared a fiscal emergency, amid fears the state could run out of cash by early next year.

I thought Schwarzenegger was a Republican and a Conservative... :roll:

[joka]

finding an accident victim on the side of the road

Gotta remember that one the next time I get in to trouble, I'm an accident victim.

[Laworkerbee]

I thought Schwarzenegger was a Republican and a Conservative... :roll:

This is California, not Kentucky Macs.

[Ordie]

This is California, not Kentucky Macs.

X2
The California GOP hates and loathes Schwarzenegger. He was elected twice with the support of Independents and Democrats. In return he packed his staff with like minded Democrats and Independents.

Since you need 2/3rds majority in the Assembly to pass a budget. Since there is no incentive to compromise due to term limits the minority GOP Representatives are hitting back at Arnold Schwarzenegger for neglecting their social conservative platform.

Arnold will be termed out and is kissing some butt to be EPA chief.

[Laworkerbee]

I for one am quite sorry I voted against Gray Davis, the man only has himself to blame for his downfall. If he had only sat down and spoke to us like adults and talked about our fiscal problems I'm quite sure he would have kept his office.

Now we are back to the four legs good two legs baaaaaaad routine.

[Chulo]

How much of the budget goes into social welfare "experiments" and illegal immigrants?

[Laworkerbee]

How much of the budget goes into social welfare "experiments" and illegal immigrants?

The majority of our budget is mandated to go into he school system which is a black hole. Year after year bond measures are passed by citizens, the last one I voted on in the 90's borrowed billions to install air conditioning in every classroom which of course never happened.

I have zero faith in the government; city, state, or at the national level anymore.

[Ordie]

I have zero faith in the government; city, state, or at the national level anymore.

I have zero faith on California voters who think bonds are free monies and always seeking simple solutions for complex problems through the ballot box.

[Laworkerbee]

I have zero faith on California voters who think bonds are free monies and always seeking simple solutions for complex problems through the ballot box.

You know as well as I that the unions come stomping into these bond measures like 800 pound gorillas, they usually always benefit from these bond measures and vote heavily in favor of them.

As for the rest of our apathetic voters, I just don't know what to say, I give up.

[Ordie]

You know as well as I that the unions come stomping into these bond measures like 800 pound gorillas, they usually always benefit from these bond measures and vote heavily in favor of them.

Without Prop 13 we would not be in this mess.
Its nearly impossible a measure with 2/3rd majority for raising taxes, that's why we have these bond measures.

[Laworkerbee]

Without Prop 13 we would not be in this mess.
Its nearly impossible a measure with 2/3rd majority for raising taxes, that's why we have these bond measures.

Agreed, I think Prop 98 needs to be looked at as well.

[Violet Fashion by Mindy]

I have zero faith in the government; city, state, or at the national level anymore.

Time to join me in creating a new world order my friend.

[Laworkerbee]

Allah Be Praised.

[Violet Fashion by Mindy]

I think the problem with the way society has become is that governments promise for short term gain at the expense of long term planning and investment.

This needs to be changed.

An Australian government was destroyed over the Sydney Harbour Bridge. Since then there has been very little major investment for the long term in this nation.

We need to change the system in which popularism is guiding policy to a system where governments truly govern for the good of the nation and not political survival. If hard decisions need to be made then they need to be made.

[Laworkerbee]

I'm starting to think Monarchy's are not such a bad idea after all.

I totally agree with you Min, our governments desperately need to think past 5 year plans and election cycles.

[Violet Fashion by Mindy]

Provided they have checks and balances, Monarchies are great. You can still have an elected parliament that representatives present to the monarch grievances of the population, guide policy but the decisions are well and truly made by a Monarch in conjuction with a senior council Privy Council