Why California is "dying"

[sinophile]

My personal opinion is this article's observations apply to the US Federal spending problem 1:1.

From http://www.realclearmarkets.com/arti...nia_go_ba.html

...expect the Golden State to be in desperate need of a bailout soon, one that will certainly gain a receptive ear in the White House because Washington can’t conceive of our largest state defaulting on its debt, even though the prospect has now sunk California’s bond rating lower even than Louisiana’s.

[StukaJr]

California just passed the deficit price tag caused by 200 plus thousand state employees onto its tens of millions of taxpayers - every cent of the Federal Bailout money will go to budget 14 billion worth of proposed pet projects and not to refund the taxpayers for the tax hike in a recession.

SoCal radio station is organizing mini-Tea Party revolt by having people mail used tea bags to Governor's office and recall groups are springing up... It will be a poetic justice if Arnold gets recalled for being worse than the governor he himself spent so much time belittling and ridiculing. Over a million Californians left the state in the past decade and the ones staying are pissed as hell - have no doubt about it.

[Siddar]

California just passed the deficit price tag caused by 200 plus thousand state employees onto its tens of millions of taxpayers - every cent of the Federal Bailout money will go to budget 14 billion worth of proposed pet projects and not to refund the taxpayers for the tax hike in a recession.

SoCal radio station is organizing mini-Tea Party revolt by having people mail used tea bags to Governor's office and recall groups are springing up... It will be a poetic justice if Arnold gets recalled for being worse than the governor he himself spent so much time belittling and ridiculing. Over a million Californians left the state in the past decade and the ones staying are pissed as hell - have no doubt about it.

Arnold is just ineffective and unable to force through changes needed. I dont really blame him for problems. Majority blame for this lies with asembly and public employee unions that have hijacked the states goverment for there own purposes. The courts blocking Arnolds attempt to layoff employees last year didnt help matters eather.

Voters who have allowwed this to happen should also take there share of the blame as well. maybe if we have another recall that recalls the entire asembly and senate along with Arnold then just maybe well get people willing to adress the problems.

Any attempt to replace govenor with out sweeping the rest of state goverment away as well is just going to produce more of the same old same old.

[Walter Sobchak]

Another problem in California, especially San Diego, is that city governments made sweetheart deals with public employee unions that included very generous retirement packages that are now eating up city budgets.

Face it, Communism failed in Russia, in China and even in Albania. I guess California and North Korea are next.

Man, and that place was so cool in the 60s...

[Abolith]

California just passed the deficit price tag caused by 200 plus thousand state employees onto its tens of millions of taxpayers - every cent of the Federal Bailout money will go to budget 14 billion worth of proposed pet projects and not to refund the taxpayers for the tax hike in a recession.

SoCal radio station is organizing mini-Tea Party revolt by having people mail used tea bags to Governor's office and recall groups are springing up... It will be a poetic justice if Arnold gets recalled for being worse than the governor he himself spent so much time belittling and ridiculing. Over a million Californians left the state in the past decade and the ones staying are pissed as hell - have no doubt about it.

couldn't agree more.. I am already making my plans to leave as well.. it'll take about a year to get it all in place...but once I leave I'm not coming back. My family made the right choice 10 years ago ... I should have listened then.

[Ordie]

The problem is not that we give policymakers the freedom to fail, but we do not give them the freedom to suceeed.

For example:

• The initiative process (propositions) circumvents the authority of the legislature and the governor to develop and implement public policy.
• The initiative process is no longer a grassroots effort, but hijacked by lobbists, special interests and businesses who uses media to manipulate the vote.
• Through the initiative process, voters now places term limits on policymakers to the point that 1/4 of the legislature are rookies with no long term institutional policymaking history or budget making experience.
• Through the initiative process, voters requires 2/3rd majority to pass a budget while other states requires simple majorities.

I place the blame on stupid California voters and special interests for passing initiatives (including 400 amendments to the constitution) on the premise of seeking simple solutions to complex problems.

[Walter Sobchak]

The problem is not that we give policymakers the freedom to fail, but we do not give them the freedom to suceeed.

For example:

• The initiative process (propositions) circumvents the authority of the legislature and the governor to develop and implement public policy.
• The initiative process is no longer a grassroots effort, but hijacked by lobbists, special interests and businesses who uses media to manipulate the vote.
• Through the initiative process, voters now places term limits on policymakers to the point that 1/4 of the legislature are rookies with no long term institutional policy making history or budget making experience.
• Through the initiative process, voters requires 2/3rd majority to pass a budget while other states requires simple majorities.

I place the blame on stupid California voters and special interests for passing initiatives (including 400 amendments to the constitution) on the premise of seeking simple solutions to complex problems.

You forgot the Federal Judges who overturn the initiatives the Left doesn't like...

[Ordie]

You forgot the Federal Judges who overturn the initiatives the Left doesn't like...

Your right, why waste the courts time.

For a state of 30 million, I'm in favor for a Republic, not a populist democracy.

• No term limits (let the voters decide to hire and fire)
• 2/3rd majority to pass all initiatives
• Simple majority to pass legislation
• Two year budget cycles

[Walter Sobchak]

Your right, why waste the courts time.

For a state of 30 million, I'm in favor for a Republic, not a populist democracy.

• No term limits (let the voters decide to hire and fire)
• 2/3rd majority to pass all initiatives
• Simple majority to pass legislation
• Two year budget cycles

Watch it, or they will recall Ahhhh-nawld and hire you!

Just keep repeating, "If nominated I will not accept... if elected I will not serve!"

[wildcat]

Man, and that place was so cool in the 60s...

That is when California started down this road with the 60's hippies, we are just ripping what they sowed.

[Ordie]

That is when California started down this road with the 60's hippies, we are just ripping what they sowed.

That was Gov Pat Brown era...things ran right.
California started to go down hill since Proposition 13 passed.

[wildcat]

That was Gov Pat Brown era...things ran right.
California started to go down hill since Proposition 13 passed.

nothing to do with the Gov back then, but with the flower power generation that came thought 60's with their liberal ideals, slowly taking it over, and today is what you have. just saying, I put the blame on them.

[USMCRTop]

As a native Californian, I think that we have gotten into "vote for what we want" mode- that is, if everyone votes for it, the laws of ecomnomics can be changed- also, I sue , you sue , we sue- there is a tremendous need for tort reform

[Siddar]

As a native Californian, I think that we have gotten into "vote for what we want" mode- that is, if everyone votes for it, the laws of ecomnomics can be changed- also, I sue , you sue , we sue- there is a tremendous need for tort reform

The Democracy over reality mentality of far to many Californians is at the heart of problems facing the state. The idea that just voting for something will magicly make the funds appear to fund said projects with out any downside seems to be ingrained deeply into the states voters.

[AlfredoTP]

I think more that democracy, as we know it today, was good...back then! In the 50s, 60s, 70, and early 80s, that system worked just fine. But the problem is that society has changed A LOT in the past 15 years, more than in the previous 40 to 50 years! And that was just too much and too fast for our 'democracy' which we never adjusted to any change at all! And now here it comes!!! California, as well as the rest of the US, EU, etc. are all suffering of a lack of ... common sense/real democracy/[insert idea here] ...