California Budget: Stop the Insanity
California finally passed a budget last night. The budget is devastating and will hurt just about every single Californian. It is the consequence of two things 1) the recession put California in a deep hole 2) the structural way that California's legislature operates on taxes and the budget mean that a conservative budget is the only one that is able to be passed.
Dave has more details on the budget and the aftermath over at Calitics, but the fact still remains...
California's government is hopelessly broken. Republicans turned the budget negotiations into a hostage crisis by exploiting the rule requiring a 2/3rds vote of the legislature to pass a budget. Senator Abel Maldonado blackmailed the Senate into accepting even more spending cuts and an open primary that threatens progressive power as the cost of his vote for the budget deal.
California Republicans are an extreme minority. A party in exile. Rejected by Californians at the ballot box, Republicans have decided to take revenge by using the budget crisis to achieve their radical goals, no matter the cost.
Only TWO other states -- the small states of Rhode Island and Arkansas -- require a 2/3rds supermajority to pass a budget. But, ironically, it requires a 2/3 vote of the legislature to put a constitutional amendment on the ballot to repeal the 2/3rds rule.
Since Republicans in the legislature will try to block that too, it is up to we, the people, to restore democracy to California and finally end the Republicans' obstruction. And the only way we can stop them is to repeal the 2/3rds rule by ballot initiative.
This is insanity. And it's made possible by the 2/3rds rule, which allows a small cabal of extremist Republicans to hold the state hostage to their demands, as they have done year after year.
We have to stop the insanity. The only way this madness will end is if we eliminate the 2/3rds rule. Please join the Courage Campaign and CREDO and take the pledge to support a repeal of the 2/3rds rule.
(full-disclosure: I work for the Courage Campaign)
John Amato:
I don't understand why we don't have a gas tax in CA either. With the prices so low, people will not complain about it because they understand how bad conditions are and it would raise a ton of money. If oil goes through the roof again, then the tax gets rescinded. Rachel Maddow in the above video also points out the absurd problem that exists because property taxes are capped in California.
MADDOW: The GOP is also in exile in the great state of California, where Democrats have big majorities in both Houses of the legislature. However, California is turning out to be a test lab for what happens when the party in exile, the “party of no” can‘t get overruled. Legislative rules in California require a 2/3 vote on certain legislation, which means a few minority Republican votes are needed to pass the Golden State‘s horrible new budget.Why is it horrible?
Well, because California capped property taxes when I was five. I remember because that shut down my town‘s library for most of the week, not that I‘m bitter.With no real property tax base, California is instead really dependent on income taxes, and since people‘s income goes up and down with a lot of volatility depending on the state of the economy, California‘s state budget has ended up being really sensitive to economic downturns. And in case you hadn‘t noticed, this is to economic downturns what a buffalo is to a buffalo wing.
Here's a Documentary covering the economic benefits of hemp. And CNBC just ran an hour long documentary on the issue called Marijuana Inc. as well.
The Business Behind Getting High ~~>
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=16578...
The Huffington Post recently covered this as well:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/robbie-gennet/o...
Watch the short government produced film "Hemp for Victory" if you want to see how they thought hemp could help during the second world war. This stuff is just crazy. Start thinking.
I just stopped thinking so I can start smoking.
http://www.mpp.org/
legalize pot
do it now
OH Christ yes. Prohibition is the most stupid law ever devised.
Tax the sh!t out of it.
Increase taxes on property, gas, cigs, alcohol, and everything would work out.
the constituents are running out of work, and this is not "their" debt, its their mis-managed government's debt.
the constituents are already at the end of consumption anyway. a tax on goods will only reduce goods sold... thus creating lower retail statements, thus reducing consumer confidence.
better idea. start charging some kind of toll. some kind of customer-side export tax. an extra fee. on everything. movies. software. finances.
oh, and maybe call out the GOP who aren't cooperating?
I'm dead serious.
this is too important to be playing some dipshit reality tv political game.
dems should call out the flip flopping petty GOP politicians.
dems should name names.
When you are fiscally bankrupt and need cash, there are only so many avenues to increase it. Property taxes on the rich houses in California can go up. I'm sure Ahnold can afford to pay an increase.
Does "Of the People, by the People, for the People", ring a bell? What do you mean its not "their" debt? Hell yes it is. Every person living in California takes on the responsibility of all government debt. Its what is called being a good citizen.
Election 2012: Be Educated! Be Active! Vote!
www.PhoenixJustice.com
Its what is called being a good citizen.
Thank you for the sanity.
There's always free cheddar in the mousetrap, baby. - Tom Waits
n/c
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j7M-7LkvcVw
We are a Constitutional Federal Republic. A democracy is 2 wolves and a sheep deciding on what to have for supper. Our Republic was designed to protect the rights of the minority, not to encourage mob rule. I personally believe that a super majority should be used in all state governments as well as at the Fed level to do anything and everything. At least that way it would slow down the complete destruction of our once great country.
of course the two wolves constitute a super majority, so the sheep is still supper.
at math. Too bad for the sheep...
But rigging the system so that one side can ALWAYS hold the other hostage...not so much with the democracy, there.
There's always free cheddar in the mousetrap, baby. - Tom Waits
No mention of Obama's historic 6 minute photo-op in Canuckistan today? Sum buddy take a pic quick, cuz I'm freezing my b*lls off. OK....bye Mr. Harpo..."It's Harper!"...ya, whatever...just keep giving us everything we want and don't bug me anymore.
You didn't see it?
A 6 hour "visit" is nothing more than a celebrity photo-op in the same way as American Idol. Not interested. Now if he was here for a valid reason, that would be different. This was just a Mr. America tour.
the fact that you weren't interested means it had no value? How lucky you must be to have the the power to determine such things!
So in your infinite wisdom, how much time should this President, who is weighed down with his country going to hell in a hand basket and dragging the rest of the world down with it, take in every single country he visits? A couple of weeks, maybe? Time to walk around, glad-hand with the locals and buy some crafts?
Get real, dude. I'm amazed and pretty pleased that with all the shit flying around here, the Prez still finds time to let the rest of the world know that he, unlike his predecessor, is not a lazy, uneducated shit who'd rather clear brush than do his fucking JOB.
There's always free cheddar in the mousetrap, baby. - Tom Waits
They are just people to me Excelsior. Politicians. I am not gonna get all giggly and excited because a politician visits. Sorry if that pisses you off. But not interested. If he is so damn busy, stay home. Big deal.
I can't blame you for not being interested in a presidential visit. Lots of theater and lots of security, little substance.
Ronald Reagan stopped by my junior high school on his way to his (first) inauguration. Whoop de doo that means so much to me now. I have pics in my yearbook if I ever want to remember that.
of the wasted visit of that piece of sh*t to Canada. Not pics of him, but the total waste of taxdollars on cops, security, limos, etc, etc. It is no wonder politicians feel they are above the normal everyday person. They are treated like royalty.
Perhaps if you listen to what he said, you might find more depth in his visit.
Say what you mean. Mean what you say. But don't say it mean.
listen to telemarketers Patricia? That is all any of them are. Glorified telemarketers promising the end of the world. No thanks. Stay home and fix your economic mess. That will help me out more than visiting and taking pictures.
After Lorne Greene, Dan Ackroyd, and the Sutherlands left, who besides you is there worth talking to up there?It only takes about six minutes to fill up the tank on the way to Aunt Sarah's. Your head of state is at Winsdor P. after all.
"That's fu*#ing retarded."
Big City Mayor
Well then he has no reason to visit. I'm sure he didn't do anything anyway except cost Canadian taxpayers 10 million or so for security. Why would anyone get excited because of a foreign leader's visit? Oh...oh...don't tell me...it's because it was an AMERICAN politician, is that it?
It was a futile, dumb, condescending gesture sure to backfire when people realize he reached across the border for bilateralism and only got the back of your cold indifferent Canuckistanian hands.
"That's fu*#ing retarded."
Big City Mayor
n/c
We should have stopped time and had a huge ticker tape parade to show how great it was to be blessed by an American presence. Jeebus. Get over yourselves.
to be such a pessimist all the time. You remind me of Max Goldman in Grumpy Old Men: anything that you don't like or disagree with is just so much crap.
But why bother discussing anything with you? You're like a seagull: fly in, make a lot of noise, shit over everything, then fly away. Well, how about STAYING away, then, if you don't have anything productive to contribute.
"Quando Omni Flunkus Moritati" - Red Green
Freedom Ain't Free - Pay Your Share
that would have been an appropriate expenditure for him
increasing taxes during a depression is going to fix all the problems???
you guys are nuts
and prop 13 only covers a small portion of homes...and doesnt cover business property or rental property
come on people...dont blame this all on the repugs
the problems started with the recall of davis...and i remember alot of dems voting for ahnold
yes, cali is broken...but your suggestions aint gonna fix it
would be nice if we got back more of the monies stolen from us by enron and the other power corps
I actually agree with Uncle Joe!! Holy crap. First Obama's 6 second whirlwind tour, then this agreement? Wowzers. What a day!
I was being sarcastic with my tax increase idea Joe. I cannot believe that people are proposing tax increases in this economic environment while cheering on stimulus spending. What's the opposite of stimulus? Tax increases.
Button syndrome. It was a six minute tour just...six minutes ago.
"That's fu*#ing retarded."
Big City Mayor
since you're so concerned and all, maybe you'd like to kick in a couple of bucks to help out the unlucky in Kali-for-ni-a. Cause really, as California goes, so goes Canada (sooner or later), eh!?
"Egotism is the anesthetic that dulls the pain of Stupidity" - Frank Leahy
The problem didn't start with the recall. Why do you think it happened in the first place? Because Gray Davis was trying to fix the California economy! The Repugs didn't like that, so he was out.
We've been struggling with this shit a LONG TIME. Decades, actually. To say it was all because of Arnie is crap. California, just like the rest of the country, has been undermined over many, many years by greedy bastards who don't give a shit about ordinary people, and get richer by convincing those very same people that they DO care.
You want to look at where the problems started? You can begin by going all the way back to when Reagan was our governor. The sorry sack of shit smiled all the way through it, even as he fucked out state in the ass. Thank you, Ronnie; your karma was well-deserved.
There's always free cheddar in the mousetrap, baby. - Tom Waits
Part of the problem was also energy speculation, spearheaded by Enron, which the Bush Administration refused to investigate. It cost the state billions to deal with and California is still paying for it.
Election 2012: Be Educated! Be Active! Vote!
www.PhoenixJustice.com
http://informationclearinghouse.info/article2...
"The US has an army of 90,000 soldiers in Afghanistan and is spending $100bn a year, but has still been unable to defeat 20,000-25,000 Taliban who receive no pay at all." - Patrick Cockburn
First time I've heard that, and I'm a Californian, have been most of my life (and I'm quite middle-aged). That Bank of America building in downtown San Francisco is covered by prop 13, as was the rental house I lived in in the Bernal Heights neighborhood. Are you a Californian? The problem with prop 13 is that it does cover business property, which doesn't change hands as often as actual homes. So a home that was prop 13 protected will change hands when the original owner dies or sells and the property taxes then shoot up to current market value assessment. But that BofA building just doesn't change hands, and so its property taxes are ungodly unfairly low. Same with huge apartment buildings owned by corporate landlords: they keep raising their rents, but their property taxes stay low.
Prop 13 does cover commercial property. Businesses have found a loophole that allows them to avoid actually selling the property, and having to have the value reassessed, thus paying their fair share of property taxes. They turn the property into a corporation and sell that.
One of the best solutions for reforming Prop 13 is to split the rolls. Keep the protections for homeowners but eliminate the loopholes for the corporations.
drive push all coordinated from the white house.
cali republican talk radio monopoly got that done and it is why cali is so fucked now- on local and state level the centers of power of the GOP are the local talk radio stations and if dems want to picket and boycott somewhere to send the GOP a message that's where they need to do it.
The 2/3rds supermajority isn't the only thing that has to go. We MUST repeal Prop 13, the bomb that started all this crap in the first place.
Yeah, yeah, property taxes are a HUGE EVIL that MUST BE KILLED. Horseshit. By playing on homeowners' fears about paying more taxes, Jarvis and his bunch managed to kill the state of California, strangling her bit by bit over nearly fourty years. I've seen my state go from the pride of the nation, a place where EVERYONE wanted to live, to a pathetic, limping mess of greed, duplicity and ironically enough, simple-minded nostalgia for the very prosperity Prop. 13 destroyed.
If we're going to repeal something, Prop. 13 would be the next logical step. It'll hurt some people, but is nobody getting hurt in this budget crisis? Other than ordinary, WORKING PEOPLE, that is.
There's always free cheddar in the mousetrap, baby. - Tom Waits
thanks a bunch
Have your retired parents enjoyed using the roads and freeways of California to get around? How about the police and fire departments looking out for them? How about a nice beach or park to visit? Do they like having a place for their grandchildren to go to school?
These things cost money and even Warren Buffett says that California property taxes are too low. He pays less for his properties in California than he does for his home in Omaha, Nebraska.
Election 2012: Be Educated! Be Active! Vote!
www.PhoenixJustice.com
they live on fixed incomes
see my post below.
In short: repeal prop 13, but make provisions for the elderly and people on fixed income.
It's not rocket science.
It's called the American Dream because you have to be asleep to believe it.
-George Carlin
The problem is the whole California referendum process.
Put a tax cut on a referendum...is a majority going to vote against it?!?!
You elect your officials to govern. Referendums are a cop out.
Vote GOP and move forward to the 18th Century.
on the point you just made I will gladly sign it.
"That's fu*#ing retarded."
Big City Mayor
getting people recalled, getting referenda on the ballots, defeating other referenda, even putting actors in the governor's mansion
And I wrote the following, and it still stands:
---------------------------------------------
=============================================
Does California need to raise taxes? Obviously. They're freakin' broke.
But why? Why are they broke?
Because MIDDLE CLASS CALIFORNIANS, specifically of the "greatest Generation", (the "class of '46") finished paying for their homes in 76-77 and were wondering how they were going to make ends meet on SocSec as they retired when they were paying increasing amounts of property tax.
They bleated like little babies "WAAAAH!!!" so they passed prop 13 and that scuttled the CA tax base.
So then they had to increasingly depend on State Income Taxes, which was fine in times of plenty, but sucked badly in lean times. So, during the boom of the 90s and after the dump of 2000-2002, they took on all kinds of projects, wrote huge bond measures, and it would have been fine, assuming continuous growth.
But, that ended, and isn't likely to come back soon.
So, you have Republicans backed by the douchebags in the Central Valley and Orange County refusing to raise taxes, and the Democrats left as the "party of adults". Unfortunately, they're completely corrupt. Anybody remember where the $100 million for SF Schools went? Yeah - it just went missing. Typical. When crap like that goes down, it give the Republicans serious ammo, and you just end up with this clusterf*ck we have today.
So, yes, the Rethugs are morons for not wanting to raise taxes, but the CA Dems are hardly the people to fix the situation, taxes or no.
It's a really messy situation.
What I would do if I were emperor of CA?
Repeal prop 13, and phase in a new property tax that will stablise state income. Part of this would be freezing property tax for people over 65, at 65, or those on fixed income. That gets the class of '46 off your back. I would graduate the income tax more sharply, so it affects the rich a lot more than it does now. I would decriminalise pot and anyone in jail for it would be let go, unless they had related weapons charges or some other evil crime. I would turn the 5 into a toll road. Similar things to that. There are lots of ways to improve CA.
---------------------------------------------
=============================================
And today I add:
As I noted, it was the white middle class of CA who demanded prop 13, to get the .gov off their back on housing prices. This of course amounted to little more than a subsidy for housing, and prices in CA cities are among the highest in the country now, even after a 15% decrease in value.
Prop 13 DEVASTATED the CA education system. In the 1960s if you got good grades you got a free education. Now Berkeley is what, $30k a year? something like that. When California's middle class stopped being citizens and became taxpayers, they completely screwed themselves. I have sympathy for the poor. I have no sympathy for the republican middle class morons.
They can choke as far as I am concerned.
It's called the American Dream because you have to be asleep to believe it.
-George Carlin
not just a great rant...an intelligent, thoughtful and accurate rant.
Vote GOP and move forward to the 18th Century.
for noticing!
It's called the American Dream because you have to be asleep to believe it.
-George Carlin
I agree completely. Tweakerbelle wrote a fantastic, well-considered post with suggestions that will work & aren't reliant on worn-out talking points or rigid ideology.
Bravo! If I lived in California you'd get my vote for Emperor.
then wilson got the legislature to enact cuts in education funding that matched what the lottery brought in and the whole process became mute
why hasnt anyone noted how cali has lost businesses over the years to other states as a result of tax giveaways that we could not afford?
why hasnt anyone noted that the fed owes us billions due to the lack of enforcement regarding illegals?
why hasnt anyone noted that the state has built more prisons than universtity campuses, which would have lowered overall cost of a college education?
why hasnt anyone noted that the state has done nothing over the past 30 years in regards to building more resevoirs in order to deal with our ongoing water issues....which has hurt farmers throughout the state?
why hasnt anyone noted that both dems and repugs in the state house are insane and only care about their own personal political power?
Uncle Joe >wrote and *I reply:
>then wilson got the legislature to enact cuts in
>education funding that matched what the lottery
>brought in and the whole process became mute
*Fact: It didn't go mute, it got downloaded. Institutions that could charge money for attendance had to make up the difference. The rest simply went into a death spiral, which is why California Private Schools are so de riguer for the California upper middle classes ad why local public schools suck great steaming tourdes and Universities which were once FREE are now only somewhat less than extortionate in price.
From CA dept of Education
quote: The State Controller’s Office (SCO) will distribute the 2008-09 first quarter lottery apportionment on December 30, 2008. The total apportioned to county offices of education, school districts, and charter schools is $203,050,491.62 or $30.52 ($30.516549756) per unit of average daily attendance (ADA) for the unrestricted lottery apportionment.
Now how in the hell are you going to get a university to run on $30 a unit per day?
answer: you can't.
>why hasnt anyone noted how cali has lost businesses
>over the years to other states as a result of tax
>giveaways that we could not afford?
*Whiskey Tango Foxtrot?
FACT: California Companies that LEAD the world:
HP (up until Republican goon Carly Fiorina waltzed in and destroyed the place)
Apple
Cisco
Yahoo
Lockheed
eBay
Genentech
Sun (until they lost their way from stupid managers)
SGI (ditto)
Disney
Pixar
SBC
Northrop Grumman
AMD
I won't bother going on. With a skilled, productive, and educated workforce, corporate taxes are no impediment to business. If it were, then Europe and Japan would have NO industry whatsoever. Uncle Joe is, as usual, speaks from his anus.
>why hasnt anyone noted that the fed owes us billions
>due to the lack of enforcement regarding illegals?
*Ask the big growers in California.
Archer Daniels Midland. Ask Dole foods. you know - those corporations that depend on cheap labour and have the money to block legislation and coerce legislators.
>why hasnt anyone noted that the state has built
>more prisons than universtity campuses, which
>would have lowered overall cost of a college education?
*FACT: Increased infrastructure comes with increased running costs - substituting schools for prisons would NOT reduce the education cost to the state. I work in education - know these things a little too well...
FACT: a vast number of prisoners are in for minor drug offences, based on required minimum sentences developed during republican regimes (and Grey Davis's gutless DINO administration). If pot were simply decriminalised and other drugs treated as a health care issue, it would be VASTLY cheaper to administer and would, if properly handled, actually reduce drug dependency over time.
>why hasnt anyone noted that the state has done nothing
>over the past 30 years in regards to building more
>resevoirs in order to deal with our ongoing water
>issues....which has hurt farmers throughout the state?
FACT: The problem isn't water - the problem is population and lifestyle. As long as people insist on green lawns, daily showers, car washes, swimming pools, water parks, inefficient crop irrigation, AND putting 34 million people in a state that is 3/4 desert or semi-arid, then yeah - you're going to have water problems. Deal.
>why hasnt anyone noted that both dems and repugs in
>the state house are insane and only care about their
>own personal political power?
FACT: it is up to the people of California to cure their own case of cranio-rectal inversion and remove the Republican virus, and smack the crap out of the Democrats.
I've lived a number of places and CA was one of the most corrupt I have ever seen in my life.
It's called the American Dream because you have to be asleep to believe it.
-George Carlin
Beyond the lottery statement (where I'm sure you meant "moot" instead of "mute"), almost everything you said there Joe are common misconceptions passed around as truths.
Until the general downturn that has affected all states, California has had no net decrease in the number of businesses operating in the state in at least the last 10 years (and probably more than that). For every company that leaves, at least one either moves in or starts up. It makes sense. We are at least the 8th largest economy in the world. If you aren't doing business here, you're not really doing business. We have the largest industrial and commercial sectors of any state (not suprising, since we're the largest state, though most folks are suprised to see exactly how much industry is still here).
Dozens of studies have shown that immigrants, legal or otherwise, provide a net gain to the state they live in, including dozens specific to California (where, of course, the Republican farmers all WANT immigrants to come and pick their food, and they don't really care if they're legal or not). There's plenty of talk about increased crime, welfare, hospital costs, etc., from immigrants, but no data. It's easy to refute your argument: show me the data! I've seen no credible study (or even half-assed one for that matter) proving your point.
California has built far more new colleges and universities recently than other states. It has about 33 state prisons, and more than 200 colleges and universities (here's a link: http://www.univsource.com/ca.htm). It has added major campuses to both the UC and CalState university systems in recent years. Show me another state that has done that.
And believe it or not, California has built more new reservoirs in recent years than any other state, though still only a handful. It is not because of over-regulation that we don't have more; it's merely because we've already developed all the easy (i.e., cheap) ones. It's far better to store that water underground anyway, which is what we're doing.
I definitely agree with your last point, however.
All in all, after living in about 12 other states (Army brat growing up, in the Navy later, restless for a period after that), I'd rather live here than anywhere else.
. . and I was about to suggest something snarky, like another recall of our Governor. Lottery money is just inserted in place of state funding of education, sadly. Might be a little tricky correcting property taxes for residential property with foreclosures, etc. With commercial property, another delicate balance between business accepting more of the tax burden and chasing business out of California.
I'd be OK with something that changes a 2/3rd majority vote to approve a budget back to a 51% majority approval for budgets. As someone who is paid with state funds, it would be a big relief not to have to be nervous every year over whether I get an actual check or remembering that the state was sued so I wouldn't get IOUs instead of checks.
Thank you for pointing out that Prop 13 has finally come home to roost. I pay property taxes out the wazoo, thank you very much. The way it works for the generation younger than the hoser who thought up Prop 13 is that you pay through the nose for a tumble down shack (and property taxes). You leverage that once or twice to get into a safe neighborhood with a good school district. Each time you move up, you pay more property taxes. Prop 13 really only benefits the people who owned their homes when it passed, imho.
Plus, do not forget the many many many people who rent. they do not pay property taxes.
Now, don't flame me. I am completely sympathetic to the people who were preyed upon by unscrupulous lenders. I would have no problem with a gas tax. But younger generations trying to afford a decent home in a decent neighborhood are already pretty hosed.
"Repeal prop 13, and phase in a new property tax that will stablise state income. Part of this would be freezing property tax for people over 65, at 65, or those on fixed income. That gets the class of '46 off your back. I would graduate the income tax more sharply, so it affects the rich a lot more than it does now. I would decriminalise pot and anyone in jail for it would be let go, unless they had related weapons charges or some other evil crime. I would turn the 5 into a toll road. Similar things to that. There are lots of ways to improve CA."
Except for the toll road part. NO TOLL ROADS.
Califorinans need to amp up their public transport and re-localise their agriculture. Having the .gov subsidise the automotive transportation system only encourages driving and the Just In Time distribution system, neither of which is sustainable. I think putting a toll (say $40 end to end - Oregon to San Diego) on I-5 would be a good start. From gilroy to LA? $20. Many people only change when you hit their pocketbooks. It's time to cut the nonsense and the coddling of the Happy Motoring Culture. If you don't like the inconvenience of I-5 being a toll road, then take 101 or 99. Deal with it and stop being such a whiny baby.
It's called the American Dream because you have to be asleep to believe it.
-George Carlin
Here here! Let them choke on their own stupidity and greed!
If I were a psychopath, I would join the republican party, and get in on the gravy train taking the Teabircher morons to the cleaners.
the IRS just puts a big checkbox on a 1040 form for people who want to "give a little extra" to State (or Fed) this year.
all Californians/Americans should "get patriotic" (and do a sidestep around govt)
this april 15th and forego spending the 10 bucks or so for turbotax 1040 tax program, and just let the IRS and state take a little more from you this year!
...die hard patriots would/should be throwing any IRS state rebate checks that come in the mail this year...
C'mon Californians...lets see you get patriotic!!!!
audit-prosecute-incarcerate
can be traced back to two people: Howard Jarvis and Ronald Reagan.
Since there is no "god" nor "heaven," I can hope with my whole heart that they both suffered horribly, interminably in their last days and that they BEGGED for death to take them....
Followed by George Dukemejian, Pete Wilson, and now Ahhhnooldd. I am 3rd generation Californian living in Colorado and I will NEVER go back there.
Howard Jarvis. Talk about mortgaging your kids' future. I had blocked his name outta my brain, but now it's back...ugh.
Yep. The beginning of the end for California.
Regarding the 2/3 vote, that I don't mind.
possible
Could tax political stupidity, there would be an abundance of cash.
and tax only stupid gays.
"That's fu*#ing retarded."
Big City Mayor
Repiglicans are some kind of 'deformed' form of the human species akin to the aids virus that ultimately commits suicide within the body that it infects.
taking the body with it.
but the fact is...after a half century of life and a pretty good advanced education...I'm really coming to the conclusion that we may have passed the tipping point this time...that it may not be possible to right this economy and nation...and it's only a matter of time until the ship finally sinks.
Vote GOP and move forward to the 18th Century.
In case you missed it, please jump back up to my earlier post and link.
It's the best analysis yet that I've seen of what's going downtown.....
"The US has an army of 90,000 soldiers in Afghanistan and is spending $100bn a year, but has still been unable to defeat 20,000-25,000 Taliban who receive no pay at all." - Patrick Cockburn
http://www.cnbc.com/id/29283225
this is a very hot rant from Rick Santelli from CNBC. He's not normally one of their political hacks, but I tried hard to listen to what he was saying on the floor of the Chicago board of trade. people will be talking about this in the business news for some time to come.
Better solution: STOP ELECTING REPUBLICANS
When will government of the people, by the politicians, for the corporations perish from this Earth?
Not soon enough!
Actually, California has the highest tax on gasoline in the country. Take a look -- http://www.californiagasprices.com/tax_info.aspx
If this is true, we are all fucked...including, as Ahnold says, "Caleeforneah".
http://georgewashington2.blogspot.com/2009/02...
"The US has an army of 90,000 soldiers in Afghanistan and is spending $100bn a year, but has still been unable to defeat 20,000-25,000 Taliban who receive no pay at all." - Patrick Cockburn
Instead of Okie from Muskogee, how about Cali from San Luis Obispo?
Only if I can join y'all. I'd love to get the hell out of Kern County, especially with all the people who allergic to paying taxes out of selfishness.
(btw, I am a rather distant relative of the Haggards, so I am cringing at the Okie Muskogee reference... *sigh* Just think of me as being the Harp family's progressive answer to Merle's conservatism)
"The greatest tyranny is censoring information in order to be better able to control people." - Cristina Saralegui
"The North shall rise again!"
I saw that scratched into the bathroom wall at a pub in London. I guess it referenced the scots.
Maybe Northern california should revolt. We have most of the water and almost all of the pot.
If we did that wouldn't I would have to give up commenting on this site?
Diabolus est Deus Inversus
Um, do they WANT to get re-elected?
NOBODY 2012
We don't have a conservative budget when California taxes are at the high end and we have a 42 billion dollar deficit from reckless spending.
We are in a depression era and people had better wake up to that fact.
People working at grocery stores were announced today as having hours cut back- what are they do when their car tax doubles next renewal time?
Howard Jarvis. Talk about mortgaging your kids' future.
-----------------------
Not if their parents were home owners. The government was about to tax them out of their homes, because of rapidly rising home prices at the time, driving up property taxes.
Those of us out here are simply not just cash cows for the government.
protesting at the local RW radio stations that republicans rely so heavily on.
I really hate these California right-wing asshole republicans. And I live in Michigan!
If I were a psychopath, I would join the republican party, and get in on the gravy train taking the Teabircher morons to the cleaners.
is to repeal the 2/3rd rule.
I have spoken about this as the core problem in this state to party members and they agree too. This is democracy broken.
An initiative must be fired up, and if need be a special election to move it into law.
Arnold is absolutely useless in persuading his own party to do anything. His sound-bite answer is to blame it on the "..legilators." As if 66 percent of them aren't already pushing for a solution. No, it's a small group of southern California imbeciles that know that this is their only power cord and they are yanking it as hard as they can.
Um...The State of California imposes a motor vehicle fuel tax of $0.18 per gallon
On top of the .18 that the feds get. It's right there on the side of the pump.
The proposed .12 was an increase.
Under certain circumstances you can get a refund though. The rules are here:http://www.sco.ca.gov/col/taxinfo/gtr/faq/index.shtml#1
Name one tax anywhere in America that's ever been rescinded.
What the government takes, the government never returns. Once that new tax gets enabled, it will always be there.
Californians have no one to blame but themselves. They voted for Prop 13 (overwhelmingly, all but three counties), they voted for a recall that put a uneducated moron in the governor's mansion, and now they're whining about the budget? Perhaps they should look within and start cleaning up their own financial situations. Stop living beyond your means, Californians! The rest of the country figured it out, it's your turn.
Prop 13 was enacted when I was 13 years old. I am 46. I obviously didn't vote for it nor do I even benefit from it.
I voted NO on the recall itself and FOR Cruz Bustamante during the *sham* recall.
I own my home and bought it at an affordable price, have NO credit cards ( that's right NONE) and drive a paid off 9 year old car.
I am a California native.
Quit generalizing. My family and I didn't poke the holes in this ship we are currently drowning on.
Comments are closed on this entry