Hows the weather in California?

[So Cal Mark]

Arnie has rejected scores of budgets, forcing the legislature to pass his version each year. He's claimed to balance the budget each year using billions of borrowed money each time. Funny, Gray Davis was recalled over a license fee increase that was mandated by our state law, now Arnie is doing the same thin.
I read a chart of income tax increases broken down by income level and family size; a couple with two kids will pay more tax than a couple without children at the same income level.

[jimincalif]

In the long run, the best thing for Kalifornia, would be to let it go bankrupt. This would mean that the socialist legislature would have no means to borrow more money, and would have to actually spend no more than the taxes they collect.

The budget has grown by 40% since Benedict Arnold Governator took office? Are you kidding me? What kind of crap is that?

The only important people in Kalifornia are the public employee unions, police/firefighters (also union), and illegal immigrants. Which, beyond a shadow of a doubt, vote in this state. The rest of us, are only here to pay for all of that. We serve no other purpose. We are slaves to the almighty Kalifornia.

-Ryan

That pretty much covers it. The only sliver of hope is that the budget will be out of whack again next year when the projected tax revenues fall short, the fed bailout money is gone and the borrowing options dry up. Bankruptcy is the best option. Consider:

City of Vallejo filed bankruptcy. Police and fire fighters with wages over $200K per year (plus a 90% pension for life beginning as early as age 50, lifetime medical, etc.)

Local city in SoCal, currently wages and benefits make up 70% of the city budget. Due to the $61 Billion (yes with a "B") loss in the CalPERS pension system, higher contributions will be needed next year driving wages and benefits up to 80% of the budget.

Calif pays 4x per inmate what other states like AZ and TX pay.

Private businesses are freezing pensions, curtailing benefits etc. Public pensions are never frozen.

CA never conformed to the Fed welfare changes in the 90s, so pay more in welfare.

etc., etc.

[SpiderHead]

Sounds like it is time to get in the wagon, and stop pulling it.

I'm going to do my own personal revolt, and get a government job, so you suckers that are actually EARNING money, can just pay me! I ain't gotta do no overtime. I aint gotta even be gud at mah job. I gets pay raises, and moah monies jus based on how long I aint got fired... Wit dis job, I aint gotta pay no social security neither.

It seems spending money earned by others is more eagerly rewarded than earning money in Kalifornia

Don't be a sucka! get in dah caht! quit pulling dah caht! Workin' is fo dah suckkas...

lol.. if I offended anyone with this post. Good.

-Ryan

[rlux4]

OK Pope, here goes.
We have both state income and sales tax. Both of these are at rates as high or higher than states that have either one or the other. I recently shut down a business and had to let 17 canvassers and installers go because the employer taxes, insurance, and workmans comp were so high that at the end of each quarter whatever was in the bank ended up going to the government. Now 3/4 of them are on unemployment as a drain on the state instead of working and contributing to the budget.
Any baby born in the US is automatically a citizen. California makes it so attractive that many of the illegal aliens come here to have their babies (free). We have classrooms with two teachers so that the non English speaking students can be taught. Don't get me wrong. As a teenager I worked alongside Mexican migrant workers in the apple orchards and couldn't keep up with them. Some of my best workers in construction have been Mexicans. I'm talking about the illegal aliens who know California is so liberal they can get a free ride here.
Your original post asked what were people here talking about.
The conversation between me and my wife is: "We gotta get the hell out of Dodge." But we have family here, so like it or not, we're stuck here for now.
At least we can drive the Spider practically year around.
Ron

[adrians]

Ron,

move to Australia ... get away from the family, and the weather is the same as California - Spider motoring all year.

[rlux4]

Funny you should say that Adrian. My wife loves to travel and the one place she's never been to and always wanted to go is Australia. And my last name (Luxmore) is very rare in the US, but we see it down under pretty often. My grandfather emigrated from England, and I guess he was the only one with our name who did. I'm just afraid I'd end up driving on the wrong side of the road!
Ron

[narfire]

Ron, it will be in the genes. You'll find there are a large number of ex-pats in Victoria BC, where they all seem to drive slow in the fast lane. The highways dept has started to put signs on the road now to get them to move to the right lane. I think Launie in Sooke might attest to this.
If Auz. is too far, try up here,at least your dollar is 20% more than ours. And yeup we now have the mexicans working in the orchards ,great bunch though.
The car comes out from a "face-lift" next weekend then a couple of days to put back together a temp pemit and some fun on the road. Envious of you that are driving your fiats now.
Chris

[joelbert2k]

Hey Ron,
You could also move down here to southeast AZ. Much closer than Oz and the climate is very similar to what you're used to. Maybe not as hot, who knew? My son lives in Rosamond and my sister is in Canyon Country so I am familiar with the area.
No smog, no emissions testing, lots of Mexicans but most are just passing thru or shopping at Walmart, lots of housing available but not too many jobs.
Down side is that there are not very many spiders around here, I saw 1 last year but haven't seen it in a loooooong time.
Oh, I almost forgot, our governors seem to wind up in jail more often than not.

JK

[GOPAPA]

Some some feedback from theones who live in California

Re: For You in California: please tell us your thoughts about the new taxes that is going to be put on you ..

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I could go on and on about how many idiots, and so called "activists" that try to run this state I live in. But, in an effort to try to keep my blood prressure from going up this Saturday morning I will just keep this thought lite...

I haven't actually read the details on what will directly affect me yet, but I am glad they didn't raise the gas tax again. Sales tax went up in LA county, and I have heard that property taxes will go up to.

I'm glad I moved out of LA county to the IE, since it seems LA gets the brunt of stupid laws/taxes dumped on it's citizens. Just recently LA went into a water rationing law, and the farms were cut off from irrigation run by the state. So now all of our produce will rise in price.

Don't even get me started about the mayors & councils of LA and SF! Just a lot of unbelievable BS comes out of those pie holes, and I do my best to tune them out.

Personally I have grown numb to all of this crazyness, since California's government has always had it's head up it's you know what. When it comes to taxes/bank loans/services I have also gotten use to getting screwed, since I am single, white, and employed.

I have always planned on getting out of here, and join other family members in Idaho. But as long as I have a good job, and still have my house I will be here. Funny side note; Whenever you rent a U-haul here they make you sign a contract saying you are not moving out of state. I asked about this and they say that so many people are moving out of state, that their truck lot shrinks to much and you have to pay double to rent it if are planning to move out of state. Since they have to arrange for it to come back.

ok, I'm done...

Re: For You in California: please tell us your thoughts

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I can't move - my job is where they grow strawberries, and they don't go very many anywhere else except Florida, and I'm not going there (no offense meant). It was one of my grower's son's that broke the deadlock and voted for the budget, Abel Maldonado. This state has become virtually ungovernable with all the special interests controlling everything up there, not to mention the unbelievable corruption...every year I get money back from my Federal returns, and have to turn around and give it to California. The things that burns me up is that when everything was booming, and property taxes were rolling in, they spent every penny they had, with no regard to the future. When Arnold first got there he really tried to do some serious reform, but the unions and special interests are just too powerful. The gas tax is going up at least 12 cents and we are already the highest in the union due to all the "special" blends that each area requires to "stop pollution". Sales tax is going up a least 1 cent, to close to 9%. And guess what? If they balance it, the next year they will spend too much again and screw us harder. Everyone is pretty upset but there's very little that can be done. I've lived here all my life, but I'd sure like to get out a some point.

Re: For You in California: please tell us your thoughts

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My father is an auditor for the State of California, and he shares most everything with me.

If you guys knew of half the crap that the state and especially the schools get away with, there would be rioting in the streets.

Right off the bat, I want you to know that LA Unified School District has not had a balanced budget in almost 10 years and they will NEVER have to repay any of the money that they have taken because they are who they are. When they were audited some years back, they didn't like what my dad and his buddies were finding, so they had the funding cut for the audits so they couldn't continue.

Oakland Unified is so far in the hole that they are under continuous audit, which means as soon as one finishes, the next one starts. They owe tens of millions to the state.

There was another district somewhere hear in NorCal that had a $14,000,000 surplus and instead of putting that money away, the admin staff got all new oak furniture, brand new carpet, lighting, and paint. Not a single dollar was put away. A year later, the same district owed the state nearly ten million.

Also, funds are allocated to districts based on the previous year's enrollment, and with "declining enrollment", the schools are actually receiving more money than they should be for that year. They also have an entire year to figure out how they are going to rework their system in order to fit a decreased budget, but none of them ever do.

Further more, many programs that were meant to be a 1-2 year run become permanent without proper testing or assessment and they drain even more money from my wallet.

Now, those of you who voted for Gray Davis, this is your fault. That man inflated the budget for education so much that now the schools are dependent on this unbelievable and unnecessary cash flow and they abuse it on a daily basis.

According to any government agency: A budget cut, is a reduction in increase.
could go on for days about how poorly the State of California spends money and how irresponsible our state government is and also how self centered the representatives are, but if I did, you would do one of two thing; kill yourself, or kill your state assemblyman. I'm ok with the later of the two.

Re: For You in California: please tell us your thoughts

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LD, I'm a transplanted fifth-generation native Oregonian, been in NorCal over 33 years now.... and I still can't get used to the laws & taxes here!

I guess it could have been worse -- sales tax is going up a penny (from 7.25%), and the Gov wanted as much as a 2 1/2 cent increase. You already know about the doubling of vehicle license fees. And state income tax is increasing, but I have read it is .5%, and I have read it is 5%, so I dunno. At least they dropped the proposed 12 cent/gallon gas tax increase....

Just hope & pray that Oregon never starts a sales tax. The trick is to start with a small tax, but once the genie is out of the bottle, it only takes the stroke of a pen to increase it. And temporary increases? Haha, they usually become permanent.

As posted above, the key is reduced spending on unnecessary pork. Obviously there are no easy solutions, but a $42 billion deficit certainly seems to indicate gross mismanagement.
Re: For You in California: please tell us your thoughts

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I have had first hand experience with LAUSD, and they are the most idiotic people I have ever done business with.
I would often see them buy systems just because they "Had to burn the money, just so they could get a bigger budget for next year"...
It was crazy... I would go to some little school to work on their communications equipment, expecting to see something small for a building the size I would be walking up to. Nope, there would be every bell and whistle one could purchase, and a system that was typically 50 times what they needed.

It was and still is a joke amongst my co workers

Now , you can see why Ron said "don't get him started" hope this answers your question POPE

[mdrburchette]

Good gracious! I really am sorry for you Californians. We in the Southeast are struggling but I believe we're in a hell of a lot better shape then you guys.

[So Cal Mark]

Gray Davis didn't inflate the education budget, the voters in Cal did that. They passed an amendment that guaranteed a certain pct of the budget would go to schools. Great theory, who doesn't want educated kids? But the voters also passed tons of other legislation concerning allocation of funds that has completely tied the legislatures' hands. The overall situation is so screwed up now, I doubt it can ever be fixed. It comes down to too many people here. If you're in favor of eliminating all of the environmental laws we have, then I hope you can afford the health insurance to cover the diseases you'll get from tainted water, smog, etc. If other states would enforce environmental concerns like Calf, the worst polluters couldn't just move out of state and keep dumping, etc.
One of the biggest factors is the ballot initiatives that bypass the legislature and borrow money for projects, and dictate how state income is spent. Most voters aren't informed enough to make an itelligent decision

[pope]

When I started this post, all I wanted to know was hows the weather in California? Jeeze...LOL

Just kiddin...I am sure that every state has these issues, its just that California has the most people and these issues hit there first.

[So Cal Mark]

the weather is cloudy, with slight sprinkles but I hear it's always sunny in Philadelphia

[SpiderHead]

The weather was a bit overcast today as Mark said here in the Peoples Republic of Kalifornia.

lol, we are so screwed

-Ryan

[Spiddy]

I was hoping Obama would pick Arnie as an ambassador to Saturn and ship him off in space

Arnie's answer; "No problema, I'll be back"