http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/cal...n-egypt-to-make-his-case-for-budget-vote.html State of the State: Brown cites unrest in Egypt to make his case for budget vote Citing the pro-democracy unrest in Egypt and Tunisia, Gov. Jerry Brown called it “unconscionable” that GOP legislators are vowing to block his attempt to ask voters to extend tax hikes to balance the budget.
I'm OK with asking the voters, but geez, the parallels between the situations in Egypt and California aren't similar in the least.
More tax increases. I think at some point in time people are going to have enough of this. And I, too, fail to see the issue in Egypt having anything to do with tax hikes in California. Politicians can really stretch things sometimes.
I thought he is also cutting state employees' pay, a lot. In other words, the state's in an emergency and he's doing both--greatly decreasing spending, and increasing revenues. He can't take his time and ignore the revenue side. Or am I wrong and he's not doing the "big spending cuts" side of it.
Consider the alternative. To lose to Jerry Brown, Meg Whitman spent over a sixth of a billion dollars of her own money. That's 5 times what he spent, and his came from contributors, since he isn't rich. Article dated today: http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2011/02/01/107827/meg-whitmans-campaign-spending.html
No one is going to vote for higher taxes. The state just wastes it anyways on corrupt politicians from Fabian Nunez to the Bell City council (and others who haven't been caught), high state worker salaries and a pension system that will guarantee the need for the state to declare bankruptcy in the future. http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-brown-environment-20110131,0,7559768.story?page=2 Add his crazy environmental restrictions which will skyrocket the prices of everything, this state is screwed.
I think that prop 37 (or whatever it was) that screwed up property taxes is a leading culprit. That and the money spent on illegals.
I think it's Bush (or whoever it was) who screwed up the tax base. That and the money spent on the rich.
I blame the government of the state of California. The system is so convoluted, so much red tape, and so much inefficiency. They pay themselves first, the state second.
California is double fucked in the sense that there's no way Congress will bail them out. I think that was the plan before the 2010 elections, but with this House? Not a chance. Illinois will go first, then California. There's going to be a war between taxpayers and public unions.
The state went to hell when they privatized everything. Like workmens comp, or industrial insurance, or whatever you want to call it. And liquor stores. Privatization drives up prices. They have to add something for the profit margin. In Washington State, liquor stores are staffed by minimum wage former alcoholics, not by money-grubbing, cigar-smoking convenience store owners from Bangalore. The staff can supplement their pay from the bottles that reach their expiration dates. Notice that everything was fine when the country was all communist and unionized? The Mafia kept us on track. Then came this temporary Republican heyday. Dirty bookstores are gone, no dirty mags in grocery stores, the country's gone to the dogs. I miss the Mafia.
You notice that Nixon and Reagan were from California? You get what I'm saying? Bush, same-o same-o. Alright then.
Costco sells vodka they have made in what I have read to be the same place as Grey Goose and it is frikking awesome. Kirlkland doesn't sound classy but the stuff is great.
