California Dreaming?

We just returned early Tuesday morning from a short trip to Southern California. My wife and I try to go for a visit with relatives every year or two. The weather was nice and we had a good visit but I must share my observations of the political situation "on the ground" in the state.

The current problem with the state is they don't have any money. Really, NONE! They recently suspended payment of state income tax refunds. The reason they have no money is because they have been spending it like they do. You can get by with that for a little while if you have a booming economy but once it slows down you realize how short your going to be. In there case the latest estimate I have heard is $42 billion. This is not chump change I don't care how big the state is!

So the Governator and the legislature have been fighting back and forth trying to come up with a fix. First they looked to Uncle Sam to bail them out with that stimulus money. Hey the banks were getting it, auto manufacturers got a little so why not the state the Democrats love most? Well, it didn't work out that way. Seems the Obama administration was really only interest in giving money out to specific projects that will make them look good. Keeping state government workers on the dole didn't meet that criteria. So the money they did get really couldn't fix their problem.

Second, with California being the king of initiative and referendum, They put a bunch of propositions on the ballot that would have knocked off $15 billion from the deficit. Tuesday, all but one of those propositions were defeated soundly with an extremely low turnout. The one that did pass served to freeze the salaries of high ranking public officials, whatever that means. So, with no other choice Arnie sends out pink slips for 20,000 state workers. Let the wailing and gnashing of teeth begin!!!!!! Apparently nobody told them that government jobs can go away just like private sector ones. It must be in the state constitution that all jobs in California are lifetime appointment with a minimum cost of living raise each year.

In an unrelated incident (or was it a sign?) we experienced an earthquake with the epicenter about a mile from where my wife was at the time. Only a 4.7 but significant to a Texas girl! That, with the teachers and other government workers rounding up their pitchforks Monday night seem to be a great time to get back to the protection of our wonderful state legislature trying to wrap up their business.

Seriously, I am not making fun of people that may be about to loose their jobs. These are scary times for these people, most with families that rely on this income for their very existence. And it doesn't end there. There will have to be cuts in social programs such as MediCal, witch provide health care for the poor including those that live in nursing homes. The predictions are that these most vulnerable groups will pay the highest price. Unless a miracle happens they are in for some really hard times.

What angers me is that these clowns that call themselves leaders along with the spoiled children they call a constituency are responsible for this mess. For years the state that prides itself on its environmentalism and being the trendsetter for the rest of the country has always tried to been seen as very progressive. Offshore drilling? Not off our beaches! Emission standards used by the rest of the country? Not good enough! Every feel-good project to come along they were crawling all over each other to take credit for it. The irony is that they would get shot down on tax increases to pay for the excesses by the same people that wanted them. So you want to provide cradle to grave social services for the invasion of illegals from Mexico but don't want to pay for it? That's a good deal if you can get it.

So it is time for them to grow up in California and realize that the cuts will happen one way or another; either they make them or the checks will start bouncing!