Posted on 01/10/2009 8:42:51 AM PST by SeekAndFind
On Jan. 24, 1848, James Wilson Marshall found gold at Sutter's Mill, in Coloma, Calif., sparking a mad rush of some 300,000 people desiring to strike it rich. San Francisco grew from a tiny hamlet to a boomtown in no time, and in 1850 California entered the Union as the 31st state.
With this history at their back, state leaders might have understood that people have a propensity to get up and move when a better life is to be had elsewhere. But no. After more than 150 years of being a destination, California is becoming a place entrepreneurs, investment capital and the hardy workers who made it a global leader in agriculture, technological innovation and scientific research are fleeing. This exodus is the marker of something deeper than a national recession. It's a sign that the attempts by state leaders to spend their way back to prosperity are killing California.
While it has the sixth highest tax burden in the nation, according to the nonpartisan Tax Foundation, California is facing a breathtaking $40 billion budget deficit this year. This comes on the heels of a decade-long spending spree. Last year the state budget was $131 billion, up from $56 billion in 1998.
Citizens are burdened by all manner of state regulations. To mention just one example, this year a new law enacted by ballot initiative bans cages chicken farmers use on the grounds that it is inhuman to put birds in cages that prevent them from spreading their wings. Complying with the new law will cost farmers hundreds of millions of dollars, which will force many to leave the state. And that will force us to buy our eggs from other states and, possibly, others nations, such as Mexico.
(Excerpt) Read more at online.wsj.com ...
The inside cover of ZZ Top's 'Tres Hombres' album. Mmmmmmm....
That is a fav of mine...........
Southern Oregon is very red with lots of conservatives and only a state income tax of 9%, no sales tax. It is gorgeous just like Northern CA (have lived in both places). Plus we still pump your gas for you when you come and visit.
I have a Vacation Rental that you could stay in with your CA family if you want to visit. http://clearskyhome.com/
California is the harbinger for the USA in the next four years under Obama.
California’s failing is a classic case of why democracies fail.
That is VERY kind of you. Thank you for the link. I will definitely consider it.
God Bless and Cheers!
P.S. Just so that I make it absolutely clear: California is ABSOLUTELY beautiful. When God was handing out natural beauty, California sure got more than its fair share. CA, OR and WA are our national treasures when it comes to majestic natural beauty
Isn’t it the Federal government’s job to protect the borders?
Until the borders are sealed, the Feds SHOULD bail out the states that are overrun with illegals.
Actually, it’s the liberals from Vermont that are the real problem. The Massachusetts folks are mostly political refugees. All the towns along the Massachusetts border went over 60% Benson/Bush in 2004, until you got to the eastern college towns and Boston-yuppie communities.
My wife and I saw them on America’s Got Talent last year. They were pretty good alright.
Duh!
If the state police agencies who handle the overwhelming majority of arrests REFUSE to ask immigration status and REFUSE to notify the federal government when they have felon immigrant in custody and REFUSE to notify ICE when a criminal admits that he has been deported 8 times; then it’s pretty hard for the government to get rid of these crooks once they entered the country.
Often US citizens received harsher penalties then illegals simply because California just releases the illegal without running them through the courts.
If the feds were doing their job, the illegals wouldn't be in the state to begin with, therefore there would be no need for them to be dealt with by local or state police.
Where's the f3nce?
“California is becoming a place entrepreneurs, investment capital and the hardy workers who made it a global leader in agriculture, technological innovation and scientific research are fleeing.”
Wow.
No
One
Saw
That
Coming.
!
They see the taxpayers are mere objects placed there for their pleasure and to be taxed as needed to provide for their liberal govt Utopian dreams & fantasies irregardless of those policies actually work or not!!
Message me if you need any help, I got your back. Last thing we need is to import the liberal loonies from Kalifornication to our great state of Texas!
Where’s the fence?
Ask the State of California and the liberals living there who keep filing lawsuits to prevent its construction and tie up the project in the courts for years.
The coalition consists of border mayors, business officials and residents who have been fighting the Homeland Security Department’s border fence construction plans.
You got it!
Reminds me of the movie 'Independence Day'
The aliens were like a plague of locusts, invading a planet, using up everything and moving on to another world.
That explains why the border fence has been built in Arizona, Texas, New Mexico - everywhere but California. California is the one holdout. Definitely California’s problem only.
“Remember the old black and white Lassie show? Yep, California was really that great one time.”
######
Excellent comment.
Yes, despite the “hip”, cynical, progressivist view, much of the US REALLY was like what was portrayed on 1950’s TV.
Here is another brief look at what we have lost and the greatness that was once California, when it was the envy of the nation.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3QCZ_bv9aLc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3QCZ_bv9aLc
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