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California Is Leading From Behind
Townhall.com ^ | December 31, 2015 | Victor Davis Hanson

Posted on 12/31/2015 6:52:39 AM PST by Kaslin

California has given us three new truths about government.

One, the higher that taxes rise, the worst state services become.

Two, the worse a natural disaster hits, the more the state contributes to its havoc.

And three, the more existential the problem, the more the state ignores it.

California somehow has managed to have the fourth-highest gas taxes in the nation, yet its roads are rated 44th among the 50 states. Nearly 70 percent of California roads are considered to be in poor or mediocre condition by the state Senate. In response, the state Legislature naturally wants to raise gas taxes, with one proposal calling for an increase of 12 cents per gallon, which would give California the highest gas taxes in the nation.

Because oil prices have crashed, state bureaucrats apparently believe that the public won't notice the tax increase in their fill-up costs -- even though special California fuel mandates already help make gas prices 25 percent higher than the national average.

Consider California's upside-down logic.

The state wanted to discourage driving and promote hybrid vehicles by upping taxes on carbon fuels. It worked, though it cost the public dearly. People drove less and bought more fuel-efficient cars. But now, because less gas is burned, fewer taxes are collected. So the state wants to reward motorists for their green sacrifices by raising their taxes even higher to make up for missing revenue. If state motorists drive even less and cram into two-seat commuter cars, will California further reward them with even higher gas taxes?

(Excerpt) Read more at townhall.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Editorial; Government; US: California
KEYWORDS: gastax; illegalimigrants; infrasracture; naturalresources; obesity; vdh; victordavishanson
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To: rockrr

At a Christmas day party for empty nesters and orphans
like me a retired CalTrans operating engineer reminded me
that Jerry Brown robs federal road funds and uses them
for his pet projects like high speed rails that come
from nowhere and go to nowhere.


21 posted on 12/31/2015 8:17:45 AM PST by Sivad (Juan Corona would vote for Democrats)
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To: Signalman

only a liberal moron could bankrupt California, a state blessed with ever possible natural resource. Like Cuba, another terrifically blessed entity that has been bankrupted by leftists.


22 posted on 12/31/2015 8:22:24 AM PST by C. Edmund Wright (WTF? How Karl Rove and the Establishment Lost...Again (Amazon Best Seller))
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To: EagleUSA

I remember, that all ended when Moonbeam was elected the first time.


23 posted on 12/31/2015 8:28:29 AM PST by eyeamok
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To: Kaslin

A socialist stoner state what could go wrong EVERYTHING.


24 posted on 12/31/2015 8:38:19 AM PST by Vaduz (women and children to be impacted the most.)
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To: Kaslin

Look at all those empty mansions in California.

The limousine liberals want to reduce the population in California. They will take helicopters and those people driving on bad roads can move to Nevada.

They just need enough poor people to take care of their mansion and kids.


25 posted on 12/31/2015 9:03:52 AM PST by blueunicorn6 ("A crack shot and a good dancer")
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To: Kaslin

Thank you for reminding me to be glad I left California.


26 posted on 12/31/2015 9:23:03 AM PST by Cymbaline ("Allahu Akbar": Arabic for "Nothing To See Here" - Mark Steyn)
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To: rockrr

They spend the money on bike routes.


27 posted on 12/31/2015 10:19:02 AM PST by Rusty0604
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To: Rusty0604

In my state they condemned an invaluable rail line that had been used as a freight conduit and could have been used for mass transit and turned it into a bike path that a dozen people use - every so often in the summer.

Industrial grade stupid


28 posted on 12/31/2015 10:31:19 AM PST by rockrr (Everything is different now...)
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To: EagleUSA

California was great.


29 posted on 12/31/2015 1:27:04 PM PST by ifinnegan (Democrats kill babies and harvest their organs to sell)
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To: EagleUSA

That was a long time ago; CA hasn’t been ‘the best’ since the late 80s, really. The first nail in the coffin was Roberti-Roos.

I pulled the eject handle on CA twenty years ago. I emphatically do not regret it.


30 posted on 12/31/2015 2:00:13 PM PST by Spktyr (Overwhelmingly superior firepower and the willingness to use it is the only proven peace solution.)
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To: ifinnegan

Emphasis on ‘was.’


31 posted on 12/31/2015 2:01:07 PM PST by Spktyr (Overwhelmingly superior firepower and the willingness to use it is the only proven peace solution.)
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To: rockrr

Nope, it’s dead on. Got a severe drought? Need water for humans and agriculture? Too bad, we’re going to keep dumping millions of gallons of fresh water a day into the ocean to save an invasive species of trash fish and removing dams that could have held back reserves of drinking water.


32 posted on 12/31/2015 2:14:02 PM PST by Spktyr (Overwhelmingly superior firepower and the willingness to use it is the only proven peace solution.)
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To: umgud

“Will CA drive off the cliff and crash? Or just devolve into 3rd world status?”

You haven’t been paying attention- we achieved 3rd world status years ago. All we do now is export it to the rest of America


33 posted on 12/31/2015 10:07:11 PM PST by Pelham (Muslim immigration...the enemy is inside the wire.)
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To: Night Hides Not
I hear ya.

I lived in Dallas for 13 years, and my heart never left the great state of Texas!

Jesus Christ: You can't impeach Him and He ain't gonna resign.



34 posted on 01/01/2016 1:44:33 AM PST by rdb3 (Cool. All I know is, no, you can't use it.)
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To: EagleUSA

I recall that college used to be free in California, is that still the case?


35 posted on 01/01/2016 7:18:15 AM PST by RipSawyer (Racism is racism, regardless of the race of the racist.)
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To: Night Hides Not

I’m too old to move to Texas so I’ll have to stay in South Carolina but for some reason a lot of people have said that I sound like a Texan on the telephone. I have had occasion to call the state a lot in the past and some of those who said they had lived in Texas all their lives asked me what part of Texas I grew up in. When I made calls to New York sometimes people would ask, “Are you from Texas?”


36 posted on 01/01/2016 7:24:12 AM PST by RipSawyer (Racism is racism, regardless of the race of the racist.)
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To: RipSawyer

“I recall that college used to be free in California, is that still the case?”

Only JC. The State Universities are partially paid for by the state, unless you are part of a preferred Democrat voter group, such as illegals, etc. Then in many cases, they do not pay. Private 4+ year schools, you pay in full. There are variations to the above, but that is pretty much it.


37 posted on 01/01/2016 7:45:47 AM PST by EagleUSA
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