California only hours away from total ruin

Drudge ^ | 6/30/03

[meandog]

LOS ANGELES -- Any day now, community colleges here may begin telling faculty members that they cannot be paid and students that summer classes are canceled.

Nursing homes are losing so much state aid that many soon may have to shut down or limit their services, a prospect that has elderly residents confused and frightened.

As many as 30,000 government workers who had been expecting pay raises in the fall are instead receiving formal notices warning that they could lose their jobs by then, because the state is broke.

This is life in California, on the brink of a fiscal disaster.

The nation's most populous state, home to one of the world's largest economies, has been staring in disbelief at the same dire predicament for months: a $38 billion deficit, the largest shortfall in its history and an extreme example of the budget woes afflicting many states. But now it has only hours left to solve the problem.

[truth_seeker]

"I expect to see U.S. taxpayers bail out California too."

See # 25 above. It would appear that California has a big paid-up reserve fund with the US government.

Therefore, it would be "fair" if the US federal government provided some type of assistance.

[CyberCowboy777]

I would like to know which party runs the assembly and legislator and for aprox how long.

Davis has been Governor since '98, correct?

[luckystarmom]

And then there are dedicated republicans living in the San Francisco Bay Area, especially in Silicon Valley.

My family is included in that group.

[Smogger]

We lived in Riverside County and I grew up in San Bernardino county (now living in Indiana). Although the counties are "currently" Republican, they won't stay that way for long.

Actually Republican's just recently registered more Republican's in San Bernadino County then Democrats. This occurred in 2002.

You don't have to tell me about Neil Soto I hate her. And she has the nerve to call herself a Catholic (her granddaughter and my sister went to school together) she is a Catholic in name only.

As for Hispanics moving into the Inland Empire in large numbers. When haven't they been in the Inland Empire in large numbers? Since I can remmeber (the last 20 years). Who gives a crap? I'm not afraid of Hispanics.

[Smogger]

Maybe after several generations they'll become a little more conservative.

Wrong. Actually the REVERSE is true. After they have been here longer and become more affluent they become more liberal and tend to vote Democrat. There is an excellent article on the GOP and Hispanics in last weeks US News and World Report (with N. Korean prisons on the cover). It says they same thing. The backlash against prop 187 was from established Mexican Americans that have been here several generations, NOT newly arrived immigrants.

[Reaganwuzthebest]

Nothing you say will change the fact that Prop 187 is still popular and would win today if on the ballot, and so would a Republican if he or she campaigned for it.

The backlash against prop 187 was from established Mexican Americans that have been here several generations, NOT newly arrived immigrants.

I'm assuming you're talking about newly arrived legal immigrants. So what? Does this mean that even if true, since we don't want to offend established legal Mexican Americans we should throw out the rule of law and spend billions on illegal aliens, catering to their every whim? Our country and constitutional republic will not survive that type of selective pandering. Of course much of this could be prevented if the federal government would close the borders and enforce the laws. Don't even talk about it, just do it. If it was done years ago, we wouldn't be discussing the crisis today.

[Smogger]

I'm assuming you're talking about newly arrived legal immigrants. So what? Does this mean that even if true, since we don't want to offend established legal Mexican Americans we should throw out the rule of law and spend billions on illegal aliens, catering to their every whim? Of course not. However, some of us are trying to win elections.

Our country and constitutional republic will not survive that type of selective pandering. Of course much of this could be prevented if the federal government would close the borders and enforce the laws. Don't even talk about it, just do it. If it was done years ago, we wouldn't be discussing the crisis today.

Please. Let's get real. Which part of "They are here because people hire them" don't you understand? How do you propose to "close" the borders for one? With a 20 foot high concrete wall? Guard towers and machine guns? Who is going to pay for all of this? Secondly it wouldn't make any difference if their were a twenty foot high fence. Desperate people would still make it here in droves. It would just become even more lucrative for the people the get them here. Thirdly, THE GOP reprensents business interests THAT NEED IMMIGRATION LEGAL AND OTHERWISE. PERIOD. They are here because WE WANT THEM HERE.

Closing the border is worthless. As I already said if the government wanted an end to illegal immigration they would PUNISH the people that hire them. You know the companies that are avoiding paying their SSI, disablity, and fair wages by using undocumented immigratns. Nothing else will work. End of discussion.

BTW: Who is going to do my landscaping? :~P

[Reaganwuzthebest]

They are here because WE WANT THEM HERE.

Who's they? Bill Bennet and Jack Kemp? No one asked me if I wanted this. Read the polls, 80+ want immigration brought under control, both legal and illegal.

Which part of "They are here because people hire them" don't you understand?

You can only say it so many times before it becomes monotonous, but for the 100,000th time on this site: the only way to stop illegal immigration is through internal enforcement. And that includes against the businesses who are hiring these people. The fact that California and NY are going bankrupt should be a wake up call to Washington that it will soon be the whole nation if they don't get their act together on this one issue.

BTW: Who is going to do my landscaping?

Yes, that sounds like a crisis, but in my area where few illegals exist as of yet, these things all seem to be getting done, so I'm sure we could come to an acceptable arrangement without millions of illegals hanging around.

[Pa' fuera]

I understand Mexico is interested in purchasing CA.

with all the illegal squatters, Mexico already has constructive possession.

[The KG9 Kid]

"... and finally, inheriting all of California's debt... CALIFORNIAN PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC--Sonoma, Napa, Marin, Marin, Solano, Contra Costa, San Francisco, ...

You might have a awful bloody fight on your hands with Sonoma and Napa added to the liberal side. There would be a strong voice of rejection in those counties, particularly Sonoma. The 'Santa Rosa/Ukiah Patriot Liberation Army' would cause no end of grief.

They belong in your 'California Central' list.

[Roscoe]

Mexico already has constructive possession.

And the Matricula Consular cards serve as notice.

[CyberCowboy777]

Can you help me out?

I am trying to write a piece on California as a warning to other states that go down the Tax and Spend, democrats in control route. I need to know how long the democrats have been running the state.

Davis has been in office since '98? And the House and Assembly has been in democrat control for how long?

[DAnconia55]

Any day now, community colleges here may begin telling faculty members that they cannot be paid and students that summer classes are canceled.

No, No.... No crop of Liberal Arts majors this year? My burger flipper won't have a two year degree? ?

The World Is Ending !!!! Oh What will we do??

[TheDon]

That will definitely lower the price we can get. I hope it will cover the debt!

[marsh2]

[Siskiyou is poised and waiting for a repeat of the rise of the State of Jefferson from the rural border Counties of Northern California and Souhern Oregon. Although we would get GREEN Ashland along in the bargain, we would also get their wonderful Shakespeare theater and the Britt Musical Festival. hahaha]

IMHO, the budget deficit shows what happens when Democrats hold the majority. Creeping socialism and this idea that government should reallocate private resources, (taxes and mandated benefit levels from business,) so that life is "fair" for everyone is destroying us.

Social programs and benefits have been passed with great largess. Problem is that they are "entitlement" programs. That means, (and the Courts have ruled,) that anyone showing up with the qualifications can demand the benefit AND the Courts have ruled that the benefit MUST be provided and the service MUST be of high quality. How can one budget for that? There is no cap on expenditures possible.

The other Democratic dynamic is pass benefits and make the employer pay. Workers Comp is KILLING every business in California. The premiums are outrageous. I may see several of my volunteer fire departments go down in flames over the inability to fund the premium through bake sales and fundraisers.

The business climate in California is terrible. Now they are even talking about universal health care with business footing the bill.

Unions are also a problem in Davis' California. The police union destroyed our county budget with retirement benefits. Combined with increased workers comp and liability costs, we had to have every department cut their budget by 12% just to pay for the costs.

Now we wait to see what "realignment" in the final budget will bring us. That is where the state shifts a greater portion of the burden of providing social services, behavioral health and public health services onto the County's shoulders. Only about 14% of our budget is discretionary - the rest goes to state mandated programs. This means that discretionary funds avaiable for police and fire will be even less. Serrvice will be slower and hours shorter.

"Realignment" promises to backfill through additional sales taxes and taxes on cigarettes. We live on the border with Oregon where there is no tax. More people will just go there to shop.

We have already managed to cut 21 people from staff due to attrition. We only had to lay off 1 person so far. Lord knows what we will have to do when the state budget comes in.

In short, I think California is a shining examble of what happens when a majority of individuals who believe in the redistribution of wealth to provide social and health programs through government bureaucracies is in power.
Socialism does not work and California can attest to it.

As a fiscal Conservative who serves on many social services committees, I try to lead communities into re-examining the appropriateness of always looking to government to solve these social problems. It is bankrupting us and we do not do it well.

[Joe Hadenuf]

I am trying to write a piece on California as a warning to other states that go down the Tax and Spend, democrats in control route. I need to know how long the democrats have been running the state.

Hey cowboy, don't forget to mention our federal government, winking and nodding at the millions of illegals that are pouring across our federal borders into Texas, Cal, Arizona, Tennessee, Georgia, Illinios ,,,,,We'll you know the rest........And tell them this has been going on through both Democratic and Republican administrations for 20 years now.

LOL.

[CyberCowboy777]

This is true and a issue for Oregon and Washington State as well.

I thought Pete Wilson tried to do somthing about the issue?

This was of course during my days in Cali, but I was a teenager and all is not clear from that time.

[eldoradude]

Can you say, "Steve Peace"? What a genius! If there is anyone almost as responsible as Gray (female to male transexual? Kinda looks like it) it would be the man who robbed the counties.

[danmar]

This is life in California, on the brink of a fiscal disaster

As far as I am concerned, they can close the doors in Sacramento. The fewer stupid new laws and stupid new spending the better.
Let's get rid of all those State sponsored leeches, stop ALL discretionary spending,(pet projects at all), defund ALL the stupid laws, stream line the mandatory spending(cops,fire,transportation,airports,security), fire at least 45,000 state bankrolled new "employees", cut major state and assembly perks(overnite pay increases, new cars every year(drive your own for a change), buy your own gas and insurance, no body guards(since you work sooo hard for the people, what are you afraid of?)etc., etc..

I myself can do with out Sacramento and their merry men. I still have to get up early in the morning, make breakfast for my wife and daughter, see them off, turn back and take care of business.
Sacramento, does not influence my daily life one iota, except when they start hurling at us all kinds of new and brainless laws to obey.

In conclusion, "LET SACRAMENTO GO DOWN IN FLAMES TONIGHT", and California's Government to the Dogs. I will have a stiff one just about midnite, to celebrate this mess.

Well California, you want the State run by the Democrats, because they know best?Guess what, your wish just came through!...deal with it!

[SierraWasp]

"Can you say, "Steve Peace"?

Ahhhh... The ol killer tomatoe cult hero!!!

Geeze, don't git me started on that thundering tird! Grampa Dave would git ta slappin his knee so hard, he'd leave bruises on hiself!!!