[alloysteel]

California is, by any measure, still a very wealthy province. That does not mean that the state government has first priority on the wealth of its citizens. There is a cash flow crisis, not unlike getting overextended on credit cards. Right now, the cash being spent exceeds what is coming in, simple as that. Unilaterally voting in a greater potential cash flow (raising taxes) does not automatically assure a larger revenue stream.

Salt Lake City, Las Vegas, Phoenix and even Seattle are the beneficiaries of that policy. Capital, already badly spooked in California, will flee at an even greater pace, and turnaround will be further away than ever.

Austerity has two faces. One is to turn to macaroni and cheese, rather than to continue to demand quiche, and the other is to send out the kids to work at after-school jobs if they want all those wonderful things at the mall. Turn negatives into virtues, by using the resources available. Once the ethic of living at a little less than your means is established, it is positively amazing how fast prosperity returns.

[anniegetyourgun]

Unless I misunderstood your statement, I think one part needs to be corrected. Seattle is hardly a business-friendly city. In fact, the entire state of WA is run by tax-and-spenders.