First, No one says California is in as bad shape as Greece TODAY! The observations that have been made are that California is going in the same direction Greece was prior to their economic crisis. No knowledgeable person can disagree with that. The policies of California over the past few years are similar to those that put Greece into its current position.
Second, California and the U.S. have much larger and stronger economies than Greece. The difference between Greece and the U.S. is the difference between punching holes in the hull of a rowboat and punching holes in the hull of an ocean liner. The U.S. economy is so much stronger than Greece that it will take much longer to bring it down.
Third, comparing the debt of California to Greece is comparing apples and oranges. Greece is an entire country. California is part of the U.S. Californians are responsible not only for their own state debt but also part of the national debt of the U.S. The debt charts should include California's prorated share of the U.S. debt.
Fourth, the California charts totally ignore unfunded liabilities. The author probably does not even understand what they are.
California has a government that is corrupt and irresponsible. Its policies are hurting the California economy and raising the probability that in the future California will will suffer a financial crisis not unlike those of Greece, Spain and Italy.
The fatal conceit of many critics is assuming the left doesn't know or understand. Wrong - they know perfectly well. The Atlantic is just one of many different vehicles to help establish policy 'progressive' debates. Omissions are intentional so that the focus remains on socialist solutions.