California finally makes the national news :-)
Well, it looks as though CNN finally noticed that the economy of California is “tanking” BIG TIME! I wondered how long it would take. 
Just teasing….
I take issue with the phrase “Governor Schwarzenegger‘s Golden State,” though. The economic state of California results from a combination of spending by the legislative Democratic majority and the refusal of the Republican minority to vote for increased taxes, which requires a 2/3 majority in California (as does passing a budget). Arnold is in the unenviable position of being a political moderate working with a legislature full of extremists (whether they know it or not). Some of the folks in the legislature need to broaden their education by living outside of the state for awhile, with open eyes.
California is delaying $3.5 billion in payments to taxpayers ($2 billion in personal state income tax refunds [estimated]), the state’s vendors ($515 million), and people with developmental disabilities ($280 million) and other social services.
California’s economy is still the eighth largest economy in the WORLD (it used to be the fifth largest). Most people who run the world’s countries don’t have to deal with economic problems of this magnitude. There is a projected deficit this year of $42 billion (yes, that is a “b”)!
Yes, California has a “cash-flow problem.” The CNN article linked above does a pretty good job of talking about some suggested solutions. People have to LIVE here awhile to understand the reasons behind the problem, however. They also have to live here awhile to understand why Schwarzenegger has to meet with legislative leaders with an agreement of all parties not to even discuss the negotiations, in order to make any progress at all!
When some other states are sinking, both parties work together to bail the water – not California! Extremists of both major parties in the legislature are being blamed by the public, their constituents, and rightly so.
With all of the “Sesame Street” episodes some of these folks undoubtedly watched as children, it is hard to understand why they did not learn about C-O-O-P-E-R-A-T-I-O-N.
The CNN article above links to a map of the U.S. that shows unemployment, state budget deficit, and foreclosures. The only thing looking “rosy” on the map is unemployment, where higher unemployment is colored with deepening shades of red.
-Bill at Cheshire Cat Photo™
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