50 days until California achieves Libertarian paradise!

I can only imagine Grover Norquist furiously masturbating in anticipation.

and then there will be the second coming of Ayn Rand, and then CA falls into the sea.

Or something. I'm pretty sure that's how I remember it.

Thanks

:puke:

:banghead:

:shrug:

I wonder when all this vaunted Republican fiscal responsibility is going to show up? Surely Darrell "Crybaby" Issa has some major plan in the works, no?

from those back east conservative think tanks, to pony up the funds for another recall. That action was all bought and paid for by the same interests who have brought this country to the brink of economic chaos.

The passage of Prop. 13 doomed the state decades ago. Now, even with disaster staring them in the face, the state government and the people refuse to consider raising tax rates. So the inevitable is going to happen, California is going to collapse, and probably take the rest of the country with it.

But it surely would be interesting if this game of Chicken proceeds to its logical conclusion...

I think that they've pretty much tapped out their various last ditch strategies. I think that at this point Arnie and the folks in the state government are hoping for some sort of federal bailout. If this is what they're angling for, I say no bailout without repeal of Prop. 13 first.

I really don't want to see this proceed to its logical conclusion. Having the world's eighth largest economy collapse would not help out the rest of the country at all right now. Not to mention there would be a massive migration of people, thus swamping the job market in other states. I graduate with an education degree next spring, and it's already becoming tough to find a teaching job in my area. I don't need to see teachers flooding the market, coming in from California or elsewhere.

If you look at countries around the world, the poorest countries all feature low taxes, no public services to speak of, and no "government interference" in the relationship between employer and employee.

According to the Libertarians, the result should be heaven on earth.

Well, it is, if you're one of the wealthy. You can live in a palatial estate with a personal servant for every member of the family, hire private tutors for your children before sending them to Ivy League, hire a private security force, keep a generator and a water purification system on your property, order your clothes directly from fashion designers, and go to the Mayo Clinic for medical treatment.

For the rest of population, it's not so heavenly. You probably live in a tin and cardboard shack and if you're LUCKY you get to be a servant for some rich guy, because then you can at least eat his leftovers--if he'll let you. You're illiterate and know that your children will be illiterate because you can't afford to send them to school. You live in fear of the criminal gangs that roam your neighborhood as the police look the other way. Your one set of clothing is falling apart. You have no electricity, no running water, and no indoor toilet. If you get sick, you either get better on your own or die.

Not exactly heaven. Quite the opposite.

general motors was once the biggest corporation in america now it`s bankrupt

will california join general motors in bankruptcy? i think they will

Hell no! We're not a private corporation after all. We're just the largest state in the union! So fuck us!

What is your position on "pay-as-you-go" policies that have a distinctly libertarian flavor?

I wish ya'll the best, but it's going to be a very ugly fall for you.

and California falls into bankruptcy. My reasoning is that this will serve as an example of what happens when people refuse to pay for the services they want. The cost of a civilized society is taxes, fair taxes. Californians chose to become uncivilized with the passage of rules and defeat of others that would have provided sound fiscal policies.

California's failure might wake up the neo-Libertarians in the Arizona Leg. in time to save Arizona but I doubt it.

And isn't it ironic that the people who want to rescued by the Feds are the same states' right people who want to keep the Feds out? And that budgeting by democracy created this mess? The contradictions are legion.

had the sense to repeal Proposition 13.

Until then, CA will always be in the red.

If you live in CA, please read "Paradise Lost" by Peter Schrag -- a very astute and liberal-leaning former columnist -- he predicted long, long ago that Proposition 13 would doom CA. And now it's happening.

Tax more, spend less. Raise taxes to cover half the deficit, make cuts for the other half. Is it really that difficult, quit cherry picking cuts and just slash the budget across the board for every state agency, department and program to be fair. Raise all taxes and eliminate tax breaks for the wealthy and businesses.