Calif: Keep paying higher taxes or face deep, painful cuts in services

[Mr. Lennon]

Meanwhile Brown plays kiss ass with the guard union.

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-prison-guards-20110419,0,3637836.story

"Gov. Jerry Brown negotiates a new contract for California's prison guards, who will be allowed to save unlimited amounts of vacation, potentially leading to massive payouts when officers retire."

 

[alphatarget1]

California is a sinking ship. Democratic governance at its best. Also see IL, NY for other prime examples of great Liberal governance.

 

[fskimospy]

California is a sinking ship. Democratic governance at its best. Also see IL, NY for other prime examples of great Liberal governance.

Hey look, someone who has no clue how California is governed. Shocker.

 

[Zebo]

Californians recently shot down a 18.00 dollar increase in DMV fees. It's become obvious to the most casual Californian voter that the more money you give the state legislature the worse the problem gets. Taxes need to be capped and department budgets need to be traded and the tax cap lowered every year. If the schools need more money let them start a across the board tuition. The California tax payer is maxed out.

California already has crazy high taxes. You realize top marginal rate ~10% kicks in at a measly 50K? Sales taxes approach 10%. Utilities and excise taxes (gas, liquor, cigarettes) are insane too. I think most Californians pay at least 40% taxes between Federal and state and are sick and tired of it.

This does not even include what they don't see like when building a house you have to make a massive school bond which is rolled into mortgage. I built our house in SLO and tax was $25,000 just to start digging foundation.

 

[Jhhnn]

California Repubs are exploiting their minority status in the system, just like the did at the federal level when they had 41 senators. It's the California version of the filibuster, where they attempt to force their will on the majority.

If it wasn't that way, they'd allow the tax measure to go to the voters as Brown wants. It's just that simple.

The problem for Dems is that they're thinking short term. If they let Repubs have what they want, the backlash from the people would sweep Repubs from office the way pushing the silver handle sends the contents of the porcelain bowl swirling down the drain. The misery induced would be tremendous, but maybe that's the only way the electorate will come to their senses, kinda like 1932.

 

[Zebo]

1932 you didnt get something for nothing. FDR had a work requirement for all his social Welfare programs.

 

[senseamp]

Per capita spending is 25% higher in California, and one lousy university is the best you can come up with? Jeez, Alabama would be better off saving the money and using it to send students to Berkeley, and they would STILL be better off than the wreck that is CA government.

Those students wouldn't come back to Alabama (if they managed to get into Berkeley to begin with).
BTW, CA GDP per capita is 43% higher than Alabama. So even if we spend 25% more per capita, we are still better off.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_U.S._states_by_GDP

 

[Jhhnn]

1932 you didnt get something for nothing. FDR had a work requirement for all his social Welfare programs.

So what? That's not relevant to the discussion at hand except in a very peripheral way.

California Republicans are exploiting the system to prevent the people of California from voting on the proposed tax measures. Slice it, dice it, run it up the flagpole or fly it to the moon on a pogo stick- that's what's happening, and anybody with half a brain needs to acknowledge that.

 

[bfdd]

California already has crazy high taxes. You realize top marginal rate ~10% kicks in at a measly 50K? Sales taxes approach 10%. Utilities and excise taxes (gas, liquor, cigarettes) are insane too. I think most Californians pay at least 40% taxes between Federal and state and are sick and tired of it.

This does not even include what they don't see like when building a house you have to make a massive school bond which is rolled into mortgage. I built our house in SLO and tax was $25,000 just to start digging foundation.

40%? that sounds about right. The highest I ever had was like 47%. As in 47% of my paycheck was gone before I got it.

 

[bfdd]

So what? That's not relevant to the discussion at hand except in a very peripheral way.

California Republicans are exploiting the system to prevent the people of California from voting on the proposed tax measures. Slice it, dice it, run it up the flagpole or fly it to the moon on a pogo stick- that's what's happening, and anybody with half a brain needs to acknowledge that.

No, it is VERY FUCKING IMPORTANT. You cannot give people something for nothing. That shit is fucking broken. If people want something from society, they HAVE TO contribute something to society. Maybe not as much as they get in return to survive, but SOMETHING. Caltrans and our Welfare program need to be synced up here in California and they need to REQUIRE 10 hours a week out of EVERY able-bodied person before they can pick up a welfare check at the end of the week.

Giving people something for nothing doesn't work and that should be obvious by now. Not to mention the only reason we started doing it is so the "white ruling elite" could shove the "undesirables" off to the side and keep them there. Those same "white ruling elite" are now the "progressives" pushing on the stupid racist agenda of ignorance.

Don't tell me CALWORKS is the solution either. I think one of the many people I have met on welfare has even attempted it.

 

[Jhhnn]

No, it is VERY FUCKING IMPORTANT. You cannot give people something for nothing. That shit is fucking broken. If people want something from society, they HAVE TO contribute something to society. Maybe not as much as they get in return to survive, but SOMETHING. Caltrans and our Welfare program need to be synced up here in California and they need to REQUIRE 10 hours a week out of EVERY able-bodied person before they can pick up a welfare check at the end of the week.

Giving people something for nothing doesn't work and that should be obvious by now. Not to mention the only reason we started doing it is so the "white ruling elite" could shove the "undesirables" off to the side and keep them there. Those same "white ruling elite" are now the "progressives" pushing on the stupid racist agenda of ignorance.

Don't tell me CALWORKS is the solution either. I think one of the many people I have met on welfare has even attempted it.

Rave on, fool. What you're going on and on about won't change California's fiscal position in the slightest. Nice attempted duh-version, however.

 

[bfdd]

Rave on, fool. What you're going on and on about won't change California's fiscal position in the slightest. Nice attempted duh-version, however.

It won't, but it will get people to fucking move and do SOMETHING work related. If they're just picking up trash, that's better than the trash just sitting around making shit look dirty. Or do you not like living in a clean state? Nah, lets just pay them to sit around and fuck off while being a drain.

 

[Lithium381]

It won't, but it will get people to fucking move and do SOMETHING work related. If they're just picking up trash, that's better than the trash just sitting around making shit look dirty. Or do you not like living in a clean state? Nah, lets just pay them to sit around and fuck off while being a drain.

I agree with this....

I was in San Francisco this past week a couple of days for work . . . .wow that whole city is a s**thole... Higher sales tax? A $1 / person "fee" for city health-care in restaurants? Trash EVERYWHERE.....San Fran has a very Dem voter base . . .

 

[piasabird]

Fire all the union prison guards and hire some undocumented workers.

 

[Hayabusa Rider]

Because the Republican agenda is for a far poorer people, with far richer rich, in a continuing massive transfer of wealth. This is part of the 'less for people'.

Which is why the Democrats screw the middle class with their agenda. Good going.

 

[drebo]

Brown ran to fix the problem, not to get re-elected.

Raising taxes is not how you fix an inefficient, bloated government with too many resources expended on those which contribute nothing.

California will not be saved by raising taxes. Even a 100% income tax rate would not save California.

The solution, the ONLY solution, is to cut government services. But they need to be cut smartly. Cutting school funding is not smart.

 

[ShawnD1]

The solution, the ONLY solution, is to cut government services. But they need to be cut smartly. Cutting school funding is not smart.

Didn't they build a school in LA for something like 500 million dollars? Marble floors, solid gold computers, diamond windows.


http://abcnews.go.com/WN/public-school-los-angeles-named-robert-kennedy-expensive/story?id=11462095

 

[drebo]

Didn't they build a school in LA for something like 500 million dollars? Marble floors, solid gold computers, diamond windows.


http://abcnews.go.com/WN/public-school-los-angeles-named-robert-kennedy-expensive/story?id=11462095

Like I said: "inefficient, bloated government".

However, NOT building $500m schools clearly falls under the "cut spending" moniker, not the "raise taxes" one.

 

[Craig234]

In a way, I'm glad that a school with this history linked to RFK is so nice - IMO he was probably our greatest presidential candidate since his brother at least.

But I still think it's a crazy amount to spend and not what makes sense given our other needs - though I'm still for more spending on schools.

It's a big mistake, but there are a lot worse things money is wasted on.

 

[ConstipatedVigilante]

That really doesn't sound so bad. I was in kindergarten at 5 and it was a class of 25 or so kids. One of the best school districts in the country, too. And people have to pay for their own healthcare and education? Sounds like the rest of the country.

 

[IGBT]

Raising taxes is not how you fix an inefficient, bloated government with too many resources expended on those which contribute nothing.

California will not be saved by raising taxes. Even a 100% income tax rate would not save California.

The solution, the ONLY solution, is to cut government services. But they need to be cut smartly. Cutting school funding is not smart.

across the board public school tuition is the answer to fund public schools and unload the burden from the tax payer. When ever you guys want more money for the schools you can argue among your selves and keep the tax payer out of the loop.

 

[allthatisman]

No, it is VERY FUCKING IMPORTANT. You cannot give people something for nothing. That shit is fucking broken. If people want something from society, they HAVE TO contribute something to society. Maybe not as much as they get in return to survive, but SOMETHING. Caltrans and our Welfare program need to be synced up here in California and they need to REQUIRE 10 hours a week out of EVERY able-bodied person before they can pick up a welfare check at the end of the week.

Giving people something for nothing doesn't work and that should be obvious by now. Not to mention the only reason we started doing it is so the "white ruling elite" could shove the "undesirables" off to the side and keep them there. Those same "white ruling elite" are now the "progressives" pushing on the stupid racist agenda of ignorance.

Don't tell me CALWORKS is the solution either. I think one of the many people I have met on welfare has even attempted it.

This.

There are too many people even on unemployment taht sit at home and collect their "welfare" not even THINKING about looking for a job. This whole 99 weeks of paychecks for nothing is BS. Anyone on welfare, unemployment, or WIC should be out picking up trash or sweeping floors for a minimum of 24 hours a week. That still leaves plenty of time for job searching and interviews...

But if it wasn't obvious enough, the problem rest solely with the legislature and the assembly. There are too many of them, and they work full time. Every program that has a state worker attached to it, is something that is madated by the statute that they enact... and half of them are passed solely for political gain.

The problem in California is that we all pay so much in residual taxes and get nothing for it. Ask any european and they will tell you, yes they pay a lot in taxes, but they also get a lot for it. Here, not so much...

 

[Red Dawn]

Fire all the union prison guards and hire some undocumented workers.

That'd be like Catholic Priests running Day Cares.

 

[davmat787]

Craig is such a gentleman. He sent me a PM to let me know I'm on ignore, like I'd care.

lol, I am sure you are sooo butthurt about it too.

 

[Hayabusa Rider]

Well we could do an experiment. Let's raise taxes in CA 20% on everyone and everything and see how that goes. I'm told that in NY our losing people wasn't due to being taxed to death. Let's see if that's right.

CA would be a good lab rat.