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Can you Fix the California Budget?

I

Infohawk

Lifer
LA Times Interactive

I started with massive cuts but couldn't get it down low enough so I went with a tax on those who make more than $300,000 and a huge gasoline tax increase.

It's also interesting that a lot of the entitlement programs red-staters seem to complain about are federally-mandated and not necessarily a choice California is allowed to make for itself.

 
I cut it from $25 billion to under $2 billion with $6 billion in cuts and $16 billion in taxes.

I'd cut and paste but it doesn't do that.
 
Its easy to do when you don;t have to run for office.

Just like fixing SS is easy, if your name in not on a ballot anywhere.
 
I love these interactive fix the budget tools, always put in place to conditon the masses to feel that the solution has to be higher taxes...

I cut everything I could until I hit zero
 
Originally posted by: bozack
I love these interactive fix the budget tools, always put in place to conditon the masses to feel that the solution has to be higher taxes...

I cut everything I could until I hit zero
Click to expand...

Well, we'd agree you hit zero.
 
Originally posted by: Craig234
I cut it from $25 billion to under $2 billion with $6 billion in cuts and $16 billion in taxes.

I'd cut and paste but it doesn't do that.
Click to expand...

Why did you stop at $16 billion? I refuse to play this game since it doesn't allow you to raise taxes nearly enough.
 
Originally posted by: bozack
I love these interactive fix the budget tools, always put in place to conditon the masses to feel that the solution has to be higher taxes...

I cut everything I could until I hit zero
Click to expand...

Great idea. Let's stop educating our citizens, stop helping the elderly/poor/disabled/less fortunate, get rid of law enforcement, reduce state workers compensation so it's not competetive and they decide to leave to go into the private sector, and while we're at it throw in some one time fixes.

:thumbsup:
 
Originally posted by: DisgruntledVirus
Originally posted by: bozack
I love these interactive fix the budget tools, always put in place to conditon the masses to feel that the solution has to be higher taxes...

I cut everything I could until I hit zero
Click to expand...

Great idea. Let's stop educating our citizens, stop helping the elderly/poor/disabled/less fortunate, get rid of law enforcement, reduce state workers compensation so it's not competetive and they decide to leave to go into the private sector, and while we're at it throw in some one time fixes.

:thumbsup:
Click to expand...

Still better than the no-plan you've offered.
 
Originally posted by: glenn1
Originally posted by: Craig234
I cut it from $25 billion to under $2 billion with $6 billion in cuts and $16 billion in taxes.

I'd cut and paste but it doesn't do that.
Click to expand...

Why did you stop at $16 billion? I refuse to play this game since it doesn't allow you to raise taxes nearly enough.
Click to expand...

You make a good point - it had some pretty limited options for tax increases, while the legislature has the flexibility to use other amounts. It was pretty clearly 'doable'.

What's going to cause trouble is what does each year, the last few votes from Republicans for the 2/3 requirements, since they are basically radical 'hostage takers'.

They seem convinced that the bigger harm they can cause by blocking the budget, the better it works for them politically if people blame the Democratic majrity.
 
Originally posted by: Genx87
I managed to generate a 15 billion dollar surplus.
Click to expand...

'Soylent Green made out of the poor' was going too far for me, and I find the Republicans marketing of it as a 'Green policy' misleading and distasteful.
 
Originally posted by: DisgruntledVirus

Great idea. Let's stop educating our citizens, stop helping the elderly/poor/disabled/less fortunate, get rid of law enforcement, reduce state workers compensation so it's not competetive and they decide to leave to go into the private sector, and while we're at it throw in some one time fixes.

:thumbsup:
Click to expand...

There are no jobs in the private sector.
 
This is fun, but even though it's just a random Flash interactive app, it's tougher than it appears. I cannot imagine how hard doing this is for real politicians. There are some tough cuts to be made, but they must be made...raising taxes and borrowing more money are absolute last resorts.

I managed to have a $5.429 billion dollar surplus with only two tax increases. $27.644 billion in cuts and $1.785 billion in new taxes. Hmm...
 
I cut funding to the UC and CSU state university systems. Saved 1.5 Billion, 1.1 billion of this will be replaced by federal funds.

Cut 5.3 Billion from the K-14 Funds, instead we will run school one less week a year to compensate.

Saved 15 Million with New anti-fraud for human services.

Cut 120 million in funding to non-citizens

Eliminated just the welfare GRANTS to save 1.3 billion

Saved 175 Million by cutting MediCal to non-citizens and increasing fraud detection

Saved 150 million by eliminating MediCal Adult Dental Services.

Saved 180 million by deporting ILLIEGAL immigrants instead of housing them in our prisons.

Saved 120 Million by releasing non-violent offenders with no major priors a year early.

Cut in-prison rehab and substance abuse to save 890 million

Sent more prisoners to county jails and cut time for parole violations, saving 195 million

saved 1.3 billion by cutting state retiree benefits (let them use the government systems the rest of us do)

Added a furlough for 450 Million in savings

End redundant "commissions" and state boards, for 50 Millon

100 Million from offshore drilling

Shut down state anti-drug programs for 300 Million

32 cents extra at the pump, to save 5.2 Billion

9.9% tax on oil pumped from California lands or waters for $855 Million

Up commercial property tax for 2 Billion

3% extra tax on contractors

Increase top income bracket from 9.3 to 10 percent, saving 5 Billion.

Result: 2.5 Billion Surplus.


P.S. I didn't think I'd have quite that great a balance, so if you want you can boost adult dental / welfare grants / and state employee benefits back up.
 
I turned it into a 33 billion surplus but no one would want to live in my version of California. It would be cool if it showed the masses get angry as I cut every program and made taxes unbearable.
 
Originally posted by: KB
I turned it into a 33 billion surplus but no one would want to live in my version of California. It would be cool if it showed the masses get angry as I cut every program and made taxes unbearable.
Click to expand...

:laugh:

It'd be like in Civilization when you just jack up the taxes but don't give them anything back and you end up with a bunch of frowny faced citizens.

"Los Angeles is in revolt!"
 
Originally posted by: Slew Foot
I basically made almost every cut I could, without raising taxes, budget balanced.

This is too easy
Click to expand...

To be fair, it's easy when you're just clicking things in a Flash app that doesn't affect anyone. The decisions get much more difficult when you're actually influencing people's lives.

Still, hard cuts need to be made, before things get even worse.
 
Originally posted by: RyanPaulShaffer
Originally posted by: Slew Foot
I basically made almost every cut I could, without raising taxes, budget balanced.

This is too easy
Click to expand...

To be fair, it's easy when you're just clicking things in a Flash app that doesn't affect anyone. The decisions get much more difficult when you're actually influencing people's lives.

Still, hard cuts need to be made, before things get even worse.
Click to expand...

Actually, I have to wonder if letting the state go bankrupt isn't the best option, long term. Don't addiction counselors say some people have to hit rock bottom before they develop the true will to change? Maybe addiction to gov't needs to be solved the same way.
 
Originally posted by: Mursilis
Originally posted by: RyanPaulShaffer
Originally posted by: Slew Foot
I basically made almost every cut I could, without raising taxes, budget balanced.

This is too easy
Click to expand...

To be fair, it's easy when you're just clicking things in a Flash app that doesn't affect anyone. The decisions get much more difficult when you're actually influencing people's lives.

Still, hard cuts need to be made, before things get even worse.
Click to expand...

Actually, I have to wonder if letting the state go bankrupt isn't the best option, long term. Don't addiction counselors say some people have to hit rock bottom before they develop the true will to change? Maybe addiction to gov't needs to be solved the same way.
Click to expand...

Perhaps, but we all know the O-Man will never let that happen. He'll step in and give California the rest of the nation's money instead of allowing anything to happen to his friends in the unions or allowing the possibility of people getting off of government hand-out programs.
 
Originally posted by: RyanPaulShaffer
Originally posted by: Mursilis
Originally posted by: RyanPaulShaffer
Originally posted by: Slew Foot
I basically made almost every cut I could, without raising taxes, budget balanced.

This is too easy
Click to expand...

To be fair, it's easy when you're just clicking things in a Flash app that doesn't affect anyone. The decisions get much more difficult when you're actually influencing people's lives.

Still, hard cuts need to be made, before things get even worse.
Click to expand...

Actually, I have to wonder if letting the state go bankrupt isn't the best option, long term. Don't addiction counselors say some people have to hit rock bottom before they develop the true will to change? Maybe addiction to gov't needs to be solved the same way.
Click to expand...

Perhaps, but we all know the O-Man will never let that happen. He'll step in and give California the rest of the nation's money instead of allowing anything to happen to his friends in the unions or allowing the possibility of people getting off of government hand-out programs.
Click to expand...

But the rest of the nation's rapidly going broke as well, so that can only work for so long before it's time to start cutting something somewhere.
 
I'm only willing to play if I can fire the governator and the entire legislature. Only seems fair, considering I'm now doing their job. Plus, think of the savings.
 
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