How much more can we as a nation endure?

[IGBT]

detroit and california are getting exactly what their populous voted for. Elections have consequences.

 

[berzerker60]

detroit and california are getting exactly what their populous voted for. Elections have consequences.

Yes, indeed. California is getting a much-improved, balanced budget, improving school funding, and a higher credit rating now that the SoCal GOP can't obstruct anymore.

http://www.businessweek.com/news/20...alifornia-to-a-from-a-on-brown-s-sound-budget
http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/07/10/california-revenue-idUSL1N0FG1MC20130710

Now, it's not all rosy, of course. There are still very, very serious challenges ahead for the state, which has huge obligations to meet, lots of infrastructure that needs updating, and a tax structure that's completely warped by statewide propositions. But it's hardly the apocalypse conservatives have been predicting/anticipating for years.

 

[poofyhairguy]

Yes, indeed. California is getting a much-improved, balanced budget, improving school funding, and a higher credit rating now that the SoCal GOP can't obstruct anymore.

http://www.businessweek.com/news/20...alifornia-to-a-from-a-on-brown-s-sound-budget
http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/07/10/california-revenue-idUSL1N0FG1MC20130710

Now, it's not all rosy, of course. There are still very, very serious challenges ahead for the state, which has huge obligations to meet, lots of infrastructure that needs updating, and a tax structure that's completely warped by statewide propositions. But it's hardly the apocalypse conservatives have been predicting/anticipating for years.

What disturbs me is that the fact that California has a higher unemployment rate than the nation as a whole, or that California consumers don't have much confidence in the situation improving, is not one of your "serious challenge" agenda items.

http://www.cpapracticeadvisor.com/n...wth-in-california-weakens-consumer-confidence

 

[IGBT]

Yes, indeed. California is getting a much-improved, balanced budget, improving school funding, and a higher credit rating now that the SoCal GOP can't obstruct anymore.

http://www.businessweek.com/news/20...alifornia-to-a-from-a-on-brown-s-sound-budget
http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/07/10/california-revenue-idUSL1N0FG1MC20130710

Now, it's not all rosy, of course. There are still very, very serious challenges ahead for the state, which has huge obligations to meet, lots of infrastructure that needs updating, and a tax structure that's completely warped by statewide propositions. But it's hardly the apocalypse conservatives have been predicting/anticipating for years.

smoke and mirrors on top of smoke and mirrors on top of lies and denial. Yes it's working just fine.

 

[sm625]

neither party speaks for the common people,

But the "common people" still buy the hopey changey bullcrap and go vote for the scum even though the scum screws them in the patootie every chance they get. Yes I know only 20% of the population actually voted for the latest idiot but that is still 19.5% too many... not to mention another 20% voted for the other idiot who was pretty much the same as the idiot we got.

 

[1prophet]

Detroit is bankrupt,
various California cities are looking at bankruptcy,
jobs that supported the middle class are gone,
federal debt is out of control,
neither party speaks for the common people,
fortune 500 companies avoiding taxes through loopholes,
infrastructure falling apart,
millions of illegal immigrants demanding citizenship,
record number of people on welfare,
social security disability going broke,
decade long war in the middle east,,,,
how much more can we take before something snaps?

A lot more since denial is a long road(river?), but don't worry in the not too distant future the Sino-Russian military alliance will finish off what is left.

 

[OrByte]

smoke and mirrors on top of smoke and mirrors on top of lies and denial. Yes it's working just fine.

denial works just as well as "smoke and mirrors" apparently.

 

[OverVolt]

Math, accounting, etc. don't matter. They are just numbers. Detroit would have been broke a decade ago if anyone actually bothered to look at the math, lol. Everyone is trying to pressure Detroit into making good on their retirement promises but the numbers don't add up, and they NEVER did.

Apparently numbers on balance sheets are about as important as the points in whose line is it anyway. :awe: When it comes to people getting what they want math be damned.

It will be very interesting how Detroit plays out.

 

[IGBT]

so whats the employed vs welfare ratio in california?? anybody know?

 

[IGBT]

you'd have to include disability in the welfare stats because disability has become the new welfare in the obama fraud based economy.

 

[desy]

By welfare States you mean mostly Red states cause they take the most assistance?
http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_reck..._guess_who_benefits_more_from_your_taxes.html
"Poor red States are also the ones rich States support the most through our federal taxes. Californians only see $0.78 cents back in services for every $1.00 we pay in Federal tax. Alaska gets almost twice what they pay in in services"

 

[RampantAndroid]

What disturbs me is that the fact that California has a higher unemployment rate than the nation as a whole, or that California consumers don't have much confidence in the situation improving, is not one of your "serious challenge" agenda items.

http://www.cpapracticeadvisor.com/n...wth-in-california-weakens-consumer-confidence

Not just that, but how many in CA are struggling to find health care now as providers slowly back out of CA?

 

[RampantAndroid]

By welfare States you mean mostly Red states cause they take the most assistance?
http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_reck..._guess_who_benefits_more_from_your_taxes.html
"Poor red States are also the ones rich States support the most through our federal taxes. Californians only see $0.78 cents back in services for every $1.00 we pay in Federal tax. Alaska gets almost twice what they pay in in services"

From the comments section:

bloggaholoc
This is a very confusing article. Most of the states in red are heavy in ag. or military. So their economic base isn't high enough to generate the dollars of a tech company in California. But this doesn't mean that people who are demographically poor can't figure out that spending more than you earn is a bad idea or that Obamacare is a bad idea. What you are also ignoring is all of the corporate welfare that those blue state bankers on Wall Street got and the union money those blue states continue to get from their Godfather in DC
2 Weeks Ago from slate.com · Reply

rustylongwood
Just because a state votes Republican doesn't mean that these same Republican voters are also taking a larger amount of welfare dollars. Federal spending usually most disproportionately goes to a relatively small number of individuals- the extremely poor, native americans and farm-owners. It's quite possibly that especially high spending on a minority of individuals might actually cause the electorate to vote more Republican- the majority is upset at the Federal governments excessive spending, which is more obvious and visible in their state than others.
Last Month from slate.com · Reply

Why do retirement programs get counted? Hmm? The food stamps and such are a valid thing to count. Also, military spending is counted? And agriculture is often heavily subsidized...

Indian reservations??
Civil service pensions??

This is as worthless as the "most uneducated states" list that was published after the election.

 

[desy]

The article says it a complex issue, then redirects you to the composers of the data
http://taxfoundation.org a credible oraganiaztion who does take into account all the nuances you raised

I just threw it out there cause everybody bashes on California even though they are a huge economic engine of US
http://blogs.sacbee.com/capitolaler...o-regain-eighth-8-rank-in-global-economy.html

 

[boomerang]

By welfare States you mean mostly Red states cause they take the most assistance?
http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_reck..._guess_who_benefits_more_from_your_taxes.html
"Poor red States are also the ones rich States support the most through our federal taxes. Californians only see $0.78 cents back in services for every $1.00 we pay in Federal tax. Alaska gets almost twice what they pay in in services"

But that's good right? Because redistributing wealth is very high on the to-do list of progressives.

 

[desy]

Its fine by me, strength of a NATION means keeping all regions strong, not to the point of futile efforts but making sure chaos doesn't rise.
In a vast country that's a great advantage, that the economy is not singularly dependant on any particular segment. Its rare that all aspects are working and what goes around comes around.

 

[BoberFett]

Its fine by me, strength of a NATION means keeping all regions strong, not to the point of futile efforts but making sure chaos doesn't rise.
In a vast country that's a great advantage, that the economy is not singularly dependant on any particular segment. Its rare that all aspects are working and what goes around comes around.

If we really wanted to do it right, the United Nations would implement a world tax, which would start at 75% on anybody making $5,000/yr or more (because they're rich) and we could solve the entire world's problems. Too bad those people making minimum wage in the US are so greedy and don't want to share their vast wealth.