The collapse of California

[MooseNSquirrel]

Ah, the old donor state argument. The progs need some new material. No basis in anything even remotely based in reality and an argument diametrically opposed to the values they purport to cherish. Notwithstanding that the donor state argument is entirely bogus, if they truly embraced the ideology they would like us all to believe they embrace, they'd be happy to give their money to help the poorer states.

I sometimes wonder how it is that they don't implode from the conflicting thoughts within their own minds. It sounds like a living hell to me. A very tortured existance.

http://taxfoundation.org/article/federal-taxes-paid-vs-federal-spending-received-state-1981-2005

 

[monovillage]

http://taxfoundation.org/article/federal-taxes-paid-vs-federal-spending-received-state-1981-2005

Amazing, as California became more and more left and Democrat (comparing 80's to 2000's)they started getting more and more screwed by the Feds, who'd have ever thought that ?

 

[DucatiMonster696]

Get rid of the rich that don't pay any taxes and California will be fine.

LOL@The tired cliche of "The rich don't pay taxes in California."

http://soquelbythecreek.blogspot.com/2011/10/who-pays-their-fair-share-in-california.html

 

[gingermeggs]

No, I'm saying that his piece is factually unsupported and draws broad conclusions from no apparent evidence. It's just really poorly written, but then again it is Pajamas Media we're talking about here.

The incoherent ramblings of a post psychosis suffering "wild bunch" Baby boomer, who's now is too fat to ride a push bike!

Well he at lest he likes mad max the movie!

This was a waste of ten minutes- thanks Tex!

Is it any wonder the people that stole the lands from the Mexicans(who have high levels of Red Indian genes) would one day be bred out by them "Injuns".......

 

[DucatiMonster696]

Amazing, as California became more and more left and Democrat (comparing 80's to 2000's)they started getting more and more screwed by the Feds, who'd have ever thought that ?

Another person who doesn't understand or refuses to admit that the state itself does not pay federal taxes. Individuals and private entities such as businesses pay federal taxes. But where would liberals be without the ability to cling to distortions.

 

[PokerGuy]

I'm actually quite good at it.

Another glowing example of the phenomenon documented by Kruger and Dunning's work showing that incompetent people are too incompetent to even realize that they are incompetent. Bravo!

 

[fskimospy]

Another glowing example of the phenomenon documented by Kruger and Dunning's work showing that incompetent people are too incompetent to even realize that they are incompetent. Bravo!

Quoted for unintentional irony.

 

[Darwin333]

Here's the only fact you need to sink in.
California is paying HUGE sums of money every year to the failed states that practice low taxes, low regulation.
If California only got back from the Federal Government what it paid in there would be no deficit and California would be doing great.

So any article about California's problems should start:

California is being crushed by the enormous amount of money it is paying to keep low tax, low wage, low benefits states from collapsing.

Isnt that how the left thinks taxes should work?

 

[berzerker60]

For the record, I suspect most here would judge me a 'leftist,' and I think the welfare state argument is ONLY useful in the sense of telling people from Red States to stop bitching that their tax dollars are paying for Californian hippies to not work, when if anything the opposite is true. But if California does have a higher per capita GDP, then sure, its citizens should on average be paying more federal taxes than a state with a lower per capita GDP.

 

[PJABBER]

My bullshit meter just achieved critical mass and incinerated itself.

Also, why are you back to post your old meaningless drivel?

Dear KY,

Thank you for your interest!

As it happens, I missed a flight and was stuck at Dulles International Airport for five hours.

After spending the first few hours reading The Communist (Frank Marshall Davis: The Untold Story of Barack Obama's Mentor) by Paul Kengor, PhD, I started reminiscing about the variety of Obama sycophant posters on ATPN and swung on by to see what's up.

BTW, the book itself is a fascinating account based on declassified material from Soviet archives, FBI files, and archived columns from Communist Party publications.

Miss me much?

 

[EagleKeeper]

Here's the only fact you need to sink in.
California is paying HUGE sums of money every year to the failed states that practice low taxes, low regulation.
If California only got back from the Federal Government what it paid in there would be no deficit and California would be doing great.

So any article about California's problems should start:

California is being crushed by the enormous amount of money it is paying to keep low tax, low wage, low benefits states from collapsing.

This is exactly what you have been advocating. Non-fair share. wealthy needs to pay more.

Take from the haves and give to the have-nots.

Or now that it actually is reaching into the rocket; it is no longer fair.

Looking into the mirror hurts.

This quote will be great the next time you start advocating taxing the rich more than there share.

 

[PJABBER]

In other words, you have no response to the point I was trying to make.

You were making a point?

Yes please, go oogle beautiful women that you have absolutely no chance of ever gaining their attention. A pastime I am sure you are familiar with.

Why, thank you for the encouragement! Say no more!

As for the "forest through the trees" comment. If the Author wants to make a point about civil decay, why attempt to force it into a partisan lense? I think I would actually agree with the OP author if his main point was the absence of civility, common sense, responsibility, and/or ethics in everyday social interaction... but no, he wanted to paint the "collapse" of California as something that democrats (Californian Government) are responsible for.

That just doesn't work for me, in my humble opinion.

As VDH is a registered Democrat I am sure it pains him to a certain extent to point out the failures of Democrat Party policies and leadership. At least he is forthright enough to point these failures out. So many others, partisan to the core, prefer to ignore or bury them.

The problem with burying the truth and its implications is that it does tend to resurface at the most inopportune times, like election years when the populace starts to pay attention.

Any resident of California, any resident of large cities controlled by Democrat machines, certainly sees what VDH points out as evolving aberrations. The bigger question is, do you just keep doing the same things that brought such a state about or do you shift course?

That decision should never be partisan. Sadly, it often is.

 

[MooseNSquirrel]

You were making a point?



Why, thank you for the encouragement! Say no more!



As VDH is a registered Democrat I am sure it pains him to a certain extent to point out the failures of Democrat Party policies and leadership. At least he is forthright enough to point these failures out. So many others, partisan to the core, prefer to ignore or bury them.

The problem with burying the truth and its implications is that it does tend to resurface at the most inopportune times, like election years when the populace starts to pay attention.

Any resident of California, any resident of large cities controlled by Democrat machines, certainly sees what VDH points out as evolving aberrations. The bigger question is, do you just keep doing the same things that brought such a state about or do you shift course?

That decision should never be partisan. Sadly, it often is.

Blah blah blah.

Its still a badly written opinion piece masquerading as a news article.

 

[MooseNSquirrel]

Another person who doesn't understand or refuses to admit that the state itself does not pay federal taxes. Individuals and private entities such as businesses pay federal taxes. But where would liberals be without the ability to cling to distortions.

A: Yes it is!
M: Argument is an intellectual process. Contradiction is just the automatic gainsaying of any statement the other person makes.
(short pause)
A: No it isn't.
M: It is.
A: Not at all.
M: Now look.
A: (Rings bell) Good Morning.
M: What?
A: That's it. Good morning.
M: I was just getting interested.
A: Sorry, the five minutes is up.
M: That was never five minutes!
A: I'm afraid it was.
M: It wasn't.

 

[fskimospy]

What PJABBER is trying to say is that if you see things changing in a way you don't like, just pick whatever sounds appealing to you at that moment and assume it is the cause, no evidence required. Then create a hilariously badly written blog post on an ultra right wing website and allow stupid people to popularize it for you. Repeat as often as necessary.

EDIT: Also, I forgot to mention something else. If you're good at writing about military history that means you can eyeball California's budget and economic problems through dogs in your back alley and video games. It's just common sense.

 

[K1052]

Dear KY,

Thank you for your interest!

As it happens, I missed a flight and was stuck at Dulles International Airport for five hours.

After spending the first few hours reading The Communist (Frank Marshall Davis: The Untold Story of Barack Obama's Mentor) by Paul Kengor, PhD, I started reminiscing about the variety of Obama sycophant posters on ATPN and swung on by to see what's up.

BTW, the book itself is a fascinating account based on declassified material from Soviet archives, FBI files, and archived columns from Communist Party publications.

Miss me much?

Oh...another tome from the 'Obama knew Communists and radicals (and might be /is one by association)' Book of the Month Club. Want to put some random words on a chalk board and draw circles around letters to make new words that form baseless claims for your next strenuous intellectual exercise?

 

[PJABBER]

Where ya been? Good to see ya back in these parts!

Hey Corn! Nice to see that you are still hangin' here!

Been working in Europe again and parked myself in the Languedoc close to Carcassonne. Allez allez Stade Toulousain!

As I have lots of welcoming comments from the likes of Eskimopie and KY, I think I might linger a while.

:awe:

 

[PJABBER]

Blah blah blah.

Its still a badly written opinion piece masquerading as a news article.

LOL, it is an editorial piece backed up by both personal and anecdotal references and hot links to further reading. It is both factual and insightful. It should be far from controversial to anyone who was not born yesterday.

No more and no less.