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Destroying the California Dream
Townhall.com ^ | May 3, 2012 | Michael Reagan

Posted on 05/03/2012 4:25:44 AM PDT by Kaslin

Cuba is a one-party state. North Korea is a one-party state. California is a one-party state.

I'm not trying to draw any false parallels.

But I've noticed bad things happen when one political party has complete control of a government for too long, whether it's the Communist Party that's wrecked Cuba for 50 years or the Democrat Party that's wrecked California for 40.

So far, the Democrat monopoly in Sacramento has done nothing to cause Californians who seek greater freedom, lower taxes and a better business climate to begin taking rafts to Oregon or Mexico. But give the Democrats time.

They've already bankrupted the state and strangled its economy with high taxes, expensive green-energy policies and "progressive" regulations that scare off businesses, jack up housing prices or inhibit growth.

The other day the California Assembly proved once more that there is no bill too crazy or trivial for it to pass.

By a vote of 47-24, the Assembly passed AB 1960. The bill, almost certain to be approved by the state Senate, would allow owners of businesses that contract with the state to voluntarily identify themselves as gay, lesbian, transgender or bisexual.

The Democrat who sponsored the bill says it'll let state officials and gay or lesbian groups pin down how much LGBT-owned businesses are helping the state's economy. Republicans said it digs too far into private lives and is the first step in a quota system that would benefit the LGBT business community, which, the way things are going, probably already accounts for half of the state's GDP.

Assembly Bill 1960 is likely inconsequential -- just another government joke no one thinks is funny. But its passage is also a sign of a larger and very important long-term problem -- there are too many Democrats in power in Sacramento and too few Republicans there to stop them.

Forget which party has held the governor's office. It's the Assembly and the Senate -- Democrat-controlled playpens since my father was governor - that have turned the Golden State into the Great Train Wreck State.

Joel Kotkin probably knows more than anyone about the paradise California once was and the dysfunctional place it has become. Kotkin, one of the country's top demographers, pointed out the other day that almost 4 million people have left California in the last 20 years. That's 4 million above and beyond the people who have moved in from other states.

He says most of those fleeing are young, middle-class families seeking lower taxes and affordable living costs. Apparently, the chance to ride a bazillion-dollar bullet train from Los Angeles to San Francisco with their grandchildren is not worth 20 years of pain and suffering.

Kotkin, who calls himself a "Truman Democrat," says the regime in Sacramento and its "progressive war on the middle-class lifestyle" is responsible for the destruction of the California dream. It'll only get worse, he says, what with Gov. Brown proposing new taxes this year that are ostensibly aimed at "millionaires" but will hurt small businesses and young families.

I'm no demographer. But as far as I can tell, there's only one sure way to reverse California's death spiral -- vote the Democrats out of power in Sacramento.

That means Republicans -- conservative Republicans allied with sensible Truman Democrats -- need to stand up and take back their state from the crazies.

The trouble is, the Republican Party of California is almost as much of a mess as the state. It has no leadership, no heroes, little money and no clear message. The state GOP has another big problem -- Republicans have run out of courage. While the Democrats have been going nuts, Republicans have lost theirs.


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Editorial; Government; US: California
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Kalifornia falling into the Pacific would be the best for the whole country
1 posted on 05/03/2012 4:25:47 AM PDT by Kaslin
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To: Kaslin

The left has, already, won the ‘12 POTUS race. Massachusetts is, also, a one party state, among a handful of other states.


2 posted on 05/03/2012 4:29:42 AM PDT by johnthebaptistmoore (The world continues to be stuck in a "all leftist, all of the time" funk. BUNK THE FUNK!)
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To: Kaslin

Detroitification of an entire state.....


3 posted on 05/03/2012 4:30:51 AM PDT by mo (If you understand, no explanation is needed. If you don't understand, no explanation is possible.)
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To: Kaslin

Don’t blame me: It was a beautiful, productive, busy and charming place when I left in 1974. First-rate schools, world-class industry and commerce, oil and gas production, plentiful agriculture and racial harmony, for the most part.


4 posted on 05/03/2012 4:39:22 AM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet (Ich habe keinen Konig aber Gott)
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To: Kaslin

Democrat voters do not care about the welfare of the state. They only care about what the state can do for them.


5 posted on 05/03/2012 4:41:54 AM PDT by aomagrat (Gun owners who vote for democrats are too stupid to own guns.)
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To: Kaslin
The trouble is, the Republican Party of California is almost as much of a mess as the state. It has no leadership, no heroes, little money and no clear message. The state GOP has another big problem -- Republicans have run out of courage. While the Democrats have been going nuts, Republicans have lost theirs.

There is no difference here in Ill-Annoy. This is an endemic national Republican problem and fully indicates the shunning of conservative principles.

There is one party in Ill-Annoy, too. Regardless of traditional party affiliation, all of them are part of "The Combine" whereby they look out more for themselves than the taxpayers.

Pension abuse has become institutionalized and "legal". The House Speaker pushed through egregious pension plans to take care of donors and powerful pols, his daughter is the Atty General (who would never investigate this) so no one can take it to the Supreme court. Ill-Annoy is a third world entity and banana republic - and all of those concepts have been successfully transplanted to the White Crib and cultivated by Harry and Nancy. Add in the weak-kneed republicans in Washington, and you have a well-oiled banana republic nationwide with Axelrod acting as stage manager.

We are SO screwed.

6 posted on 05/03/2012 4:48:00 AM PDT by SERKIT ("Blazing Saddles" explains it all.......)
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To: Kaslin

The bill raises the question....... are the Queer interests congruent with the wetback interests?

If not, there might be war. The primary question then becomes on which side will the gang bangers fall?

If it is on the Mexican side, there will be Queer blood running in the streets or naked dyke bodies in the LA river strangled in 70 mm film


7 posted on 05/03/2012 4:48:09 AM PDT by bert ((K.E. N.P. N.C. +12 ..... Present failure and impending death yield irrational action))
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To: Kaslin

“...pointed out the other day that almost 4 million people have left California in the last 20 years. That’s 4 million above and beyond the people who have moved in from other states.”

Boy, that last working stiff in CA before they turn off the lights is going to have a heck of a tax bill.


8 posted on 05/03/2012 4:48:21 AM PDT by Portcall24
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

>>Don’t blame me: It was a beautiful, productive, busy and charming place when I left in 1974. First-rate schools, world-class industry and commerce, oil and gas production, plentiful agriculture and racial harmony, for the most part.<<

I took my raft to Texas late last year. I am almost afraid to look back over my shoulder, less I be turned into a pillar of salt...


9 posted on 05/03/2012 4:55:04 AM PDT by freedumb2003 ('RETRO' Abortions = performed on 84th trimester individuals who think killing babies is a "right.")
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To: Kaslin

The whole country is headed in this direction. It is the natural result of an ever expanding Welfare State. The Welfare State creates an expanding “entitled” class that gets money from the government that is paid for by a minority — the “rich” — who can be outvoted.


10 posted on 05/03/2012 5:38:30 AM PDT by Opinionated Blowhard ("When the people find they can vote themselves money, that will herald the end of the republic.")
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To: Kaslin
Joel Kotkin, one of the country's top demographers, pointed out the other day that almost 4 million people have left California in the last 20 years. That's 4 million above and beyond the people who have moved in from other states.

Those "other states" in Kotkin's study probably don't include Sonora, Sinaloa, Michoacán, Oaxaca, etc. from which a lot of California's new residents now hail.

11 posted on 05/03/2012 5:50:28 AM PDT by Fiji Hill (Deo Vindice!)
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To: freedumb2003
It was a beautiful, productive, busy and charming place when I left in 1974. First-rate schools, world-class industry and commerce, oil and gas production, plentiful agriculture and racial harmony, for the most part

Back when Ronald Reagan was in the state house and Max Rafferty ran our schools.

12 posted on 05/03/2012 5:52:56 AM PDT by Fiji Hill (Deo Vindice!)
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To: Opinionated Blowhard

Democracy is two wolves and a sheep voting on what to have for dinner.

Liberty is a well armed sheep contesting the results.


13 posted on 05/03/2012 6:09:54 AM PDT by Rearden (Deo Vindice)
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To: Kaslin

Here’s the Democrat strategy for California.....

“Stallstallstall!!!!! We can’t let everyone see how bad it is before the election!”


14 posted on 05/03/2012 6:22:07 AM PDT by blueunicorn6 ("A crack shot and a good dancer")
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To: Kaslin

That’s fine, but let the fall into the Pacific stop at Upland so I have beach front property.


15 posted on 05/03/2012 6:55:12 AM PDT by doug from upland (Just in case, it has been reserved: www.TheBitchIsBack2012.com)
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To: Kaslin

Probably many if not most of the people in the California outflow had conservative values and just couldn’t take it anymore. I know that describes my wife and I and we relocated 14 years ago when our jobs left the golden state.


16 posted on 05/03/2012 6:56:51 AM PDT by Menehune56 ("Let them hate so long as they fear" Oderint Dum Metuant), Lucius Accius, (170 BC - 86 BC))
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To: Kaslin

I think Jerry Brown ought to sell northern California, everything Yuba city and up, to Nevada, for $10b.

Then he could have another $10b to waste, since they would never dream of using that money for anything other than waste.

But it would give Nevada a coastline, and the ability to desalinize water and pipe it inland. The crazier of the Californians who live there would want to migrate south because they cannot tolerate sanity.


17 posted on 05/03/2012 7:39:52 AM PDT by yefragetuwrabrumuy
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To: Kaslin
So far, the Democrat monopoly in Sacramento has done nothing to cause Californians who seek greater freedom, lower taxes and a better business climate to begin taking rafts to Oregon or Mexico.

The author apparently knows nothing about Oregon. Oregon was a Republican state until the Cali's overran us. Native Oregonians are now a minority in Oregon.

18 posted on 05/03/2012 8:41:36 AM PDT by aimhigh
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To: freedumb2003
Our family of three left in 2009. My son graduated college and is in the Military. My husband's company closed up shop and moved operations to Arizona. I miss the leisure activities and the scenery of California. But not the traffic, earthquakes, taxes and crime. And we lived in a nice area of SoCal.
19 posted on 05/03/2012 8:41:41 AM PDT by originalbuckeye
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To: Kaslin
Arkansas California, the only state that Louisiana can make fun of.
20 posted on 05/03/2012 2:39:12 PM PDT by lormand (A Government who robs Peter to pay Paul, will always have the support of Paul)
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