California: The tarnish on the Golden State

The Orange County Register ^ | Sunday December 22, 2002 | Steven Greenhut Senior editorial writer and columnist for the Register

[kinhistorian]

My husband retired in May. In the spring we are moving. I have lived in this state since 1976, and I have had it. The state is becoming worse in every way possible and it is not going to get better.

[Chu Gary]

"...those with the money who create the jobs and pay for this whole racket leave for better climes..."

This is the central premise in one of the greatest books ever written, Ayn Rand's "Atlas Shrugged." If you haven't read it, do so as soon as you can since it's a story about what we're going through right now, including the conclusion. You'll love the whole thing!

[Joe Hadenuf]

Are you kidding? Been there done that. Our old pickup is on blocks and I have to take the bus to work. I am seriously thinking about heading to downtown Vegas, somewhere near the strip so I can gawk at all the tourist, or possibly Bullhead City, I've been there. It's really nice.

[CurlyDave]

I almost fell dead in my tracks when one of my spys reported the grey davis is contemplating a 3.5% tax on real estate sales.

Contemplating, Hell ! , is it real and right now.

You must pay tax on the gains on any house sale. And, in CA, there is no such thing as capital gains, it is all taxed as ordinary income.

The big new deal is that now there is withholding on the sale price of commercial or income property. The state forces you to give them 3 or 3.5% of the sale price of the house . Possibly you can get it back as a refund on next year's taxes, but it sure kicks the crap out of the idea of using it for a down payment.

[Lancey Howard]

I'm with this guy. California government as we know it is doomed. That's a good thing.

My suggestion is to get a good SUV and some acreage far from the parasite nests (cities), maybe up north near Bridgeport, somewhere in the Sierra Nevadas. Get into a cash or web-based business and leave no paper trail.

Or just clear out completely.

[A CA Guy]

Democrats want everything in this state.

#1 Grow government jobs to gain dependent voters.
#2 Grow free benefits to get votes.
#3 Grow illegals and make them legal to grow voters.
#4 Call anyone who is making money evil, yet rely on them for all their dreams that require funding.

California has to collapse financially before some of the Democrats on their kneepads wake up and want change.

We are still full of ignorant voters here who don't understand a bond = a tax.
The local schools advertised on state school properties for votes by parents on school bond issues. (That might have been illegal)
We passed 187, then Davis refused to defend it in court allowing it to mostly die on the vine undefended until a new Governor with juevos gets elected.

We'd be way in the black by just banning illegals from all the services they suck the life out of.
Their illegal children of these criminal aliens take between $6,000 - $50,000 each a year in public funded education each child.
Take that times a million illegal kids...WOW!

We keep taxing and restricting businesses as we see them slip out of state or across the border with NAFTA.

I'm kind of saying, this all sucks!
Merry Christmas.

[A CA Guy]

What Democrats in California need is a shot of logic!

[mvpel]

My wife and I were thinking about Scottsdale, Arizona. There's also some pretty nice real estate on the Nevada (0% income tax) side of Lake Tahoe. Should probably get serious about it before we get locked into a death spiral with our mortgage.

[dk/coro]

You are right of course, Petunia. Been here two summers now..and survived rather handily, I might add. Even worked through one summer, outside.

Biggest problem was washing the car. It took planning, for the water would dry before I could wipe it down...*S*.

I somehow suspect the original settlers had bigger problems, but in all seriousness, we miss California not one whit.

[A CA Guy]

If you can handle the costs of home enviornental control in any desert such as Arizon or Nevada, I think Vegas would be better.
You would want to look in the side of town not known for flooding out.
There would be many places to eat and things to do.
In Arizona you might run across John McCain babbling in his retirement and that might be even tough for ex-Californians.

[A CA Guy]

Arizona...whoops, I', typing tired again!

[sunshine state]

I'm not trying to scare you, but my understanding was that the 3.5% tax was a done deal and it takes effect January 1, 2003. Hope I'm wrong, but you'd better check it out!

[mvpel]

My wife enjoys the games too much to actually live in Las Vegas. The elimination of the 9.3% income tax we pay in California would wind up in the coffers of the casinos, I suspect. :-D Plus it gets too hot in the summers for her. We'd probably want something with a bit higher elevation.

Also, I gather that Las Vegas is quite overcrowded and that it's difficult to find doctors and dentists there. Is that still the case?

[SierraWasp]

"What Democrats in California need is a shot of logic!"

THEY CAN'T HANDLE THE TRUTH!!!

(Didn't I hear that line outta Jack Nickolson in a recent movie?)

[petuniasevan]

That's familiar! In Chico Mom used to hang out the wash (dryer + electric rates = clothesline) and - in summer - by the time she'd get a load hung up the first items would already be dry!

[Joe Hadenuf]

We passed 187, then Davis refused to defend it in court allowing it to mostly die on the vine undefended until a new Governor with juevos gets elected.

Defend it from who?

Personally, I hope the entire state government collapses, all programs are cut to the bone, and they tax everyone right out of the state. Bring it on, the sooner the better.

[petuniasevan]

...and of course in Arizona you can spell air conditioning "SWAMP COOLER".


For those of you from east of west: evaporation cooler. Works by running water over fiber mats which surround a squirrel-cage fan. The fan draws air through the mats and thus it is cooled and moistened. It's that weird big cubical contraption on the roof of some homes and most mobile homes in the Southwest.

[A CA Guy]

Every proposition is challenged in state or federal courts..maybe both.
The governor is required to defend the will of the people in court against challenges despite their particular politics.
Davis has been the only Governor to ever refuse to defend a proposition in court. Without a defense by the state for the people, it was left weakened and parts of it void until a real governor with guts takes office.
I'm also reading that under Davis, the state government grew 40%...why?

Get rid of the extra growth of government and enact 187 and their will be no need for new taxes.

But Democrats will run the state into the ground before Republicans take over (and they will). At that point there will be a rebound and the Democrat party will no longer have a strong position in California.

It will come, maybe a little later than sooner, but a change will be forced to come.

[jwalburg]

South Dakota needs people badly.