For the whole series of Zero dollar art, go here:
Posted on 12/31/2009 9:25:20 AM PST by BradtotheBone
I wondered why Arnie was recently extolling the virtues of all things Obama and telling us what a super job he’s been doing. It’s about the only transparent thing I’ve seen out of anything to do with government this entire last year:
Facing a budget deficit of more than $20 billion, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is expected to call for deep reductions in already suffering local mass transit programs, renew his push to expand oil drilling off the Santa Barbara coast and appeal to Washington for billions of dollars in federal help, according to state officials and lobbyists familiar with the plan.
If Washington does not provide roughly $8 billion in new aid for the state, the governor threatens to severely cut back — if not eliminate — CalWORKS, the state’s main welfare program; the In-Home Health Care Services program for the disabled and elderly poor, and two tax breaks for large corporations recently approved by the Legislature, the officials said.
Tough beans. California spent its way into this deficit mess, it can cut spending to work its way out of the mess. Joe Sixpack in New Jersey has no responsibility for the profligate tofu eaters in the California legislature that have gotten the “Golden State” in the fiscal shape in now enjoys. And Joe shouldn’t be stuck with bailing them out. Joe’s state has problems of its own.
It is about time that fiscal reality began to dawn not only at a federal level, but at state levels as well. And that means living within a budget and keeping it balanced, just like millions of Americans are required to do on a daily basis. The fact that California has lived beyond its means doesn’t mean the taxpayer, via the federal government, is there to solve the problem when California can’t afford its profligacy anymore.
Bailing out California would also set a horrible precedent. 49 other states facing cuts in services or getting a hand out are going to be in line demanding theirs. Whether it is 8 billion, 80 billion or 800 billion, the federal government has no business sending money it doesn’t have to a state that so poorly managed its finances. This was the state that was built on liberal ideas. Now they have to face the reality that those ideas cost real money. Money they don’t have. Let them figure it out and live with the results.
And Democrats, if you do decide to bail them out, you’re just adding a another deeply etched line to your electoral tombstone in 2010.
~McQ
As head of the Executive branch, the one power that the Governor has is to refuse to spend the money that is appropriated by the Legislature. I would like to find a GOP Governor somewhere (or President for that matter) who is not afraid to do this.
How can you help a state that does not want to help itself?
California, get off your addiction.
Send back the illegals, then we can talk...
Always a great idea on a sinking ship to ask for more buckets instead of plugging the holes in the craft.
I seriously doubt that the Feds will bailout California. This is a reliably Democratic State. There’s no need to buy our votes with a bailout. The Kool-Aid drinkers in the Bay area and LA County will vote Democratic no matter what Obama does to the State.
There will be a bailout but it will be sneaky like Michigan where we use stimulus funds to balance the books.
What are you talking about....show California the LOVE!
You can send a check to me direct and I will get you more for your dollar!
Drill the California coastline.
In another 50 years, it’ll be part of Mexico anyway.
(Yes, I’m series.)
Tim Pawlenty did it this year in Minnesota — and the liberals took him to court. He might still win, though.
my thoughts exactly!!! an this is where the rest of the country will be soon enough if we don’t stand up.
There is no solution to CA problems with just budget cuts.
They need to reduce the number of state clients and increase the number of state taxpayers. They can’t do that because of federal or state laws. CA will either go broke or the USG will bail them out. I figure on a bailout.
If CA goes down..then all the other states would suffer a big additional loss of rising interest rates and no buyers of bonds. CA is too big to fail.
All Pawlenty needs to do is to not spend the money. At the end of the year, there will be money left over, and there is nothing any judge can do about it.
Arnold called the Republicans in his state “cowboys’ in a derogatory manner. All they wanted to do was cut back on spending. Such a novel idea but it was to wild an idea for Arnold. I guess he felt more comfortable with the dimoKKKRATS. He gets what he deserves.
Cut state salaries and benefits 30% across the board..
Everytime I hear about California and thier huge debt. (somewhere in the 20-30 billion range) I can’t help think about how the federal government spent over 150 billion just bailing out AIG alone. That should really put it in perspective for the American people. We could have bailed out Californina ten times over just on the money we put into AIG. Now add in the money we sent to GM, Fanny and Freaddie, the banks etc etc.
Not that we should be bailing out California but it just does not seem that the American people realize how much money we’ve blown on these corp bailouts of companies that should have been left to go broke.
Obama to State: DROP DEAD!
Why would the tax payers be required to bail them out because they spent more than they could afford. Joe six pack is told to live within his means, and is unable to raise taxes when spends more than he earns.
Our problem is that our two Senators didn’t cut us a fat deal before voting for cloture on the health care bill. Why give it away when everybody else is selling it? You’re cheap dates, ladies.
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