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We Can Learn From California's Debacle(Liberalism's "Canary in the Coal Mine")
Real Clear Politics ^ | May 19, 2009 | Carol Platt Liebau

Posted on 05/19/2009 10:35:24 AM PDT by GOPGuide

Once, California was known as the "Golden State." No more. It's struggling with a fiscal crisis of epic proportions. And voters are so disgusted with the ineptitude and waste of a state legislature dominated by liberal Democrats that they are poised to vote down a $16 billion tax increase and a slew of propositions allegedly intended to beat back fiscal Armageddon.

snip

Similarly, if one is an illegal alien or in need of public aid, California works well, offering a panoply of health and other welfare services with few questions asked. Just last week, in fact, Democrats in the state legislature opposed requiring welfare recipients who failed to complete a drug treatment program to take random drug tests in order to continue receiving benefits. And California spends in excess of $5 billion per year on illegal immigrants and their families, offering a menu of health care services that includes non-emergency care, long-term nursing home care, and abortions.

To pay for all of this, California has the highest top personal income tax rate and the highest sales tax rate in the country. Corporate taxes are high, too. And yet regular taxpayers have little to show for the exorbitant sums extracted from them by state government.

How times change. Forty years ago, California's roads and schools were the envy of the country. Now, of course, highways are jammed, and schools languish near the bottom of nationwide rankings. Hospitals are overcrowded, as are prisons. And contrary to the claims of those on the left, the problem isn't inadequate "investment," i.e., spending. Forty years ago, the state spent $1240 for every man, woman and child in the state, in today's inflation-adjusted dollars. require another $16 billion in tax increases!

(Excerpt) Read more at realclearpolitics.com ...


TOPICS: Editorial; Politics/Elections; US: California
KEYWORDS: california; carolliebau; carolplattliebau; immigrantlist; immigration; liebau
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1 posted on 05/19/2009 10:35:24 AM PDT by GOPGuide
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To: GOPGuide
And contrary to the claims of those on the left, the problem isn't inadequate "investment," i.e., spending.

I love how the libs have been able to frame the debate once again that "tax and spend" has now become "investments in our future".

2 posted on 05/19/2009 10:40:35 AM PDT by neodad (USS Vincennes (CG 49) "Freedom's Fortress")
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To: GOPGuide
And voters are so disgusted with the ineptitude and waste of a state legislature dominated by liberal Democrats that they are poised to vote down a $16 billion tax increase and a slew of propositions allegedly intended to beat back fiscal Armageddon.

And yet the voters in California continue to re-elect these people and send them back to Sacramento. What is it the wise men say about doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result?

3 posted on 05/19/2009 10:41:13 AM PDT by trad_anglican
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To: calcowgirl

Land of Sunshine ping!


4 posted on 05/19/2009 10:44:21 AM PDT by sickoflibs (Obama /Pelosi/Bush Theme : "A dollar borrowed or printed is a dollar earned!")
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To: GOPGuide

mark


5 posted on 05/19/2009 10:47:54 AM PDT by Former Proud Canadian (How do I change my screen name now that we have the most conservative government in the world?)
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To: GOPGuide

I’m hoping so hard we win today. It will be the first time the oh-so-concerned pleas of teachers and firefighters will have failed.


6 posted on 05/19/2009 10:59:28 AM PDT by Lou Budvis (Producers of the World - Unite!)
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To: GOPGuide
Headline?

Pilot's qualifications questioned.
California Crash Investigated: Pilot Error
Co-pilot Mrs. Schwarzenkenney haranguing husband at time of stall, crash

7 posted on 05/19/2009 10:59:58 AM PDT by WilliamofCarmichael (If modern America's Man on Horseback is out there, Get on the damn horse already!)
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To: trad_anglican
And yet the voters in California continue to re-elect these people and send them back to Sacramento

It's the same ignorant liberals and the cult of tax and spend that destroyed Kalifornia. The local MSM, Hollywierd, and educational system has turned out the worst generation of fool America has ever produced. Add to this the State Government and we have no chance of ever becoming great again.

8 posted on 05/19/2009 11:01:13 AM PDT by Logical me (Oh, well!!!)
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To: WilliamofCarmichael

Methinks Mr Schwarzenkenney decided to put a final end to the haranguing.


9 posted on 05/19/2009 11:01:25 AM PDT by MrB (Go Galt now, Bowman later)
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To: GOPGuide
Just got back from voting NO on ALL of the propositions.

Just the 9.25% sales tax alone is enough to make one angry.

And they want more of our money? Forget it!

10 posted on 05/19/2009 11:01:39 AM PDT by ggrrrrr23456
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To: GOPGuide
If Americans are smart, they'll learn from California's example.

Oh yeah...look who they put in the White House. Look who they put in the House and Senate. All those idiot voters are going to get what they deserve. The really sad part is that the rest of us will have to pay for it...through higher taxes and loss of personal freedom.

11 posted on 05/19/2009 11:04:07 AM PDT by AlaskaErik (I served and protected my country for 31 years. Democrats spent that time trying to destroy it.)
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To: GOPGuide
... President's threat to withhold stimulus money ...

That would be the "stimulus money" the chumps in the rest of the country are sending California to subsidize our socialist experiment.

Allow me to speak for my fellow Californians and say "Thank you America! Please send more cash."

12 posted on 05/19/2009 11:05:52 AM PDT by PressurePoint (Conservative = Liberty, Security, Prosperity)
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To: sickoflibs

We get to kill a canary at the ballot box today.
Stay tuned.


13 posted on 05/19/2009 11:09:07 AM PDT by calcowgirl (RECALL Abel Maldonado! - NO on Props 1A 1B 1C 1D 1E 1F)
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To: GOPGuide

voters are so disgusted with the ineptitude and waste of a state legislature dominated by liberal Democrats that they are poised to vote down a $16 billion tax increase and a slew of propositions allegedly intended to beat back fiscal Armageddon.

Warning to Awnuld and the asshat Democrats!: 1) NO 2) NO 3) NO 4) NO 5) NO 6) NO


14 posted on 05/19/2009 11:13:48 AM PDT by AngelesCrestHighway
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To: GOPGuide

This country did NOT, I repeat NOT learn from California’s misguided big spending, high taxing ways. Let me introduce:

Exhibit A: BHO

Exhibit B: The U. S. Congress.

Sacramento is no worse than Washington these days.

E


15 posted on 05/19/2009 11:14:11 AM PDT by Welcome2thejungle
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To: GOPGuide
Once, California was known as the "Golden State." No more. It's struggling with a fiscal crisis of epic proportions. And voters are so disgusted with the ineptitude and waste of a state legislature dominated by liberal Democrats that they are poised to vote down a $16 billion tax increase and a slew of propositions allegedly intended to beat back fiscal Armageddon.

And yet, the Obama Administration is poised to adopt California's draconian emissions and fuel economy standards.

16 posted on 05/19/2009 11:21:17 AM PDT by mvpel (Michael Pelletier)
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To: trad_anglican
In California, the voters don't choose the politicians, the politicians choose the voters. Don't be too hard on Californians.

Here's Congressional District 36 in 2000:


17 posted on 05/19/2009 11:23:01 AM PDT by mvpel (Michael Pelletier)
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To: MrB
I noticed that I misspelled the governor's name. It of course is Schwarzenkennedy.

Several of us here have opined for years that the greatest patriotic act for California is to crash and burn. The disaster would be the alarm that the 1960s Marxist street rabble and their ideological issue (The Rat Party formerly the traditional Democratic Party) is at war against our America.

(I'd prefer an economic crash and not the falling off into the ocean. I cannot swim.)

18 posted on 05/19/2009 11:24:28 AM PDT by WilliamofCarmichael (If modern America's Man on Horseback is out there, Get on the damn horse already!)
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To: neodad

Let us pray that the lemmings in Ca. vote NO on all the hidden tax hikes. I did. I want the Leg. to actually sweat bullets trying to cut every socialist program that they have enacted. I want welfare, rights for illegals, phoney health care programs all cut. Every last one of them.


19 posted on 05/19/2009 12:03:07 PM PDT by phillyfanatic ( iT)
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To: GOPGuide

the only lesson that Liberals will learn from this is that their plans only go awry when those darn pesky voters get to have any say in the matter...


20 posted on 05/19/2009 12:43:15 PM PDT by Buckeye McFrog
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