[Changleen]

US Media Reaction to the California Fiscal Crisis

BBC:

Harold Meyerson, writing in the Washington Post, says California has become a state with "no vision for the future":

Today's California visionaries are calling for a constitutional convention to rewrite the plainly dysfunctional rules by which the state governs itself. It is not only Californians but also America that has a stake in their success. A California that decimates itself during recessions drags the rest of the nation down with it.

A Los Angeles Times editorial also warns that financial collapse in California will have wider national consequences:

Democrats and the governor, and the Republican lawmakers who take pride in never voting in favour of any budget, have set us on a road toward two possible cataclysms: a popular revolt that will further diminish the power of government as we know it, and ruinous default that keeps the recession alive for another decade and plunges Californians, and perhaps all Americans, into nearly unimaginable misery. Sacramento players should check their rear view mirrors. Both objects are closer than they appear.

Blogger Eugene, writing in the Daily Kos, says Republicans are using the crisis to "destroy government, regardless of the economic consequences":

Why is this happening to California? The worst economic downturn in 60 years is playing a big role. But so is the US Senate's moronic decision to cut nearly $100 billion in state stabilization funds from the stimulus earlier this year. That money would have gone to states like Illinois and California, helping keep schools open, keep kids on health care, and prevent budget cuts from strangling economic recovery.

On SDNN, Chris Crotty and Tom Murray say the budget crisis has exposed "catastrophic" structural flaws in California's politics.

Both the social and physical infrastructure of California is deficient and continues to degrade. It is no exaggeration to say that the health, welfare and safety of our society are endangered. "California has become ungovernable" has evolved from an observation to a cliche... The state now stares into a $24.3 billion budget hole. As the governor and the legislature play more political games, California faces the possibility of literally going broke.

Is what is good for Cali what is good for the rest of the country?

What if?

 

[BurlyShirley]

The people are just as much to blame as the politicians.

The fact that the only legislation that ever passes happens through ballot initiatives, puts plenty of blame on the publics' shoulders. That and they elected a completely inexperienced muscle man to lead the state. WTF?

 

[DaveW]

Only $24.3 billion?

Guess Cali isn't to big to fail then..........

 

[stoney]

prop 13 - repeal the commercial real estate part.
prop 187 (i think) - Make it illegal to help/pay for illegal immigrants.

Two biggest cash sucks in this state. Also force Govt employess to work market rates and to be held accountable (ie fire-able).

Get rid of the excess spending, things get better.

 

[kidwoo]

The fact that the only legislation that ever passes happens through ballot initiatives, puts plenty of blame on the publics' shoulders. That and they elected a completely inexperienced muscle man to lead the state. WTF?

Yup, yup










and




yup

 

[BurlyShirley]

prop 13 - repeal the commercial real estate part.
prop 187 (i think) - Make it illegal to help/pay for illegal immigrants.

Two biggest cash sucks in this state. Also force Govt employess to work market rates and to be held accountable (ie fire-able).

Get rid of the excess spending, things get better.

What about those cash-sucking poison control centers? Hotbeds for fraud, waste and abuse arent they?

 

[stoney]

Some of the things that the state wants to close is retarded. PCC? Really? Parks? Really?
How about you start firing people who are too damn lazy to actually do their jobs. Govt employment is overpriced welfare for people to un-qualified to get real jobs.

Start forcing performance for pay... that would be interesting. My job is eat what you kill. You don't make money, you don't get money. Make that happen in govt too. Performance leads to promotion.

 

[BurlyShirley]

Some of the things that the state wants to close is retarded. PCC? Really? Parks? Really?
How about you start firing people who are too damn lazy to actually do their jobs. Govt employment is overpriced welfare for people to un-qualified to get real jobs.

Start forcing performance for pay... that would be interesting. My job is eat what you kill. You don't make money, you don't get money. Make that happen in govt too. Performance leads to promotion.

That's all fine and dandy, but the way I understand it... the state's real problem is its complete inability to govern through the traditional, representative-democracy processes. I mean, in other states, the people we elect are actually forced to make the tough decisions about where to cut spending and where to spend. Of course if you send every issue out to joe blow to be decided by popular vote, he's never going to vote for a tax increase or a cut in handouts. Hence the debt.
Somebody just has to sack up and make the responsible decisions regardless of how it affects them politically.

 

[stoney]

That's all fine and dandy, but the way I understand it... the state's real problem is its complete inability to govern through the traditional, representative-democracy processes. I mean, in other states, the people we elect are actually forced to make the tough decisions about where to cut spending and where to spend. Of course if you send every issue out to joe blow to be decided by popular vote, he's never going to vote for a tax increase or a cut in handouts. Hence the debt.
Somebody just has to sack up and make the responsible decisions regardless of how it affects them politically.

I"m ready. Cut all of the programs. I'll get my shotgun and lock my doors. We have enough people getting handouts to supply farm labor for most of the state. Give the menial jobs back to American's that are too lazy to work on the caveat that they will not get their welfare check anymore, and our illegal problem will disappear as their jobs evaporate. Problem solved.

 

[ohio]

Two biggest cash sucks in this state.

Actually the prison system is the biggest cash suck

 

[stoney]

Actually the prison system is the biggest cash suck

kill 'em all?

 

[ohio]

kill the violent ones. put the rest to work repairing our horrendous roads and building rails.