People are writing California off. They are talking about the end of the California dream. They don't believe that we in this room have the courage and determination to do what needs to be done or that the state is manageable.
~The Governator (from LA Times)
The key word here is OR.
No Arnie, we DO NOT believe the current idiots in charge have the courage and determination to do what needs to be done.
However we DO believe that the state is manageable. Because it wasn't always like this.
So who's to blame? The elected officials or the people who elected them?
Both.
But only one of us is actually willing to feel pain to fix things.
Since we're on the subject, and apparently bereft of ideas; I did a quick Google News search.
These are the stories that floated to the top; you don't need to look very far to find the problem.
LA Times: California lawmakers hear pleas not to further slash education
As the state weighs cutting about $8.1 billion from public schools, colleges and universities, scores of educators, parents, students and others told lawmakers Monday that such reductions would jeopardize student success and safety in the short term and California's prosperity in the long term.
Fire, brimstone, cats living with dogs, etc... We're out of money. We're out of credit. California spends 40%, that's FOURTY - FOUR, ZERO - PERCENT of its income on education. There WILL be cuts to education.
You can either trim down, or yell at the bank teller when the checks start bouncing.
LA Times: California Lands Commission spurns Schwarzenegger's oil drilling proposal
The State Lands Commission on Monday lashed out at an attempt by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to allow the first new oil drilling in California waters since 1969.
Are there any more natural resources we can block off so we can complain about lack of revenue? Maybe we can take every internal combustion engine in the state and charge fines for every revolution the engine makes, until it becomes cost prohibitive to operate in a post-industrial fashion? Oh wait.
Obviously Arnie is trying something, and for that I half-heartedly commend him. Though if he wasn't so schizophrenic on spending, taxing, and everything in between, I'd be more likely to stand up behind him.
Oh wait, there ARE more natural resources we can block off...
Mercury News: More than 400 rally at Natural Bridges over fight to California parks
The fax machine in Joe Simitian's office broke Monday as it struggled to accept the mounting pressure to rescue state parks from the governor's cost-cutting plan to shutter them.
This is either cowing taxpayers into paying more taxes, or a truly guileless move. It would eliminate almost $70 million in a $23 billion shortfall. The fact that taxpayers and other producers of the state use and enjoy the parks is not something that was likely overlooked.
Legislators taking away small services taxpayers enjoy to get them to pay more for the huge services the tax-takers abuse.
Business as usual.
Inside Bay Area: California Poison Control falls victim to budget cuts
Heard said the California Poison Control System budget for the current fiscal year is from $11 million to $12 million, with California paying $5.9 million and the rest coming from the federal government or other service contracts.
Same deal as the parks, except this plays on taxpayers' fear more than inconveniencing them. Arnie absolutely HAS to cut this 6 million dollar emergency service to combat the 23 billion dollar deficit.
Yeah, right.
And he wonders why we don't take him seriously.
But all is not lost...
At least we've got Conan.
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