Please register to participate in our discussions with 1.5 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
While I'd love to discuss this, the complete lack of details kind of makes it difficult to provide comments.
Yes, well, I expected more leaks to spring up more quickly than we saw overnight ... here's the latest track:Top Stories
That said and read, given I have made a few political comments before that paint me (correctly) as someone who believes politics is a complete sham and disservice to civilization, one might wonder why I even bother to read or comment about it. Since we're killing time waiting for the real discussion to begin -- and in-as-much-as humans demonstrate a strong propensity against sitting idly and silent -- I'll say: I don't drink anything but water (not even coffee), don't smoke, don't take drugs (not even prescriptions), and I live with my Deaf wife out in the woods on an island -- so I show up in the Forum from time to time much as many folks hoist themselves onto a barstool and start yakking with whoever will listen -- basically just to hear my own voice -- pontificate -- see if I can come up with a chuckle -- maybe hear something insightful and thought-provoking.
So, here, I'll provoke to keep the ball rolling until the Wizards of Sacramento come out from behind their curtain to reveal their latest magic trick: What California actually needs is "More Taxes".
*Do I hear objects whistling through the air in my direction? Boots, tomatoes, arrows, bullets?*
I don't like taxes anymore than anyone else. Don't want them. Think most of our structure that relies on them needs to be overhauled ... etc. But, that said, if you don't have anywhere else to go, and it's raining outside with cold wind at the door, you need to live in the house you are trying to remodel. Californians already bear a heavy tax burden, and across the board they shouldn't have to pay so much as they do, let alone more. However, creative taxation of select-use items, such as gasoline, liquor, weed, cigarettes, license tabs, fast foods - generally things that are at least partially optional and clearly destructive / unhealthy -- abhorrent as it would be - may be the only way to unravel the mess we live in for the short term. Undoing the budget by slashing services that millions rely on, without opportunity to plan for the absence of those services is simply irresponsible and borderline inhumane. And you won't get a return to staus-quo -- nor is that desirable -- by magically appealing to the rich and corporations as a better place to do business, thus seeing a fast surge in state revenue that would allow it to return to its runaway condition as being an out-of-touch reality compared to the rest of the country (cost of living, in particular) -- and besides, California is already bursting at its seams with growing population and natural resource challenges (uh, water, anyone?) It is an unsustainable ponzi scheme to try and continue positioning the state as capable of unlimited growth! It needs controlled, quality growth.
If California is such a desirable place (and it is) to live, is it better to live here in anger and conflict, spinning wheels getting nowhere as factions expend all their energy squaring off at each other? -- or better to accept that there is a sacrificial multi-step process to getting back to equilibrium?
• First and foremost, accept that human nature is the root of our mess, not left or right politics -- people just simply want too much, and trying to "have it all" is why we suffer our situation
• Accept responsibility for managing the current mess we are in -- get past the finger-pointing and shouting
• Accept that you gotta pay for what you get -- and what California offers and gives all of us is exceptional
• Dig into your pockets even deeper, temporarily, on a nickel and dime here / dollar there level for special items
• Study the impossibility and un-sustainability of our current governmental position and set out new, sustainable goals • Throw out the State Constitution and rebuild
• Create a timeline for graduated withdrawal of unsustainable services / levels of service -- show some generosity and compassion for your neighbors: give people and businesses some time to prepare for the new responsibility and austerity that needs to be lived under.
Damn that hurt! Bartender! Another glass of (clean) water here!
Calif. gov, legislative leaders reach budget deal | Top AP Stories | Chron.com - Houston Chronicle (http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/top/all/7228128.html - broken link)
breaking news -- stay tuned
(taking bets on what form of new taxes has been contrived )
Oh great! Now I suppose the 'nazi swine and his soldiers' will be hitting the blind, elderly and disablied again. That's what's been being talked about. From $845 to $830 and maybe down to the federal level of $6??.
Those who don't starve to death may just commit suicide, which would be better than a slow death.
Yes, well, I expected more leaks to spring up more quickly than we saw overnight ... here's the latest track:Top Stories
That said and read, given I have made a few political comments before that paint me (correctly) as someone who believes politics is a complete sham and disservice to civilization, one might wonder why I even bother to read or comment about it. Since we're killing time waiting for the real discussion to begin -- and in-as-much-as humans demonstrate a strong propensity against sitting idly and silent -- I'll say: I don't drink anything but water (not even coffee), don't smoke, don't take drugs (not even prescriptions), and I live with my Deaf wife out in the woods on an island -- so I show up in the Forum from time to time much as many folks hoist themselves onto a barstool and start yakking with whoever will listen -- basically just to hear my own voice -- pontificate -- see if I can come up with a chuckle -- maybe hear something insightful and thought-provoking.
So, here, I'll provoke to keep the ball rolling until the Wizards of Sacramento come out from behind their curtain to reveal their latest magic trick: What California actually needs is "More Taxes".
*Do I hear objects whistling through the air in my direction? Boots, tomatoes, arrows, bullets?*
I don't like taxes anymore than anyone else. Don't want them. Think most of our structure that relies on them needs to be overhauled ... etc. But, that said, if you don't have anywhere else to go, and it's raining outside with cold wind at the door, you need to live in the house you are trying to remodel. Californians already bear a heavy tax burden, and across the board they shouldn't have to pay so much as they do, let alone more. However, creative taxation of select-use items, such as gasoline, liquor, weed, cigarettes, license tabs, fast foods - generally things that are at least partially optional and clearly destructive / unhealthy -- abhorrent as it would be - may be the only way to unravel the mess we live in for the short term. Undoing the budget by slashing services that millions rely on, without opportunity to plan for the absence of those services is simply irresponsible and borderline inhumane. And you won't get a return to staus-quo -- nor is that desirable -- by magically appealing to the rich and corporations as a better place to do business, thus seeing a fast surge in state revenue that would allow it to return to its runaway condition as being an out-of-touch reality compared to the rest of the country (cost of living, in particular) -- and besides, California is already bursting at its seams with growing population and natural resource challenges (uh, water, anyone?) It is an unsustainable ponzi scheme to try and continue positioning the state as capable of unlimited growth! It needs controlled, quality growth.
If California is such a desirable place (and it is) to live, is it better to live here in anger and conflict, spinning wheels getting nowhere as factions expend all their energy squaring off at each other? -- or better to accept that there is a sacrificial multi-step process to getting back to equilibrium?
• First and foremost, accept that human nature is the root of our mess, not left or right politics -- people just simply want too much, and trying to "have it all" is why we suffer our situation
• Accept responsibility for managing the current mess we are in -- get past the finger-pointing and shouting
• Accept that you gotta pay for what you get -- and what California offers and gives all of us is exceptional
• Dig into your pockets even deeper, temporarily, on a nickel and dime here / dollar there level for special items
• Study the impossibility and un-sustainability of our current governmental position and set out new, sustainable goals • Throw out the State Constitution and rebuild • Create a timeline for graduated withdrawal of unsustainable services / levels of service -- show some generosity and compassion for your neighbors: give people and businesses some time to prepare for the new responsibility and austerity that needs to be lived under.
Damn that hurt! Bartender! Another glass of (clean) water here!
How about this:
Lottery total sales last year were 2,954,839,094. If a 25 cent tax were added to each dollar spent on scratchers and draws it would raise $ 738,709,774.00 for ca budget.
A Dime-A-Drink"
Current taxes: beer, $0.02 per drink; wine, $0.01; and liquor, $0.04. Were the tax rates increased to the equivalent of a dime per drink, state revenue would rise to approximately $1.5 billion, or an estimated increase of $1.2 billion.
In this option, the current beer tax would increase from $0.20 to $1.27 per gallon; wine from $0.20 to $2.92; and liquor from $3.30 to $11.83. These amounts would exceed the national averages ($0.25 per gallon for beer, $0.77 for wine, and $3.84 for liquor) and the inflation-adjusted rates discussed above.
"A Quarter-A-Drink"
Current taxes: beer, $0.02 per drink; wine, $0.01; and liquor, $0.04. If the tax increased to $0.25 per drink, state revenue would rise to approximately $3.2 billion, or an estimated increase of $3.0 billion.
In this option, the current beer tax would increase from $0.20 to $2.87 per gallon; wine from $0.20 to $7.01; and liquor from $3.30 to $24.63.
How about this:
Lottery total sales last year were 2,954,839,094. If a 25 cent tax were added to each dollar spent on scratchers and draws it would raise $ 738,709,774.00 for ca budget.
A Dime-A-Drink"...
"A Quarter-A-Drink"
There you go ... a dozen or so like that buys time to phase out the nonsense and unsustainable
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $53,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 1.5 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
)
