Is Brown a DINO?

[majoun]

Originally Posted by UB50

This is a problem for California. Someone (like Brown) needs to figure out how to reconcile all of these various forms of income and turn them into a workable budget. Maybe the original propositions need to be amended?

What's going on now just isn't workable anymore. It has to be fixed!

A Constitutional Convention needs to be called.

CA has the world's third longest constitution in the world and is totally dysfunctional politically. (Only India's and Alabama's are longer.) California's Constitution has been amended thousands of times in slightly over 130 years to the point it fills up several large volumes (due to the myriad of initiatives over the years).

The US Constitution is the greatest political document ever written and is relatively brief. It has been amended only 27 times (and one of those amendments was a repeal of an amendment that never should have existed in the first place) in slightly over 200 years.

A new state Constitution would eliminate said propositions and put the state on a far sounder fiscal structure.

[Ultrarunner]

Originally Posted by majoun

A Constitutional Convention needs to be called.

CA has the world's third longest constitution in the world and is totally dysfunctional politically. (Only India's and Alabama's are longer.) California's Constitution has been amended thousands of times in slightly over 130 years to the point it fills up several large volumes (due to the myriad of initiatives over the years).

The US Constitution is the greatest political document ever written and is relatively brief. It has been amended only 27 times (and one of those amendments was a repeal of an amendment that never should have existed in the first place) in slightly over 200 years.

A new state Constitution would eliminate said propositions and put the state on a far sounder fiscal structure.

Any chance Curmudgeon coming back for the Convention or should I be formulating my plans for escape?

My background is Engineering and I've been in the medical end of it 20 years this year... nothing near as exciting as a lot of you...

Just about all the benefits offered have long ago vanished... pension, 401k match with lousy 401k options with high fee structure, profit sharing eliminated as well as the employee stock bonus, stock purchase plan (ESOP) Educational Allowance, Sabbaticals, Uniforms...etc.

Basically, we work for a pay check and assistance with Medical Insurance... long gone are the days with HMO type plans, low co-pays, vision, etc...

California's workforce is becoming more and more stratified... those in the public sector vs. those in the private sector.

It certainly is a different world then when I entered the workforce... it would be a shame to have to pull up stakes and look for greener pastures.

My family has a long history here... Uncle was a Deputy Sheriff killed in the line of duty back in the mid 1960's... there was nothing provided the family other than his modest life insurance... 12 of my High School buddies went straight into law enforcement and several into the Fire Department... one retired at age 50 with a $181,000 pension and lifetime medical... all the others have retired with 100k+ pensions... somethings got to give and I don't know what.

A good friend is city manager of a Bay Area city... her biggest concern is finance and the biggest problem is pension/benefit liability... without a fundamental sea change, in only a few years the entire city budget will be consumed by public safety and school obligations... she said it is unsustainable.

Governor Brown has been my Governor before, as was his father and also my Mayor. I wish him well and he can be very likable... I just think he's finished if he tries to go after our homes by dismantling Prop 13.

[Curmudgeon]

Originally Posted by Ultrarunner

Any chance Curmudgeon coming back for the Convention or should I be formulating my plans for escape?

My background is Engineering and I've been in the medical end of it 20 years this year... nothing near as exciting as a lot of you...

Just about all the benefits offered have long ago vanished... no more pension, no 401k match and lousy 401k options with high fee structure, profit sharing eliminated as well as the employee stock bonus, stock purchase plan (ESOP) Educational Allowance, Sabbaticals...etc.

Basically, we work for a pay check and assistance with Medical Insurance... long gone are the days with HMO type plans, low co-pays, vision, etc...

It certainly is a different world then when I entered the workforce... it would be a shame to have to pull up stakes and look for greener pastures.

My family has a long history here... Uncle was a Deputy Sheriff killed in the line of duty back in the mid 1960's... there was nothing provided the family other than his modest life insurance... 12 of my High School buddies went straight into law enforcement and several into the Fire Department... one retired at age 50 with a $181,000 pension and lifetime medical... all the others have retired with 100k+ pensions... somethings got to give and I don't know what.

A good friend is city manager of a Bay Area city... her biggest concern is finance and the biggest problem is pension/benefit liability... without a fundamental sea change, in only a few years the entire city budget will be consumed by public safety and school obligations... she said it is unsustainable.

Governor Brown has been my Governor before, as was his father and also my Mayor. I wish him well... and kind of like him as a man... I just think he's finished if he tries to go after our homes be dismantling Prop 13.

Not a chance. But other than that, you speak the truth. It's absolutely unsustainable but for someone in office to admit it would be political suicide.

Think I'll just bide my time here in the Ozarks. As many have found before us, the Ozarks have their own unique charm and draw (my wife is a returnee) and quickly become home if you take up residence here and don't want to change them to be like what you left behind.

[Ultrarunner]

Originally Posted by Curmudgeon

Not a chance. But other than that, you speak the truth. It's absolutely unsustainable but for someone in office to admit it would be political suicide.

Think I'll just bide my time here in the Ozarks. As many have found before us, the Ozarks have their own unique charm and draw (my wife is a returnee) and quickly become home if you take up residence here and don't want to change them to be like what you left behind.

I've found I can get along just about anywhere... just by being positive and keeping my mouth shut unless I have something good to say.