California's future? (on the verge of bankruptcy) (Vista: house, unemployed)

[MisterDuke]

LetterLady, your sales pitch needs a little work.

[DezertGirl]

Originally Posted by MisterDuke

LetterLady, your sales pitch needs a little work.

LOL! I know....but to those who really want to come...I can supply the nice real estate...

[Dean Trails]

Originally Posted by LetterLady

Arnold's big "cuts" were shot down by the unions. His "I will get ahold of spending in Cali-Fornia" plan has not been realized. Too bad. A victory for the Girlie Men.
California has the highest sales taxes and state income taxes in the nation and the legislature wants to tax us some more to make up a deficit they created by spending out-of-control. In the last 8 years or so, California state government has grown to almost double in size, primarily under the governorships of Davis (D) and Arnie (R?D?L?G?C?S?). We pay huge DMV fees, high gasoline taxes, insane building permit fees, recycling fees, CRV fees, impact fees, we pay almost $300/year for one kid to ride a schoolbus to PUBLIC school, pay to enter state parks (public lands), luxury taxes and more...much more.
And they can't get a handle on spending. There's plenty of revenue...just no control.
The hospitals are collapsing under the weight of people who cannot afford to pay. At this time, many doctors are not getting re-imbursed from MediCal. The welfare system is handing out money to people who don't deserve it. CalTrans can barely get motivated to fill potholes, let alone really, truly maintain the roads, highways and freeways. They can plow a mean snow road, though . It has been suggested that the state cut the school year by 5 days this year to save millions of dollars and the teacher's union screamed, "No way...what about the CHILDREN??? The potential damage!!" Listen, my 11-grader would love a couple extra days off...no damage done. It's not about the children...it's really about the union. Then there's talk of supplying prisoners yoga lessons and increasing the prison landscaping so the inmates won't have to look at the razor wire fences! Huh? I could go on and on (sorry).
What do I, JoAnn Taxpayer, actually get for all the taxes and fees I already pay? In my locale, raunchy roads in need of real repair, emergency rooms with an 8-hour wait, schools filled with thieves and the spawn of tweekers with many teachers that couldn't give a flip and administrators that are way overpaid, high insurance rates, and not enough cops and firefighters, to name just a few examples.
California cannot be beat for natural beauty, climate, diversity, cultures, history and all round awesomeness! Too bad the state government is ruining things so well.
I have a really, really nice picturesque view bungelow on 5.25 acres, fenced and cross-fenced for horses, 2 wells, several outbuildings, a windmill and a rental mobile home. I'd let it go for $275,000 Or maybe I can interest you in the cute cottage on 2.5 acres in a gated equestrian and airplane park community. Same price
We're heading for Oregon...

I have my check book out for thecute cottage. Where do I send it to?

[DezertGirl]

Originally Posted by Dean Trails

I have my check book out for thecute cottage. Where do I send it to?

Well, there are several options for payment here. We can do $73,149 down and I can carry the note for 5 or ten years at a very reasonable interest rate, fixed, of course, or you can simply stroke a check for the total and I'll find a good escrow company.
Do you have a plane? Helicopter? Horses? Do you relate well with hoity toitys? Those are kinda prerequisites for the exclusive gated community. The larger ranch is in a much more casual neighborhood and does lend itself nicely to a sustainable lifestyle.
The public schools would nessesitate you to be childless. The roads require a 4x4 or all-wheel-drive truck/car/SUV, especially in winter, as we frequently get dangerous weather and the roads are in need of repair in places. You must have health insurance so you will never have to go to the emergency room and be self employed in some business other than construction, food services, auto repair, auto sales, retail sales, ranching, recycling, real estate sales, property management and trucking, as those businesses aren't doing too well right now.
I would love to have you come over and take a look! Please? Pretty please?

[CMKM-Miller]

Originally Posted by Ludachris

My wife and I are planning on moving back to northern CA in about a year. We figured that with the current housing crisis we should be in a good position to get a good deal. We sold our home in San Jose and left back at the top of the market in late '05. We're now looking at the Granite Bay area just northeast of Sacramento.

The concern I have though is California's financial mess. How will the state recover from this? I've seen tough times through the years having grown up there, but I don't remember it ever being this bad. I just heard today that the state will be putting tax returns on hold. With taxes already being so outrageously high and housing prices still way above the national average, where is CA going to get more money to get out of this mess?

Arnold stepped in and made huge cuts years ago to get things turned around - that obviously hasn't helped. I just don't see the light at the end of the tunnel there. We made a great move by leaving CA when we did and coming here to CO - we took our equity and put it into a market that hasn't dropped much, if at all. I would hate to go back just to have to have the state go into bankruptcy after making such a good move.

What do you guys see happening in CA? Do you see it as being a smart move?

Arnold made huge cuts? What are you smoking!! The budget has increased drastically under Arnold. The only way we have been able to balance budgets the past few years is with smoke and mirrors. It's finally coming back to bite us in the you know what. The Governor projects a $42 Billion deficit at our current pace in June 2010. If I were you, I'd stay in Colorado and forget California all together!

[Ludachris]

Originally Posted by CMKM-Miller

Arnold made huge cuts? What are you smoking!! The budget has increased drastically under Arnold. The only way we have been able to balance budgets the past few years is with smoke and mirrors. It's finally coming back to bite us in the you know what. The Governor projects a $42 Billion deficit at our current pace in June 2010. If I were you, I'd stay in Colorado and forget California all together!

When Arnold took office we saw news of school closures left and right before we moved - making class sizes everywhere explode. I didn't mean he cut the budget, but he was making big cuts in education, which concerned us and made us feel better about the move.

[Moose Whisperer]

Originally Posted by CMKM-Miller

Arnold made huge cuts? What are you smoking!! The budget has increased drastically under Arnold. The only way we have been able to balance budgets the past few years is with smoke and mirrors. It's finally coming back to bite us in the you know what. The Governor projects a $42 Billion deficit at our current pace in June 2010. If I were you, I'd stay in Colorado and forget California all together!

After Ahhnold won the recall election, first thing he did was call a special election and put up four initiatives to give him some power to gain control of spending from the legislature. Unfortunately, the sheeple in California bought into the usual big Union propaganda about closing schools and fire stations, and rejected all four. The current financial meltdown is the result. The voters of CA have no one to blame but themselves.

[DezertGirl]

Originally Posted by Ludachris

When Arnold took office we saw news of school closures left and right before we moved - making class sizes everywhere explode. I didn't mean he cut the budget, but he was making big cuts in education, which concerned us and made us feel better about the move.

Those "big cuts" (defined as: not-as-much-growth-as-the-previous-year-but-still-an-increase) in education were halted by the teacher's unions. They launched a massive media campaign against the plan. The governator was powerless against the unions and the legislature. There were no school closures and "exploding" class sizes. Our dumpy school district is the same as it ever was, only we now have a 6 million dollar astroturf-covered football field and a bigger drop-out rate.

[DezertGirl]

Originally Posted by Moose Whisperer

After Ahhnold won the recall election, first thing he did was call a special election and put up four initiatives to give him some power to gain control of spending from the legislature. Unfortunately, the sheeple in California bought into the usual big Union propaganda about closing schools and fire stations, and rejected all four. The current financial meltdown is the result. The voters of CA have no one to blame but themselves.

So true...the sane votors were overwhelmed by the media-soaked sheeple...

[CMKM-Miller]

Originally Posted by Moose Whisperer

After Ahhnold won the recall election, first thing he did was call a special election and put up four initiatives to give him some power to gain control of spending from the legislature. Unfortunately, the sheeple in California bought into the usual big Union propaganda about closing schools and fire stations, and rejected all four. The current financial meltdown is the result. The voters of CA have no one to blame but themselves.

Actually if you recall, shortly after he was elected in the recall, in March 2004 we had the special election. Prop 57 - The Economic Recovery Bond Act and Prop 58 - The California Balanced Budget Act both passed. These are the bond measures I was referencing to bail us out of debt back in 2003/2004. It's equivalent to using your credit card to pay down other debt.

Your thinking of the November 2005 election in which, yes, his special propositions were voted down by the IDIOTS in this state. You may recall these were the propositions requiring redistricting, union dues, teacher permanent status. This election did not have any additional bonds on the ballot though.

We have redistricting now....4 years too late.