California: Raise taxes wealthy and business will flea, cut services, poor will end up homeless (crime, house)

[aaa12345]

my solution is weird but:
1. get loan or bailout from Fed to get thru the immediate trouble
2. extend spending (yes, not cut back) to create more jobs so unemployment will be lower
3. collect taxes; since unemployment is lower, more taxes comes in...and because people are no longer unemployed, they no longer cut back on their spending..thus more sale tax...and also more income tax...and because the economy is better in CA, more business

[bluebeard]

Major parts of the problem:
1) Too much direct democracy. It's too easy for everyone's pet project to get on the ballot. While it seems a good thing to require money to be restricted to the intiative or amendment approved, this is why so much of the budget is out of the government's hands
2) Supermajority needed in state legislature. To pass anything more than a simple majority is need. Since CA is a divided state, the dems are very liberal and repubs are very conservative. A minority of the legislature can deadlock anything from passing. You'd think a compromise: cutting spending and raising taxes, and of course, even more borrowing would be a logical compromise (a little of everything), but the politicians, and their constituents, refuse to see that their perfect can be the enemy of the good.

[nmnita]

Originally Posted by aaa12345

my solution is weird but:
1. get loan or bailout from Fed to get thru the immediate trouble
2. extend spending (yes, not cut back) to create more jobs so unemployment will be lower
3. collect taxes; since unemployment is lower, more taxes comes in...and because people are no longer unemployed, they no longer cut back on their spending..thus more sale tax...and also more income tax...and because the economy is better in CA, more business

Extend spending, please tell, how will that help? That is one of the problems with California now, too little money, too much spending. Seems like everyone wants a bailout, I think I should ask for mine tomorrow..


Nita

[MotleyCrew]

Spend with what money? The federal spending spree has done nothing and Biden even fessed up that they were just guessing as to how much effect this would have on the economy. Some folks got a whole lot of our money with no results. CA will be a mirror image of the fed bailout. Pet projects will see funds but the layoffs will escalate.

[AlwaysLooking]

I think the poll is missing an option "No Fed bailout, the State Legislature must stop spending". The state and public-schools work forces grew by 24% from 1997 & 2007 which means we had/have 895,000+ state employees drawing a paycheck and benefits. Within that employment pool each of their respective unions have been clamoring and gotten increased pay and benefits. Now, can anyone tell us where the taxpayer has gotten a return on its investment? Have our schools or our government services improved for those added employees and increased taxes? Heck no!
Giving federally acquired tax dollars (the stimulus money) to the same crooks who got us into this mess will not fix us. In fact the Feds will no doubt have their own "strings" which will add more taxpayer burden. No thanks!

[BayAreaHillbilly]

Originally Posted by nmnita

Extend spending, please tell, how will that help? That is one of the problems with California now, too little money, too much spending. Seems like everyone wants a bailout, I think I should ask for mine tomorrow..


Nita

[ndfmnlf]

Originally Posted by Curmudgeon

Again, a lot. My wife and I worked legislation and politics for the state for a congregate 35 years and we know from personal experience how dysfunctional this state is politically and governmentally. We're also not in agreement with the direction in which it's heading. For the most part, extreme liberalism and "progressiveness" equates to higher taxes on those with decent incomes to give the money they've earned to those who haven't.

Not our idea of an equitable situation, especially when it's being done for votes, not for altruism.

Weren't you a government employee for most of those 35 years? And so, weren't you part of the problem as you define it - a government bureaucrat sucking off the taxpayers' teat? And now that you are retired - now that the gravy train has ended for you - you decide to badmouth California? How convenient.

[ndfmnlf]

Originally Posted by Curmudgeon

Reread my second response. An equal tax burden wouldn't make up for my disdain for California's governance, its permissive attitudes (except for Nanny government's) nor the fact that I've become a minority in my own state. I want to move back to America. This isn't it any longer.

Your own state? Since when did you own the state? And where is it written that you - a Caucasian - are entitled to be always the majority in the state - as if the demographic changes in California are somehow depriving you of your divine right to be the master race of the state?

[Weekend Traveler]

Yes, everyone who works for government is the enemy unless of course they are a state park ranger, teacher, fireman, or social worker, or nurse, or......

Originally Posted by ndfmnlf

Weren't you a government employee for most of those 35 years? And so, weren't you part of the problem as you define it - a government bureaucrat sucking off the taxpayers' teat? And now that you are retired - now that the gravy train has ended for you - you decide to badmouth California? How convenient.

[ndfmnlf]

Originally Posted by Weekend Traveler

Yes, everyone who works for government is the enemy unless of course they are a state park ranger, teacher, fireman, or social worker, or nurse, or......

They are the enemy, as defined by Curmudgeon (who himself used to work for state government, getting paid with taxpayer dollars).