I could easily resolve California's budget crisis. Within a matter of months.

[FresnoFacts]

Looks like Arizona is beating California to the meltdown point:

Three State Parks Will Be Open, 27 Other Parks Close at Midnight Due to Budget Impasse
(Phoenix, AZ — June 30, 2009, updated at 7 pm) – The Arizona State Parks department asked campers to leave 13 State Parks' campgrounds at 4 pm today in order to close down the parks before the midnight deadline for closing all Arizona State Parks. Parks will be closed and not reopen until the department has operating authority.
Arizona State Parks: Press Room

[SandyCo]

No budget. *sigh* Why are these people in power again?! There are now $3 billion in cuts that can't be made, because they're part of last year's allotment. Marvelous.

11th-hour votes on state budget fail - Los Angeles Times

[Quarternone]

To dcashly, Washington is not a state, more like an overgrow city, and Wyoming is more like a desert. Truth is, you can make any numbers (statistics) fit any argument, its all in how you move the numbers around. I don't think Taxes will make us a better state. Why not collect 100% taxes then. No, I think it is on how the state spends the money that "we" give it. I can remember when California had half as many people in the 60's and we were building Highways and Bridges and Dams, houses were built on "half" acre parcels, and taxes were low. What happened? Big Government, thats what happened. It seams like everytime that state has a new program, they have to hire 5000 people to run it, thats after the state has hired their "friends" and lobbyist buddies to head up the programs. Yuba City and Marysville empty out every morning with a ribbon of head lights like a bad "B" movie of "The Capitol that ate itself out of house and home" with stste workers headed to Sacramento to work. There are so many redundant programs that can be whittled down to one agency to do the job. They "our Legislators" need to bring in "Efficiency" experts to pare down government and eliminate waste. If taxes are so good, why haven't they taxed at 100%. Who would work? Maybe state workers can be taxed at 100% to cover themselves. They need to keep government to a size that is reflective of percentage of GDP and not go over that, and have a provision that positions and programs will automatically be recended when funds are not available to cover them. Pay and per diem should also be reflective of the percent of GDP that the state brings in. And change all the buttons on the elevators in Sacramento that say "L" for Lobby to "G" for ground floor and keep our "Public Servants" grounded in reality. And by the way, I know all the highways and bridges and dams were built on "Federal" money. So, bring back the WPA (Works Progress Administration) and fix the roads, bridges and dams, and bring more money into the state.

[majoun]

Originally Posted by Quarternone

To Majoun,
My last post was more of a frustrated shout! But that doesn't mean it does not have legitimacy. You forget all the Alcohol related driving death's in this country that has been estimated from 18,000 to 40,000 deaths a year.

Just imagine how many alcohol related deaths there would be if alcohol prohibition still existed. Probably 10 times that number at minimum. Not to mention a HUGE number of deaths from poisoned, adulterated alcohol products.

Government can't continue to Tax and Tax and Tax... The only thing your going to get is a hard center that has no place to go, until, it bursts forth in unpredictable ways. Look at Iran today, the pressure has been mounting for years, until the torches and pichforks finally come out.

Iran's situation has nothing to do with taxes, it has to do with repressing personal freedom. Something you seem to be OK with.

Government should not protect illegal's

Keeping prostitution illegal encourages illegal immigration, so does keeping drugs illegal.

Despite what you might think I'm not in favor of raising all taxes, just property taxes AND legalizing things that are illegal right now so they can be taxed. Most other taxes should be cut.

[Quarternone]

Hi Majoun, (lol) Yes I do like my personal freedom, just as much as you like your drugs. But, with freedom comes "responsibility". For the sake of an argument, lets say, lets make everything "Legal" but not "Tax" it. Hey this a free country right, so, let it run its course. Take Prostitution: The money will flow in, and money will have to be spent on "inventory" to support those businesses, i.e.: Girls, condoms, lingerie, makeup, doctor visits, SDT treatments, abortion clinics, bedding, Red light bulbs, lube, sex toys, etc, etc... The sex trade would lift all boats (as it were), and all those services could be taxed instead of the direct "Business". Economics 101 can be applied to anything. The mind set of this State is to tax businesses directly because they don't want anyone to get away with anything. Prostitution, will become just another 7-11 on every corner, which means what...it won't be profitable to "stay" in business, the law of supply and demand. Don't mention all the requirements to apply "Fee's" (Taxes) to be given to the SDT foundation (searching for a cure), Condom elasticity research headed up by Dupont, Mother's against drunk prostitutes, Institute for Bastard orphan's, and it just goes on and on... This Government has a way of taking the fun out of everything, because they are run by liberal lawyers. If they could design the Human animal, it would be pack animal that had no mouth, no legs, and no brain, that could s**t money. It would not even resemble anything we could recognize as human. Like a parking meter. Let me be honest with you, and ask you a question; can you honestly trust a government that has the capacity to regulate everything, and HAS, and still can't come up with enough change to get a cup of coffee. Believe me, leave it to government, and even they can F**k up sex. Remember, energy that would be too cheap to meter? Examples: Prostitution is legal in Nevada, I don't think they are making a lot of money off it. Drugs, and Prostitution are legal in Holland, and it has just about ruined the city of Amsterdam, so the "Civic" leaders are having second thoughts about the whole idea. Just like Alcohol, once it becomes regulated, that means more taxes have to go into solving the human dilemma of what to do with the "Abusers" and the Addicts, and the moral depravity that lets corruption overshadow "Values". WE don't need more regulation, that is burden on the backs of everybody! And as for Iran, I was illustrating "Stress"...to much regulation creates Stress...economically, religiously, politically...pick your poison majoun... It's not "Everybody's" responsibility to take care of everybody...are you going to gamble on a drug addicted prostitutes to take care of you, in your over taxed existence, when you are old, or your own personal family? I'm tired of legislators trying to regulate my existence, through social engineering, by taxation. It really is about power over you, why should we give it, if they can't handle what they already have. Quarternone