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California passed a law overturning the statute of limitations for child molesters. It was appealed to the California Supreme Court, and upheld. The Supreme Court of the United States struck it down in Stogner v. California. This resulted in the release of all those convicted child molesters who had been found guilty under California Law. They do not have these convictions on their records, nor must they register as sex offenders.
The old 'rule of thumb' that I learned in several college sociology courses some years back was, California leads the rest of the nation by about 15 or 20 years, in social trends, legislation, etc.
VERY general statement, realize...and probably not even true in many areas. But as a very general idea, if you look at the 'nuttiness' going on in California today, it will give some general idea of the 'nuttiness' in the rest of the US, 15 years or so down the road.
California is probably the most democratic [not Democrat] state in the Union. The propositions that we vote on allow voters to have considerable influence in lawmaking. The only problem is even the most helpful programs can't be funded b/c of lack of $$. That's an irritation to Californians because as a state, we don't like having to subsidize the nation. Can't remember the exact amount but for every dollar California gives to DC, we get back very little. The war in Iraq has stirred such anger since those precious dollars are so needed in our nation.
The sad truth is that California is so over-populated that we must resort to a more socialistic government. Remember, we/voters elect our representatives & decide issues. For those unhappy living here it means facing the reality of being the minority. All the gripes & Prop 8 religious extremism isn't going to stop the voters. What ever there is of the Republican party will be more marginalized after the election or convert like Schwarzenegger.
Remember it is a Republican governor who has expanded public programs. Only wish all Republicans were like Schwarzenegger [but then, I guess life would be boring
Oh wow another California bashing thread...on the day after an Earthquake too how nice of our fellow Americans.
When will the "God is punishing us with earthquakes, fires and brimstone" comment arise?
I guess we can never say anything bad about California because it has earthquakes every day.
Quote:
Originally Posted by macmeal
The old 'rule of thumb' that I learned in several college sociology courses some years back was, California leads the rest of the nation by about 15 or 20 years, in social trends, legislation, etc.
VERY general statement, realize...and probably not even true in many areas. But as a very general idea, if you look at the 'nuttiness' going on in California today, it will give some general idea of the 'nuttiness' in the rest of the US, 15 years or so down the road.
Was that really in a book? I thought that California didn't really start to have such a presence in America ("Californication") until more recently, maybe the 70s or 80s.
Likewise with your equating Republicans with bible thumpers...I guess you can't poll "progressives" on their faith because they're Godless.
MamaBee, you're pretty vicious here. A positive post that doesn't label and categorize would be nice. Just a suggestion.
California has one in 8 Americans and is a very diverse state in every meaning of that word. To label it crazy is inappropriate. It is America in miniature. On one hand, its laws are progressive and are profound forward steps. On the other hand, with everyone clamoring for their piece of the American dream, some things apparently must be sacrificed. Anyway, there's 49 other states to go to if this one doesn't satisfy.
I agree that the nuttiness of California appears to propogate to the rest of the nation. If you don't like this kind of thing, you need to pick a good state to live in to minimize the damage. I value individual rights over group rights, so California would never be for me, and besides it's way to crowded.
I don't see how the welfare/socialist system in California can sustain itself in the years ahead. It can't go on forever.
The only problem is even the most helpful programs can't be funded b/c of lack of $$. That's an irritation to Californians because as a state, we don't like having to subsidize the nation. Can't remember the exact amount but for every dollar California gives to DC, we get back very little. The war in Iraq has stirred such anger since those precious dollars are so needed in our nation.
But I always thought California was all for doing everything for the common good.......
That's an irritation to Californians because as a state, we don't like having to subsidize the nation. Can't remember the exact amount but for every dollar California gives to DC, we get back very little.
I've seen some of those numbers and they are somewhat true and somewhat misleading, probably requiring deeper analyisis.
For example, if you bury all your nuclear waste in Nevada then Nevada is getting a ton of federal dollars but in exchange you are getting a benefit.
Ditto for subsidy of certain commodities etc and having a ton of missle silos in the Dakotas.
With that said, I do agree that CA likely still subsidizes the country....largely due to our taxation policies (Alternative Minimum Tax in particular). Judging by his tax proposals (and I like Obama) this will not get better but will in fact get worse when he becomes president so there you go. Also, while you are sending your money to Iraq, many states send a much much higher percentage of their population to fight there. (sigh, what a colossal blunder)
Anyway, CA is beautiful state that is larger than most countries and is a lot more varied than people think. I do like thier prop system to some extent, but they do have an anti-business climate that is sending jobs to NV, OR, etc.
California IMO is the most reactionary state in the union.That has become one of its biggest problems as they seem to think than once you pass a law the problem is fixed and it's time to move on to the next problem.
Was that really in a book? I thought that California didn't really start to have such a presence in America ("Californication") until more recently, maybe the 70s or 80s.
Hard to say exactly when California assumed its very noteworthy position in the American mind. There was the magic of the "gold rush" era, but that was long ago. The early film industry in the 1920's certainly added to the allure. But I'd suspect for most present-day people, the "California dream" probably began to form with the huge 'boom' of the World War II years, when the state was thrust into a prominence which, in some ways, still exists.
Good question, though...and as I said, it's only a broad generalization.
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