American Spectator:
A fifth-generation Californian laments his state’s ongoing economic collapse.
It’s not easy watching California self-destruct. After all, my four sons are 6th generation Californians. One relative of ours journeyed here prior to the Gold Rush when the state population was just a handful of people. Family lore has it he was a gunslinger who, victorious in a gun duel, headed to California to avoid the law. He ended up ranching on what is now known as Mammoth Mountain. Other family members took part in the gold rush and one ended up discovering gold in 1895 in the Mojave Desert. My grandparents arrived in Kern County in the 1930s and worked as teachers educating the children of oil workers shortly after the discovery of oil in that region.
Proud of my heritage, I had this urge to run for the state legislature, so I did and I won. I was hoping I could do something in Sacramento to slow the decline of the Golden State. But it was not to be. I quickly discovered that the legislature was so dominated by far left ideologues, there was nothing that could be done to reverse course. My Democrat colleagues were not concerned one bit about how their policies were destroying the economic golden goose that made California so famous worldwide. Indeed, they actually believe their big government and nanny state policies have made California the model of how progressives can succeed in governing. Seriously.
The entire time I served in Sacramento, the Democrats were focused almost exclusively on legislation which either had to do with wealth redistribution or creating new “rights” for alleged victims such as illegal aliens, criminals, union members, homosexuals, transgenders and other “oppressed” groups. And it’s no different today. The reality is that the average middle class Californian hasn’t had representation in the halls of Sacramento for decades. Indeed, I predict the destruction of California will, unfortunately, be one of the great legacies of the progressive movement.
Indeed, the Democrats hold supermajorities in both legislative chambers. The Assembly has been in Democratic hands since the 1970 election, except for 1995-1996. The Senate has been controlled by the Democrats continuously since 1970. As for the Governor, well, the last semi-real Republican Governor was Pete Wilson, who ended his term in 1999. However, action superstar and former champion body builder Arnold Schwarzenegger, a Republican, did serve as Governor from 2003-2011 but essentially governed as a Democrat, even to the point of hiring leftists to be his key staff. So much for his tough guy image. Progressive hero Jerry Brown has served as Governor since 2011.
Sure, the liberals like to claim California socialism is working by pointing to the much heralded statistic that “California’s economy is the 6th largest in the world” as calculated by the state’s Department of Finance. Indeed, California’s $2.62 trillion economy is larger than that of France, Canada, Brazil, Russia, and Italy. However, that GDP stat does not factor in California’s cost of living, which is 36.2% higher than the national cost of living. As Carson Bruno writes in Real Clear Markets, “using the cost of living adjusted data from the International Monetary Fund and adjusting California’s GDP data provides a better snapshot of California’s economic standing in the world. Doing so shows that California is actually the 12th largest economy — a drop of 6 spots — and actually puts the state below Mexico.” MORE
These Liberals want little more than to be thought highly of in Liberal Europe, when they say I’m Californian upon meeting them , they now think they carry more respect than if they say they’re American !!! Losers !
What a fucking demoralizing article.
OK, Bad_Brad, I feel sorry for you dude.
Can we demand that our federal tax dollars stop funding their insanity please???
If they need to learn a lesson, let them learn it hard! It’ll mean more to everyone!
I hope they continue on their path to destruction.
When the rats start to flee the sinking ship,
(long after “the good guys” of this site wised up and did so earlier)
the neighboring States should be able
to feed them right to the ICE lions.
After it all lays to waste, I’d sure love to get a deal on buying up Big Bear Lake….
California reminds me of the British Empire, about 120 years ago, during the Victorian Empire… the empire upon which the sun never set. Now look at it… step by step, they became gunless, and run by either Euro-bureaucrats, gays, and Muzzies.
It took about a century for the UK’s demise; California’s downfall will be much faster.
California has a 10% personal income tax, take away that incredibly yuge federal income tax deduction and California’s socialist state collapses.
Stopping state income tax federal deduction across the board makes the federal deficit, and the national debt, shrink like a cheap t-shirt.
Oh yea, it burns down all the State Houses as well.
MAGA
Even if the state collapses and rational people retake control how would you be able to stabilize things again. The state is completely flooded with 3rd world non English speaking parasites demanding largesse from the government. It won’t go peacefully.
People in America: stop tolerating leftists.
Encourage all illegal aliens and welfare groupies to go to California then seal it off with THE WALL.
I know there are Californians that aren’t brain dead idiots, but I can’t help myself and profile Californians. The problem is I’ve only ever met one who moved here from California who wasn’t a brain dead idiot who brings their stupid views here and wants to change our state.
Governor Moonbeam and the Ca. legislature have created this problem. It has been public knowledge for a number of years and no actions has been taken whatsoever.
Therefore no federal funds whatsoever should be used for a bailout. The feds did not create this problem so why in the hell should the taxpayer pay for California’s stupidity.
BTW, Gov. Deukmejian was the last decent Republican elected to that office.
Our kids are 5th generation to CA, but our son and his wife are the only ones still living there. We evac’ed in early ’09. To quote LTG Russel Honore speaking to the press after Katrina, “you’re stuck on stupid.” That is CA government.
As a native born Californian, I had to move to Arizona to enjoy my retirement.I just hope my kids and grndkids can get out before it’s to late
@Candy Corn, I agree Deuk was the last real Rep. Gov. I recall he borrowed a large sum of money from CalPERS to balance the budget and actually PAID IT ALL BACK! And it’s been downhill ever since.
We escaped in ’08!
“Oh yea, it burns down all the State Houses as well. ”
Not all, Zonga. Texas has no state income tax.
We have never gotten that deduction.
Shh. Don’t tell the libs.
@Dadof4
I knew somebody would mention states with no personal income tax, thanks for saving me from looking it up!
Hubby just looked up all the states without income tax
Alaska, Florida, Nevada, South Dakota, Texas, Washington and Wyoming. And residents of New Hampshire. Tennessee sort of – they have to pay tax on investment income.
Just to get technical, Florida has an 8% sales tax.
California is the family member that you hate to admit you’re related to, but you love them anyway….
Because they’re family.
Just the black side of the family.
California has 13% sales tax
“California has 13% sales tax”
WTF? No. It ranges from 6.5 to 8 depending on the county you live in.