So Goes California, So Goes the Nation

Although I now live in New York, I still consider California to be my home state and I plan to have my ashes spread accross the sand traps at the Los Verdes Golf Course (where I spent about half of my time when I played there) when I expire. Its often said of California that it sets the trends for the rest of the nation. If this is true, then this article from Forbes does not bode well for all of us.

http://www.forbes.com/2009/04/27/worst-cities-jobs-opinions-columnists-employment-opportunities.html

Although the article is about the worst cities for jobs, the author adds an editorial on the gross stupidity of the state's government that I felt like I had written myself. It should be manditory reading for all people who blindly vote Democratic. In case you have been living in a cave, California is now facing a budget crisis due to a multibillion dollar deficit that dwarfs the state budgets of all but a few other states. Here is the problem: The far left has taken total control over the state and implemented top notch liberal policies that have drained the state's coffers and driven away business. The lefties are supported by state employee labor unions, environmentalists, and the most dangerous of all, liberal elitists like Nancy Pelosi, Barbara Boxer, and Dianne Feinstein. Yeccchhhh, I cringe when thinking about that troika - I suppose hell would be if I were locked in the same room with them all for eternity. If I go OJ and kill someone, I expect that they will be wearing lingerie too.

You know all of that stimulus money that is supposed to go to create jobs and for investments? Well California is going to suck a bunch of that off to keep the state workers fat and happy. In return, they will continue to vote Democratic for life. Poor Arnold over in Cali is like the Little Dutch Boy with his muscular finger in the Dike trying to hold the state legislature back from turning the state into Soviet Union with better beaches. I just give thanks that Arnold kicked Gray Davis's useless ass out of the Governor's mansion before Mr. Davis could throw any more money to the state workers. I have some good friends who work for the state and they have his picture framed up on the wall for diverting so much money their way.

Here is where I get into big trouble, but I think that what I am about to say is the truth. State workers are bankrupting every state in the nation. California is an extreme case, but here is my case: State workers retire in their fifties or early sixties with most of their salary intact for life, plus super generous health benefits. My parents were both state employees and together they make six figures and have health insurance - retired for 10 years now. They are both in good health and should last another 10 years easily. This means that the state is paying them about $2 million in salary, and probably another $300K in medical in retirment for NOT working. That's $2.3 million!!!! Anybody have that left in the 401(k)? Here's news: neither do the states. Now multiply my parents by a couple of million and you start to understand the scope of the State budget crisis epidemics roaring through the land. Now consider how productive state workers tend to be...did someone say DMV? Boy this rant is getting off topic in a hurry.

Anyway, take a look at what is happening in California and you get an idea about where the rest of us are headed. I think that liberals are nice, well-meaning people, but their absolute stupidity with what is realistic as they build their liberal utopias is absolutely mind boggling. We saw what happened when a bunch of right-wing policies got stuffed down our throats all at once and I shudder to think what would become of us if the religious right came to power (full disclosure: Citizen Zane attends a very conservative Christian church, but he doesn't think that Sunday School should be manditory for non-believers). Instead of healthcare debates we would be kicking Darwin out of the textbooks. Even with that, I admit that the liberals scare me worse. With our representitives holding on to these ridiculous ideologies rather than looking for pragmatic, balanced policies that might actually work, they will continue to run the country into the ground. They have to go -ALL of them. Citizen Zane