Oh to be a cockroach on the wall when the Firminator goes with his hat in hand and asks President skinny legs/scrawny arms for money while staring at the floor like a dork.
Posted by TIKI AL at December 22, 2008 11:16 AMcurrently Schwarzenegger is desperately lunging at the most regressive revenue he can find, the car and sales tax
So, we are in essentially the same situation that caused the wise voters of California to go after Governor Davis with pitchforks and torches.
Getting rid of him and hiring a Republican actor with no political skills other than drawing attention to himself turned out to be great idea.
Posted by James E. Powell at December 22, 2008 11:56 AMAs a Californian...I feel your pain and indignation.
Posted by Parallax at December 22, 2008 04:45 PMComing from Illinois, I understand idiotic state government. Nevertheless, why in the world should the federal gov't. bailout CA when IL is almost as screwed up? Once you open the federal checkbook, it's Katy Bar the Door.
Posted by weinerdog43 at December 22, 2008 05:49 PMActually, you have it backwards. CA has a very progressive tax system where the rich pays the majority of the taxes. The state relies on just a tiny percentage of people to pay a large amount of taxes. That's why when the stock market goes down, the state has revenue problems.
The Democrats are the ones who recently proposed raising the sales tax, car tax, and income tax by 2.5% in ALL brackets.
Posted by Muck at December 22, 2008 06:08 PMGrowing up in the fifties in the south, I recall my mother speaking of the California educational system with reverence.
And then came Proposition ... whatever.
And then it was over.
h
Posted by h at December 22, 2008 07:43 PMCalifornia has already the highest sales tax and personal income tax of any state. Also the high property values drive a very large property tax.
How can we be so far broke?
Posted by California Star at December 23, 2008 01:05 PMHEY CALIFORNIA: Time to cut back, politicians, oligarchs and autocrats. You work for us, the citizens of California. STOP voting yourself big raises to match your over-sized egos and self-important pronouncements. STOP holding CA hostage to your insider trading of benefits and bonuses. SCALE BACK your expansion of freebies for non-citizens of our state or nation. WORK within OUR means, and stop taxing us to death. YOUR inability to function is an indication of YOUR FAILURE to meet the basic needs of the population of CA. Resign, and get a job in the real world. Then (and only then) will you know what happens when budgets shortfall expectations. YOU CUT BACK.....Starting with a pay cut for all the state senators and state congressional members. Then move on to the BLOATED Prison Industrial Complex. Then take over the CTA, who spends MILLIONS of DOLLARS campaigning for more money?!?!?! This state is seriously upside-down. Time to shake out the rats is Sacramento, and stop shaking down the hard-working citizens.
Posted by SKATEFREE4EVER at December 23, 2008 04:12 PM