California’s combined income and sales taxes are among the nation’s highest, but the state’s deficit is still about $16 billion. It’s estimated that more than 2,000 upper-income Californians are leaving per week to flee high taxes and costly regulations, yet California wants to raise taxes even higher[…]
The state’s public employees enjoy some of the nation’s most generous pensions and benefits, but California’s retirement systems are underfunded by about $300 billion. The state’s gas taxes — at over 49 cents per gallon — are among the highest in the nation, but its once unmatched freeways, like 101 and 99, for long stretches have degenerated into potholed, clogged nightmares unchanged since the early 1960s.
h/t Ed S.
Californication means something totally different to me, than what the trendy libtard dimwits imply with their oh so trendy group-think lyrics.
It’s estimated that more than 2,000 upper-income Californians are leaving per week to flee high taxes and costly regulations
Oh, yes, not to mention high prices, high crime rates, schools that don’t teach what the taxpayers want them to, governments that don’t have money to keep roads in repair but have money for committees on diversity (and committees on committees – I am not making this up!), poor service in restaurants and other retail establishments, and constant nagging by The People Who Know What’s Best For Us.
The only thing that keeps people in California is the weather. It is remarkable what people will put up with to be able to grow a citrus tree in their backyard. Got several friends in California and they loath the place but want the weather.
TJ: Today they should all move to White Rock, B.C.
It’s really, really nice here.
Hehehehehe….sounds like Quebec only without the nice weather. They can’t separate fast enough.
Mike in White Rock:
It will be until Mr. Dix takes over the provinicial government. Then BC won’t be so attractive…
AMEN to that Taliesyn.
VDH has, as usual, a brilliant analysis.
Two worlds, one that is fictional; the other that is factual. The coastal wealthy are cocooned in a virtual realm of investments, Hollywood stars, gated communities and a total isolation from reality.
The interior impoverished are trapped within a state government that has lost touch with them, and focuses on the unionized public service, ie, on the bureaucrats, on the ‘mandarin’ class.
The illegals, and the Obama welfare class – all in California for the location are, as VDH notes, bankrupting the state with their high costs.
And the two solitudes are so isolate from each other that reality never touches the fancies of fiction.
If the NDP gets their slimy socialist hands on BC it will follow the path of California even faster than it already is.
If the NDP gets their slimy socialist hands on BC it will follow the path of California even faster than it already is.
“The state wishes to borrow billions of dollars to develop high-speed rail, beginning with a little-traveled link between Fresno and Corcoran”
Doesn’t *that* have potential. A government barreling towards bankruptcy starts a huge project that requires far more money than they can realistically fund out of their own pockets. And, they choose to start building track in the remotest section of the line. Not, say, starting in San Francisco where it might be useful in suburban transit projects.
Suppose they build that Fresno-Corcoran section of track and then run out of money. Future generations will use the “Fresno link” as a parable of these times.
Never has so much been wasted for so many by so few. (with apologies to Churchill)
“If the NDP gets their slimy socialist hands on BC it will follow the path of California even faster than it already is.”
It’s not IF,it’s WHEN,thanks to the unbridled arrogance and boondoggles of the Campbell Liberals,and the continuing ineptitude of our Premier,Cheerleader Christy Clark.
Many of us have contacted our MLA’s personally and via mail,about the dreadful showings at the polls for CCC, but they just don’t seem to listen.
One Liberal I know said there might be a shock coming for Christy at the upcoming Liberal convention in October,but I have to believe it’s wishful thinking.
Hope I’m wrong.
Who cares about California and the brown grass..Let the whole State burn & drop the ashes into the Ocean.
One of these full moons will shift the rift enough & they will all be gone…
” It’s estimated that more than 2,000 upper-income Californians are leaving per week to flee high taxes and costly regulations”.
Yeah,but are they taking their cheap illeg…..er….oppressed Mexican maids and gardeners with them?
Mike in whiterock…you can have them.If they only want good weather,but not the work that goes with it, they sound perfect for Californicated North.Should fit right in.I just wonder how WA state got stuck in between.
Until he mentioned California…I thought he was talking about Ontario. 30% of California’s population and likely 4 times the debt load and a complete and utter moron in charge … Alternate energy anyone.??
As for immigration..just drive throught e GTA and then come back and talk to me…. Same sheet folks…same sheet.
So to fix it all lets just hit up the whatever percent for another 10% increase in taxes..and further into the rabbit hole they go with their guacamole salads and latte’s!
Weather be damned, ya couldnt pay me to live there thank you very much.!
When California performs its fiscal swan dive into the Pacific Ocean, will it drag the rest of America in as well?
California is heaven for government regulations and nanny state mentality. A poster child for what happens when you remove one little freedom at a time and government knows what’s good for you.
http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/calaw.html
So BC is all set to go NDP again. “When will they ever learn?” And when will other parties learn to recruit competent politicians?
The Hudak has now lost two Ontario elections he should have won.
As for California, a former student of mine did his M.Sc. in solar astronomy in a CA state college on the outskirts of LA. He hated the place and couldn’t wait to get back to Canada.
I think it was Thomas Sowell who pointed out that one of the things money buys you is a shield from reality, wether that be the reality of hunger, the reality of dirty, thankless work, or the reality of exposure to the ill-behaved and unkempt and even violent individuals of this world. (I sleep peacefully because rough men stand ready to do violence on my behalf — Orwell). Plainly California is suffering the effects of a wealthy elite effecting a disproportionate level of control over state politics without having to face the consequences (reality) of their decisions. But that day shall come for California. Although when it does, most of the wealthy libs will have left, unfortunately, likely to inflict their dysfunctional beliefs on wherever it is they move to.
Hudak has only been leader of the Ontario PC’s for 1 election John. If you continue to run the man down before he gets a chance to fight a 2nd campaign then we might as well make McGuinty Premier-for-life because you and all the others will kill any chance to get rid of him. For your information no party leader has won an election in their first campaign so give him a chance and if he blows the next one then I’ll join you in leading the chorus to dump him.
A microcosm of California is Marin County. As Wikipedia says, “Marin County is well known for its natural beauty, liberal politics, and affluence.”
But as we found when we visited the area in 2002, the outer, Pacific coast, part of Marin County consists of small decayed fishing villages
the like of which have never been seen even in Newfoundland.
It is nice that the US has so many “liberals.” But their indifference and even cruelty to their less affluent neighbours belies their pretensions.
Chris, he had it in the bag, and he blew it big time. As bad as that is, he’s done or said nothing since. He’s marking time when he could be going for Dolton’s jugular.
OK Chris S., fair enough. I thought that he had blown two campaigns. I ardently wish him complete success in his next election.
Skweeker, the Ontario PC’s have a new president who needs time to reorganize the party and come up with a plan to neutralize McGuinty’s biggest asset the Working Families Coalition. They also have to come up with a platform that doesn’t have any shades of red tory in it and some new phrases for Hudak to learn because if I hear him say “hard working Ontario families” even once in the next campaign I’m going to slit my wrists.
John, you and me both my friend.
Good luck Chris S.
Skweeker is right, Hudak has been largely silent since the last election. He is finally showing up SunNews lately.
ET is right. two worlds, one fictional and one reality. This farce of a government in California will keep going until it collapses like the Soviet Union.
What is stunning in Canada is that voters in BC are blind to the disaster they are about to elect.
Quebec is another story.
As whites are now a minority in Vancouver, there will be change coming and I doubt if even the Tides foundation will be able to elect another McGregor or Christy Clark prototype. You will see more Chinese and East Indians elected and they have a completely different attitude when it comes to business as well as different priorities. Hongcouver is no longer a joke. Anyone who has spent time in Richmond or Surrey is well aware of this. Within 3 or 4 election cycles the mostly white tree huggers will be pushed out of the picture and BC will be very aggressive in attracting business. Not saying this is all good or even that I like it, but if you look at the demographics of the lower mainland, it’s inevitable.
Steakman posting above has got a point — California is running a $16 billion deficit but it has 35 million people and some tremendously productive industries like Silicon Valley and Hollywood. Ontario is running a bigger deficit with a population less than half the size.
Peter J … you have much more faith in the immigrant communities of the Lower Mainland than I do. The more recently arrived Chinese do seem to have some economic smarts and have been trending to the Conservatives federally but … that’s it. You’re an optimist.
2006 Census Population % of Total Population
Visible minority group
Source:[96] South Asian 32,510 5.7 %
Chinese 168,210 29.4 %
Black 5,290 0.9 %
Filipino 28,605 5 %
Latin American 8,225 1.4%
Southeast Asian 14,845 2.6%
Other visible minority 34,055 6%
Total visible minority population 291,740 51%
Aboriginal group
Source:[96] First Nations 7,510 1.3%
Métis 3,230 0.6%
Inuit 40 0
Total Aboriginal population 11,140 1.9%
White 268,720 47.1 %
Total population 571,600 100
That 51% was in 2006. I believe it’s at 53% now and growing. This will force change whether we like it or not. From a economic standpoint it will only get better. For a society raised on Christian principals and ideals it will only get worse. At least we may not have to put up with gay pride parades in the future. It’s all in the numbers and the numbers predict the future.
John Lewis “But as we found when we visited the area in 2002, the outer, Pacific coast, part of Marin County consists of small decayed fishing villages the like of which have never been seen even in Newfoundland.”
I don’t know if it’s correct but I heard that Marin County was the wealthiest county in the US. The average house price is/was? $1.3 million. I think development is deliberately kept away from the coast. Nïce real estate.