NO MONEY.

No matter how much it hurts, no matter how much people want their checks, no matter how many demands to "fork it over", no matter how many lawsuits. The money is NOT THERE.

People are thinking that if they demand it enough and loudly enough....the money will be forced to appear.

Uncle Sugar, and California, have nothing but a giant sack full of old IOU's.

so if the money isn't there and the local government still demands the money....what's next?

Put California on ebay and see how much we can get for it.

Marcus Aurelius: Weaver95

so if the money isn't there and the local government still demands the money....what's next?

Tax cuts for multinational corporations.

that's insane.

Northern California could have been better off. (new window)

Divide it into two and hope the southern half falls into the ocean as a result of the big quake that's been waiting to happenn.

Hm. Not good. But CA can't print its own money, so these counties need to cool it.

REVOLUTION!!!

sloppy shoes: REVOLUTION!!!

we aren't quite there yet, but it's getting close.

UNC_Samurai: Northern California could have been better off. (new window)

I would change the map a bit to make it more regular. Here's Jefferson as it is currently proposed:



I think the northern border of Jefferson should be the same as the northern border of Klamath and Lake County in Oregon (they are the counties in the northeast of the current Jefferson map above, Klamath in red and Lake in pink), extending it due west to the Pacific Ocean and due east to Idaho. I would then extend the eastern border south into Nevada, until it was due east of the corner where California and Nevada meet at Lake Tahoe. Finally, I would draw the southern border due west, cutting through the southern part of Lake Tahoe and extending to the Pacific Ocean.

I think that would be a fun state to live in.

/Oregonian

Weaver95:
we aren't quite there yet, but it's getting close.

Haha. I doubt it.

/Well, certainly not the revolution I would support.

sloppy shoes: Weaver95:
we aren't quite there yet, but it's getting close.

Haha. I doubt it.

/Well, certainly not the revolution I would support.

yeah, well here's the deal - nobody ever gets the revolution they want.

California is just ahead of the curve. eventually, state and federal government alike will be forced to either start nationalizing companies and industries or just seizing property and assets. But before that happens, they'll have to make sure that the population doesn't tear itself apart over the lack of jobs and sufficent food supplies.

The counties are just using the same tactic as the state. There's nothing illegal about it.

PoopStain: unfunded mandates

If we ignored the ones coming from the federal government we'd balance the state budget fairly easily.

Weaver95: Marcus Aurelius: Weaver95

so if the money isn't there and the local government still demands the money....what's next?

Tax cuts for multinational corporations.

that's insane.

No, it makes sense. Government greed is what has forced a lot of those corporations to leave CA. It's been a leading cause in the loss of work in Hollywood and the Silicon Valley.

Weaver95:
yeah, well here's the deal - nobody ever gets the revolution they want.

California is just ahead of the curve. eventually, state and federal government alike will be forced to either start nationalizing companies and industries or just seizing property and assets. But before that happens, they'll have to make sure that the population doesn't tear itself apart over the lack of jobs and sufficent food supplies.

Not quite what I meant.

But anyways,

I doubt what you said will happen.

sloppy shoes: But anyways,

I doubt what you said will happen.

It all depends on if and when the welfare money runs out.

Weaver95:
It all depends on if and when the welfare money runs out.

Depends upon a lot more than that.

sloppy shoes: Weaver95:
It all depends on if and when the welfare money runs out.

Depends upon a lot more than that.

Right now, the only reason bankers aren't being murdered in their beds by angry mobs is because those mobs have food enough for themselves and their families. But as injustice piles on top of injustice and greed begets greed, eventually the welfare money will run out. And then what? History tells us that a lot of wealthy people tend to get dead, that's what.

we're not there yet but if things continue on like this, well...we're not immune to history repeating itself.

FTFA: Regardless, a coalition of six Southern California counties is headed to Sacramento for a Feb. 12 meeting to call attention to the counties' plight, Riverside County spokeswoman Lys Mendez said.

LoL, the blog was a bit slow on the uptake to post. Are we going to get a followup in a few days to see how it went??

Weaver95:
Right now, the only reason bankers aren't being murdered in their beds by angry mobs is because those mobs have food enough for themselves and their families. But as injustice piles on top of injustice and greed begets greed, eventually the welfare money will run out. And then what? History tells us that a lot of wealthy people tend to get dead, that's what.

we're not there yet but if things continue on like this, well...we're not immune to history repeating itself.

I think there is more to it than that.

sloppy shoes: I think there is more to it than that.

Nope, that's really all it takes. lots of hungry people who believe that they've been screwed over and have nothing to lose by violent action(s).

Constitutional convention. Now.

/First order of business: repeal Prop 13.
//Then people will either accept the higher property/other taxes or will actually make decisions on what to cut.

I think a full out revolution in California would be amusing. The only people who have the guns are the feds and gangs. Sounds like it would make for a good Coen-esque comedy.

California has learned the hard way that it cannot continue socialist-style tax policies without draconian controls on illegal immigration and heavier taxes. I don't like to see local governments paying the price for the state legislature's idiocy, but the state needed a good kick in the balls.

My only hope from this is that the reasons why are accurately reported to the (stupid) people living there, instead of everyone (idiotically) believing either "The liberals did it" or "Conservatives did it!" It's a big, doubtful hope, so that's why it's my only one.

PoopStain: California needs to outlaw unfunded mandates. They shouldn't be legal in the first place. The whole state is suffering from promises it cannot possibly afford to keep, and the people here are farking delusional.

...

This entire state is off the goddamn rails.

You know what will stimulate the economy?

A high speed rail line between NorCal and SoCal!

/Well, sir, there's nothing on earth Like a genuine, bona fide, electrified, six-car Monorail!
/Mono means "one", and rail means "rail"!
/spending is stimulus!
/still can't believe the farkwits passed that high speed rail boondoggle

Hell yeah. Let's get this thing going. Somebody tell me that California shouldn't have such a high federal tax burden, but that rich people don't pay enough taxes.

Weaver95:
Nope, that's really all it takes. lots of hungry people who believe that they've been screwed over and have nothing to lose by violent action(s).

No. You're not getting what I'm saying. It's not that couldn't/wouldn't cause a revolution; I think there are more scenarios to consider, and I think you are trying to delve into some populist happening too quickly.

You're just saying welfare will run out and we will have a revolution. Welfare isn't going to realistically run out anytime soon.

I'm still waiting for the full on collapse of a ton of stuff before anything really changes.

It's bad, but it's not really bad yet. I'd really like for the country to not have to go off the rails for people to change their ways, but it looks like it's going to have to.

To drag Obama into this, he can't fix everything. He's only supposed to help US fix it. We really haven't moved yet.

sloppy shoes: You're just saying welfare will run out and we will have a revolution. Welfare isn't going to realistically run out anytime soon.

Hell even if it did, the revolution would consist of people burning their own neighborhoods.

sloppy shoes: You're just saying welfare will run out and we will have a revolution. Welfare isn't going to realistically run out anytime soon.

i'm not so sure about that.

Kierkegaard's Pseudonym: California has learned the hard way that it cannot continue socialist-style tax policies without draconian controls on illegal immigration and heavier taxes. I don't like to see local governments paying the price for the state legislature's idiocy, but the state needed a good kick in the balls.

My only hope from this is that the reasons why are accurately reported to the (stupid) people living there, instead of everyone (idiotically) believing either "The liberals did it" or "Conservatives did it!" It's a big, doubtful hope, so that's why it's my only one.

It is my understanding that california is not allowed to control the country border, so they are pretty much farked in that regard.

AR55: I think a full out revolution in California would be amusing. The only people who have the guns are the feds and gangs. Sounds like it would make for a good Coen-esque comedy.

I'll agree that California's implentation of expensive social programs is a big fiscal problem...

But the real problem is doing stuff you just can't pay for, and that's been championed by Republicans for decades now. Deficit spending? War on Terror? War in Iraq?

It's just too bad that states can't deficit spend and 'make it work' like the Federal Gubmint can. Oh no wait, that's reality... except the 'real' reality is the Federal Gubmint can't do it either.

inthrees: It's just too bad that states can't deficit spend and 'make it work' like the Federal Gubmint can. Oh no wait, that's reality... except the 'real' reality is the Federal Gubmint can't do it either.

Man the truth really sucks sometimes. Stop!

Kierkegaard's Pseudonym: California has learned the hard way that it cannot continue socialist-style tax policies without draconian controls on illegal immigration and heavier taxes. I don't like to see local governments paying the price for the state legislature's idiocy, but the state needed a good kick in the balls.

My only hope from this is that the reasons why are accurately reported to the (stupid) people living there, instead of everyone (idiotically) believing either "The liberals did it" or "Conservatives did it!" It's a big, doubtful hope, so that's why it's my only one.

They'll blame it on captialism and say that the only solution is more and bigger government. And the idiots will fall for it and look for bankers to lynch.

ScubaDude1960: They'll blame it on captialism and say that the only solution is more and bigger government. And the idiots will fall for it and look for bankers to lynch.

The sad part of it is that quite a few bankers ARE to blame. As are quite a few federal regulatory agencies and Congress itself. This economic collapse was the fault of widespread systemic problems.

But both parties will blame the other and we'll believe them because we're stupid.

Remove all Republicans: Kierkegaard's Pseudonym: California has learned the hard way that it cannot continue socialist-style tax policies without draconian controls on illegal immigration and heavier taxes.

Prop 13 limits our property taxes and the Republicans refused to add surcharges. When you are in debt, the solution is to bring more money in. Period. Raise taxes and the issue is solved.

I certainly tend toward the left, but cutting spending is an option too.

Remove all Republicans: Raise taxes and the issue is solved.

Yes, the rather bumbling stereotypical liberal in your mind does believe that.

Remove all Republicans: Prop 13 limits our property taxes and the Republicans refused to add surcharges. When you are in debt, the solution is to bring more money in. Period. Raise taxes and the issue is solved.

So the bottom drops out of the housing market, you jack taxes up based on those over-inflated values and people who already can't cover the bills default on the mortgage AND lose the house.....now the bank can't find a buyer because the taxes are set too high and nobody wants to buy into a housing market where the government is raping homeowners.

And your solution is to raise taxes even higher? great plan there Bismark.

whidbey: Remove all Republicans: Raise taxes and the issue is solved.

Yes, the rather bumbling stereotypical liberal in your mind does believe that.

Same thing comming soon to the entire USA.

Thanks to Comrade Chairman Obama

it is

Change you can believe in

paygun:
Hell even if it did, the revolution would consist of people burning their own neighborhoods.

Were you born 'tarded or did mommy go done up and drop ya?

Weaver95: so if the money isn't there and the local government still demands the money....what's next?

Start cutting programs. Maybe kick out the illegals (or quit providing services for them).

A surtax on the entertainment industry is a personal favorite of mine.

PoopStain: California needs to outlaw unfunded mandates. They shouldn't be legal in the first place. The whole state is suffering from promises it cannot possibly afford to keep, and the people here are farking delusional.

Who is going to pay for it? We don't have the money! No one wants to pay more taxes, yet no one wants their favorite pet program cut out of the budget. It's one or the other.

And Arnie should not have cut the vehicle license tax, or at the very least he should have replaced it with something else. But you know what? Even with that extra money California still can't pay for all the unicorn farts and gold roses its own stupid-ass population has voted for itself.

This entire state is off the goddamn rails.

A conservative saying people should pay their taxes? :P

But seriously, you're pretty much dead on as far as I can tell.

sloppy shoes: paygun:
Hell even if it did, the revolution would consist of people burning their own neighborhoods.

Were you born 'tarded or did mommy go done up and drop ya?

Oh that's right, the LA riots never happened.

cchris_39: Weaver95: so if the money isn't there and the local government still demands the money....what's next?

Start cutting programs. Maybe kick out the illegals (or quit providing services for them).

A surtax on the entertainment industry is a personal favorite of mine.

Hollywood's already working around that. It may live in LA, but it works in Toronto, Vancouver, Hamilton, and various other places north of the border.

RemyDuron: A conservative saying people should pay their taxes? :P

I think you just discovered the difference between a conservative and a republican.

Weaver95: Nope, that's really all it takes. lots of hungry people who believe that they've been screwed over and have nothing to lose by violent action(s).

Agreed. It's crazy for people to things like that could never happen here. They can.

Weaver95: And your solution is to raise taxes even higher? great plan there Bismark.

Agreed again - how about this for a likely scenario: Massive tax increases to close the gap and be "fiscally responsible". Followed by bread lines and tax rebellions.

It appears a sort of tax rebellion is already underway in Ca.

Scary stuff.

There are folks out there who think we're UNDER-TAXED in California?

cchris_39: A surtax on the entertainment industry is a personal favorite of mine.

A tax on PUFFY DIRECTING PANTS. Brilliant! :)