http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2009/05/21/californias_dependency_culture_96597.html
Here's George Will on the California "situation."
25 years ago, California was the epitome of American life. Sunshine, sea air, redwoods, prosperity - tech millionaires - admin assistants with stock options - a former governor in the White House showing us all how it's done. "The west coast has the sunshine and the girls get so tan..."
Now, California is in debt - bad, bad debt, and virtually bankrupt. How is this possible? How could policy makers just continue to spend cash they don't have? Weren't we told that California is the worlds 8th largest economy? Well, yes. But when you are many, many billions in debt - and don't change your behavior - here goes.
About five years ago, California had brownouts resulting from a lack of available power. In some sense, this episode contributed to losing Gray Davis his job. Have they built any power plants since? Nope. Considering their population has tripled since 1970 - and they haven't built one power plant in that time - what do any of us expect?
But it really isn't the policy makers - it IS those who elect them - US. Consider this from Will's article, "California's voters are complicit in their state's collapse. They elect and re-elect the legislators off whom public employees unions batten. Also, voters have promiscuously used their state's plebiscitary devices to control and fatten the budget. Last November, as the dark fiscal clouds lowered, they authorized $9.95 billion more in debt as a down payment on a perhaps $75 billion high-speed rail project linking San Francisco and Los Angeles -- a delight California cannot afford."
So - last November - the banking and real estate systems already collapsed - California voters approved a $75B rail project... Where was that cash coming from?
It is the same in NJ and NY. NJ has the $4.5B Lautenberg train switching station in the Meadowlands - complete with its own exit off the NJ Turnpike. Unfortunately since there are no parking lots in the area - no one uses it. Oh well. It is nicely decorated in art deco style. Right now, the state has a light rail system between Trenton and Camden. The current cost per rider - $200/rider. The current price per rider - $1. Good investment? And how about that plan that the 3 mouseketeers - Lautenberg, Menendez and Corzine back - $35B for a new train tunnel into New York City... As candidate Steve Lonegan pointed out in a debate - what a great project - FOR NEW YORK! Ugh.
But "we" keep electing these guys - in California, New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts... And then we throw our hands up and can't figure out why things are the way they are.
Don't worry - the feds who promised "CHANGE" will come to the rescue in the electorally critical states. But will people in North Dakota (which is running a $3B budget surplus in this economy) want to pay that money to support never-ending spending in these other states? How about Texans, folks in Alabama and Mississippi? Why, this theory is almost like paying your mortgage on time every month - and then getting to pay your neighbors mortgage when he doesn't pay...while he drives a Mercedes and you have a 10-year old Hyundai...
Wait a minute. The brave men and women who died protecting us - who we remember this Monday probably didn't have this in mind. Just a hunch.
Brian
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