Oh look, my two favorite people in a fight. LOL
As a present resident of CA here is my opinion to hopefully get this thread back on track.
1) Obviously nobody wants higher taxes. Obviously everybody wants roads that don't require an M-1 Tank to negotiate the potholes.
But: Here is the background.
This "budget" has been going on for several months. It passed as I understand it with ONE vote. I heard yesterday they had been ganging up on and trying to get one 70+ year old legislator to cave in. When I went to bed I heard "Muldanado" was the expected passing vote. (I don't have confirmation on that.)
My problem is this was done in the MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT! They convened both houses of the legislature at 11 pm and apparently voted on this around 1 or 2 am.
THIS IS BULLSHIT. I for one am getting tired of our legislatures doing business that cost the rest of us money in the middle of the night. The government of a free nation needs to do business during office hours when the public and media can keep an eye on these crooks for the protection of the People.
CA has the highest State income tax in the country.
CA has the highest gas tax in the country.
CA has the highest State sales tax in the country.
CA has the highest business tax in the western states.
2) This is not just a tax increase. It will increase taxes for every CA family by an average of $1,400 per year. That's over $100 a month. PEOPLE CAN'T AFFORD THAT. Not only that but when you factor out the 2 million illegal aliens who don't pay many taxes the burden will increase for the rest.
This tax add 12 cents a gallon to what is already the highest gas prices (and highHest gas tax) in the nation (along with HI and AK which are also high). That will increase our gas to over $2.37 a gallon. (Yes I know Europe pays more - but South Dakota pays less - so let's save that argument for another thread please.)
3) CA is the worlds 6th largest economy in the world (or 8th depending on which index you use). Frankly CA (along with Las Vegas, FL and AZ) CAUSED the whole economic crisis with the mortgage mess that triggered it.c
Someone calculated that the Obama bail out will give each American tax payer $1.87 per day - or about $500 over a year. While the CA tax increase will cost each person $3.80 a day.
When you have the Federal govt. spending Trillions to shore up the economy and CA turning right around and destroying many of the benefits it is non-productive.
4) Part of this tax increase is a "surcharge" on state taxes - or in real english... it is a tax upon a tax. Something specifically outlawed by the Federal Constitution. That I have a serious issue with. I for one am sick and tired of these crooked politicians lying and call a tax a "fee" or some other name. If it adds cost and goes to the government it is a TAX. Period, end of story.
The Junkyard Dog is right.
Times are tough, people need to tighten their belts. BUT - it needs to start with the bloated government and big state worker unions and state pensions that are soaking up our money. The waste needs to stop. I just read today of yet another 8 million dollar botched computer system up Sacramento. The party is over.
And Hatchman is also right. The People of CA are sick and tired of the BS.
Many are leaving. Businesses are leaving. I drive a lot, over 40,000 miles a year. I don't see any new cars on the road. Even in Newport Beach where it used to be all BMW's and MB's with lots of Rolls and Maserati's in between. You don't see new ones. They are all last years model, or 3 years old. When I drive through Dana Point I see about a 15% retail vacancy rate. Every other retail center has a for rent sign. I'm starting to see vacancies in downtown Laguna Beach. Higher end rental properties are sitting vacant for months on end. Nobody has the money for rent. Heck the largest Maserati dealer in the world with (in OC) closed recently and took 30% of Maserati's sales with it.
Obviously not many are going to cry because someone can't buy a Maserati. But my point is we are now seeing the rich tightening their belts. Drastically.
They are the ones paying the most tax. CA is driving them out of the state. It is driving business out of the state.
And this unprecedented tax increase - the largest in state history - could very well affect the rest of the country and the global economic recovery. The outcome I see is CA losing it's position in world trade, and/or slowing the overall recovery.
So, thanks to the "governator" we are all now basically fucked.
Sigh,
TS Jamie
Hey buddy - can you spare a dime?