California! Liberal Paradise

California is the focus of a new Wall Street Journal article.  The article, California’s Greek Tragedy, is an absolute must read.  California is a liberal state, and it is reaping the fruit of its failed policies.  When you look at what California once was, and how prosperous it was, the impact is striking.  It demonstrates that what has happened in California could indeed happen nationally, especially as we pursue the same failed policies and ignore the will of the people as California has.

Speaking of California, I’m sure y’all have heard of ESL classes, but San Diego is going for Duel Immersion as a cost cutting measure by combining ESL and regular classes.  Oh sure, never mind that Californians have voted English only, who wouldn’t want their kid to learn Spanish?  But ask yourself this, if this becomes the standard, who gets the teaching jobs in California?  Who gets laid off because of the budget?  As we continue building a “bi-lingual” state, it is native-born English speakers who are sent to the back.  “Americans Need Not Apply!”

Ah poor bankrupt California.  All those six figure pensioners draining the state of cash!  I know, the golden days were suppose to last forever, but they did not.  California is losing their companies and their middle class who are fleeing in droves, and even the illegals have slowed their invasion.  No jobs!  Not that they replace what California lost with the middle class exodus.

This is the state that has Los Angeles and other cities impounding (rightfully) unlicensed drivers cars.  That is UNLESS they are illegal.  The police chief reasons that Americans can get licenses so they are still expected to uphold the law.  So two sets of laws with Americans having less rights than those who are criminals?  And yes, they are criminals.  All those illegal aliens cost L.A. county $1.6 billion a year.  That is a heck of a money pit there.  Consider the high cost of calling yourself a sanctuary city.

California will even pay for hormone therapy for transgendered illegals, all while screaming for more taxes.

Highest taxes in the nation!

They just keep taxing away all those jobs to states like Texas.  Matter of fact, here is a list of 100 companies leaving California.  That’s right, people are fleeing the liberal paradise by the thousands.  I think even ol’ Jed and Elly Mae have packed up and left.  Here are 19 reasons to leave California, a little old as the picture is even bleaker now, but I will list their reasons here.

Unemployment in California was 12.4% in September – one of the highest in the nation.  The unemployment rate is over 20% in eight California counties.  This is even higher when you consider the odd way California counts unemployed.

The Unemployed in California is equal to the populations of Nevada, New Hampshire and Vermont.

Not even state government jobs are safe in California these days. Last month, government agencies in California slashed a total of 37,300 jobs.

California has the third highest state income tax in the nation: a 9.55% tax bracket at $47,055 and a 10.55% bracket at $1,000,000.

California has the highest state sales tax rate in the nation by far at 8.25%. Indiana has the next highest at 7%.

Residents of California pay the highest gasoline taxes (over 67 cents per gallon) in the U.S.

Even with all of the taxes, the budget deficit for the California state government for the current year is approximately 19 billion dollars.

California’s unfunded pension liability is estimated to be somewhere between $120 billion and $500 billion.

Twenty percent of the residents of Los Angeles County are now receiving public aid.

Budget cuts are even jeopardizing public safety.

1 in 4 Californians under the age of 65 had absolutely no health insurance last year.

California’s poverty rate soared to 15.3 percent in 2009, which was the highest in 11 years.  Considering how poor you have to be to make that list the number is shocking.  The standard is $22,113 for a family of four.  Current rate is now 16.3%.  A two bedroom apartment in Los Angeles averages $1,689 a month.  That is $20,268 a year just for rent.

California’s overstretched health care system is also on the verge of collapse.

California home builders began construction on 1,811 homes during the month of August, which was down 77% from August 2006.

Earlier this year, in Sacramento, California there was one closed business for every six that were still open.

The “lawsuit climate” in California is ranked number 46 out of all 50 states.

Residents of California pay some of the highest electricity prices in the entire nation.

Over 20 percent of California homeowners are now underwater on their mortgages.

And no one can forget the Sacramento tent cities (they are in quite a few cities)

The “Terrible, Absolutely Terrible” Cuts California Must Make To Balance The Budget.

 

 The only real question is, why haven’t I moved yet?