Obama To California: Drop Dead (But not right now)

Tim Cavanaugh | June 16, 2009

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has come up emptyhanded in his quest for the federal bailout he said he wasn't seeking.

The Washington Post quotes an unnamed White House official saying Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner, along with White House economists Lawrence Summers and Christina Romer, have decided to turn down a gaggle of frantic Golden State hacks who have been insisting that a default by the bloated, delusional state government would bring down the United States. The special pleaders for California include a real rogues gallery of politicians who couldn't get elected dog catcher in a real state: Controller John Chiang, Democratic U.S. Rep. Zoe Lofgren, Treasurer Bill Lockyer, etc.

But wait! The quality of mercy is partly strained, but it still contains fresh pulp. A ways down the article, the same official leaves open the crack for a California bailout sometime in the future:

These policymakers continue to watch the situation closely and do not rule out helping the state if its condition significantly deteriorates, a senior administration official said. But in that case, federal help would carry conditions to protect taxpayers and make similar requests for aid unattractive to other states, the official said. The official did not detail those conditions.

Whether it's an effort to stick it to a Republican governor who is just trying to recover his limited government senses, a desire to avoid distractions while overhauling health care, unwillingness to help a state whose profligacy is impossible to ignore, or just a realization that even Uncle Sam must learn to make do with less, I hope the Obama economic team stays this particular course.

UPI wheels in some more unnamed "analysts" to explain that Proposition 13, from way back in the Jimmy Carter era, is somehow responsible for the state's predicament. Matt Welch has demolished that argument before, but if you want to hear the real case against Prop 13, forget the anonymice and dig this great rant from John Saxon (in Blood Beach, I think?). If anybody can kick your ass until you pay your taxes, it's The Sax!

Comments

Kyle Jordan|6.16.09 @ 1:45PM|#

So GM and Chrysler failing would have caused economic termoil that we may have "never recovered" from but Cali going tits up ain't no thang?

Are pols even trying to not flaunt their absurd abuses of power and logic any more?

|6.16.09 @ 1:49PM|#

Excellent John Saxon reference, Tim. Yes, it is Blood Beach. Saxon was right behind Bronson on the awesome scale.

Kevin|6.16.09 @ 1:50PM|#

Kyle, I would have to say no. They are betting that in 2 or 4 years, the collective citezenry with the attention span of a gnat will have forgotten all about this. And if not, they can use the state-run media to revise history and convince us this all happened 7 months ago on Bush's watch.

|6.16.09 @ 1:55PM|#

a desire to avoid distractions while overhauling health care

This. Expect CA to be rolling in federal $ by this time next year.

Kyle Jordan|6.16.09 @ 1:57PM|#

I've never seen this movie Blood Beach, but I'm going to now.

And John Saxon fought along side Bruce Lee and against Freddy Kruger. Nothing else need be said.

And I agree with you Kevin.

|6.16.09 @ 2:08PM|#

If bailing out GM and Chrysler was unpopular, bailing out California will be crazy hated by the rest of the country.

California is not well-liked out here in flyover country (you know, where Presidential elections are decided and Congressional majorities change hands). Taking our tax money during the Great Recession and handing it to the crooks and kooks in California will be electoral suicide. Draping said tax money with strings and fishhooks won't make it any more palatable.

Kyle Jordan|6.16.09 @ 2:15PM|#

"If bailing out GM and Chrysler was unpopular, bailing out California will be crazy hated by the rest of the country."

Which is why I'm all for it actually. The sooner we can get some people to wake up, the better. I keep hoping that the light shining off Choclate Jesus and his Angels of Redistribution will dim more and their halos break.

|6.16.09 @ 2:26PM|#

But in that case, federal help would carry conditions to protect taxpayers and make similar requests for aid unattractive to other states, the official said. The official did not detail those conditions.

The conditions probably involve ass-to-mouth sex.

|6.16.09 @ 2:28PM|#

Who doesn't love the Saxon Violence?

Xeones|6.16.09 @ 2:30PM|#

The conditions probably involve ass-to-mouth sex.

This being governments both Fed AND Cali we're talking about, i'd imagine the conditions would make ass-to-mouth sex seem positively delightful.

Two Foot Stools|6.16.09 @ 2:35PM|#

These problems would all go away if the government would just let ordinary people print their own US currency.

Mister DNA|6.16.09 @ 2:36PM|#

And John Saxon fought along side Bruce Lee and against Freddy Kruger. Nothing else need be said.

Saxon also fought against Mitchell.

|6.16.09 @ 2:47PM|#

Saxon also fought cannibals.

Paul|6.16.09 @ 2:59PM|#

These policymakers continue to watch the situation closely and do not rule out helping the state if its condition significantly deteriorates,

Wow... WOW. How bad would things have to get? How utterly unhinged and unbalanced would kalifornia government have to become.

|6.16.09 @ 3:02PM|#

Mitchell is one of my fav MST3K. Joe Don Baker. That is all.

Mr. DNA, I didn't know they had full episodes on Google video. Score.

Mike M.|6.16.09 @ 3:15PM|#

If bailing out GM and Chrysler was unpopular, bailing out California will be crazy hated by the rest of the country.

Yep, and all the polls are consistently showing that around 80% of Americans are opposed to the illegal and unauthorized auto bailouts.

The Obamessiah and his men can certainly read the polls, and they're finding out pretty quickly that they were elected on disgust with Bush and the Republicans, and not on the desire of Americans to have the government take over absolutely everything and go bankrupt as a result.

|6.16.09 @ 3:18PM|#

California is not well-liked out here in flyover country (you know, where Presidential elections are decided and Congressional majorities change hands).

California is not even liked by Oregon. How many times have we all heard "If California was a country, it would have the 7th largest GNP in the world"? How many times have we heard the fuckhead granola staters talk about how "We could do without the US easier than the US coud do without us"?

Bailout out these plastic people would be political suicide. Obama has no problem tossing his supporters by the wayside when it's politically expedient and California is about to find that out. Like the gays and the blacks trapped in D.C. schools, what are they gonna do? Vote republican? HaHaHaHaHa!

creech|6.16.09 @ 3:22PM|#

And it's not like California is going to vote Republican either. Seats are so jerrymandered that the Democrats are safe even if some small portion of their voters can be convinced Obamessiah has foresaken them.

24AheadDotCom|6.16.09 @ 3:39PM|#

Tim Cavanaugh seems to be wearing some form of collar - it looks like a shock collar of some kind - fashioned in the form of tentacles, almost like a kochtopus or something.

So, because of the shock collar, here's some posts about Zoe Lofgren. If not for the shock collar, I am absolutely positive that Tim Cavanaugh would tell you what her current/former profession is and how it directly relates to CA's problems. I have absolutely no doubt of that!

P.S. In case anyone replies to this, their responses will almost assuredly be ad homs delivered through sockpuppets, thereby conceding my points and showing the cowardly, childish, anti-intellectual nature of libertarians.

|6.16.09 @ 3:43PM|#

7838, Lonewacko.

rascal|6.16.09 @ 4:07PM|#

CALIFORNIA_fucks you!

Fascitis Necrotizante|6.16.09 @ 4:07PM|#

¿Por qué no te callas the fuck up, Lonewacko?

Lex Luther|6.16.09 @ 4:08PM|#

The irony of it all is that I didn't even need to blow Cali off the map to make my Arizona land investment profitable. After Superman foiled my plan, I still had my investments in place, rigged the political machine to make sure only commies got elected in Cali, and I have been selling acreage to her ex-pats ever since.

Lex Luther|6.16.09 @ 4:11PM|#

Then came my greatest act of supervilliany. I went to law school, got my JD and license to practice, and I have been getting criminals off using my super genuis IQ. Superman, Mr Law and Order he is, couldn't do anything about it. He just sat and fumed, and finally one day his head literally exploded.

rascal|6.16.09 @ 4:24PM|#

P.S. In case anyone replies to this, their responses will almost assuredly be ad homs delivered through sockpuppets, thereby conceding my points and showing the cowardly, childish, anti-intellectual nature of libertarians.

WHOEVER PUTS THIS ON THEIR POSTS IS A FUCKNUT NATTERING POPINJAY!!!

|6.16.09 @ 5:52PM|#

Maybe California should declare itself to be a Bank Holding Company and change its name to Goldman Sachifornia?

|6.16.09 @ 6:22PM|#

What is the gameplan if California goes bankrupt? If the Feds don't help, what happens?

Doug|6.16.09 @ 7:31PM|#

I wonder if, on his way out the door, Arnold said, "I'll be back."

Tim Cavanaugh|6.16.09 @ 9:41PM|#

Usually I think it's kind of hot to hear other people's fantasies about me in strange S&M gear, but when it's Lonewacko, well...actually I've never seen Lonewacko, so maybe that's hot too. What are you wearing?

Mike Laursen|6.17.09 @ 12:47AM|#

Lonewacko, is it an "ad hom" if I say that I don't understand your post and don't want to click on your link to find out any more. If you truly want to inform us here at Hit & Run, why don't you come out and say what you have to say instead of linking to your site?

By the way, congratulations on learning how to use the spacebar between words.

Pet Supplies|6.21.09 @ 10:33AM|#

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A Dog Training Collar is a safe, effective and humane way to train your dog.