Reason Writers Around Town: California Can Be Reinvigorated
As Reason 24/7 notes, California Gov. Jerry Brown is predicting California will end next year with a budget surplus. Meanwhile over in the Orange County Register opinion section today, Reason Foundation's Carl DeMaio writes:
If you are worried about California's future, there's no shortage of disturbing statistics to keep you up at night. California's unemployment rate was 9.8 percent in November – and, with a host of new regulatory mandates added when the New Year began, our state is becoming even more unattractive for businesses.
California's three largest pension funds have promised $500 billion in retirement benefits that they don't have the money to pay for. California's cities have another $135 billion in unfunded pension liabilities, and a couple of municipalities have already filed for bankruptcy.
California also faces a $765 billion infrastructure deficit over 10 years. Worse, the current paradigm for selecting, financing, maintaining and managing infrastructure is dysfunctional and filled with inefficiency.
And while education costs consume more than half of the state budget, far too many children are trapped in poorly performing schools. California students lag behind national achievement averages in math, science and reading.
Without immediate action, expect state service cuts, along with closures of schools, parks and fire stations in many California cities. It's time for taxpayers and leaders to step forward: What do we want California to look like in 10 years – and how do we get there?
Full column here. DeMaio, the former San Diego city councilman, is inviting you to submit policy ideas for the "California Reform Agenda" he'll be working on with Reason Foundation.
Editor's Note: We invite comments and request that they be civil and on-topic. We do not moderate or assume any responsibility for comments, which are owned by the readers who post them. Comments do not represent the views of Reason.com or Reason Foundation. We reserve the right to delete any comment for any reason at any time.
-
California. Meh. Who cares. Ion, we're going to see a ban on high capacity mags by end of year. I'd guess prolly 10 rounds again.
-
Will probably see background checks required on all gun transactions as well including private.
-
They can legislate it, but there's no fucking way they can enforce it.
-
How could California possibly have a budget surplus?
-
It's that new math they're using.
-
Oh, are they giving the trillion dollar coin to California then?
-
Don't give them any ideas.
-
If so, I imagine it will look like this.
-
That looks like Lenin.
-
You mean it's not?
-
C'mon guys, it's obviously Mobutu.
-
Han, if you want really inflated numbers on money, it should be Mugabe.
-
Han? It was supposed to be 'Nah'.
-
It doesn't.
It's like Clinton's 'surplus'; we got $50K on the credit card but we got our $25.00 monthly minimum covered, so we have a 'surplus' this month. -
It's like Clinton's 'surplus'; we got $50K on the credit card but we got our $25.00 monthly minimum covered, so we have a 'surplus' this month.
If only the rates were actually this good.
-
*Projected* surplus. First you make optimistic projections about revenue. Then you ignore costs you don't want to count. Then you call a 2 billion dollar deficit a surplus. Then you have it.
-
"It's time for taxpayers and leaders to step forward: What do we want California to look like in 10 years – and how do we get there?"
What do we want? A government not larger than half what it is now.
How do we get there? Remove the requirement that government negotiate with unions. -
What do we want? A government not larger than half what it is now.
How do we get there?Remove the requirement that government negotiate with unions.Guns. Lots and lots of guns. -
Feinsteins thinks she's way ahead of you.
-
Anything else you need, besides a miracle?
-
Remove the requirement that government negotiate with unions.Remove the requirement that
governmentanyone must negotiate with unions. -
California Can Be Reinvigorated
i fear Undead-California
-
Two more notes on CA's demise:
1) The propaganda is running to 'tweak' Prop 13 (the next cut in the death of a thousand cuts effort of the Dem CA legislature)
"Time to tweak Prop 13? Homeowners taking on disproportionate share of tax burden"
http://blog.sfgate.com/onthebl.....ax-burden/2) And if you missed it earlier, a very clever tax which will never cover the cost of the administration, but will employ oh, so many more CA gov't SEIU employees:
"New state tax on wood products confusing"
http://www.sfgate.com/default/.....181375.php -
Dude that guy seems to be talking a lot of smack man. Wow.
