California Roundup: Jobs! Jobs!! Jobs!!!

* Why not just burn the money up? The $26 billion federal "jobs" bill passed today will include $2.5 billion "to help balance the state budget and pay the salaries of its schoolteachers."

* John "Cobol" Chiang, the state cotroller who is unable to fix his paycheck-cutting devices to reduce state employee payments, nevertheless reports that the state managed to spend a billion dollars more than projected during in the month of July. The numbers [pdf].

* As noted earlier, the controversy over the city of Bell's excessive pay for top officials has begun to draw in the cluster of neighboring towns. Maywood, the troubled burg that recently made a splash by outsourcing most of its city services, is cutting its close ties with Bell. That's significant because Maywood's "outsourcing" turns out to have been a cosy deal in which it allowed Bell -- which seemed to be flush from ripping off its taxpayers -- to take over many city functions. (Ousted Bell Assistant City Manager Angela Spaccia is apparently still officially the interim city manager of Maywood, but that's expected to end soon.) Given the skill with which Bell diversified its liabilities, Maywood will not be the last place looking to get loose of Bell.

* Fish intifada! South Coast sea urchin divers spit seawater over new environmental bill that will protect the ugly and unloved sea creatures from harvesting.

* Powerless governor can't even lay people off: Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger appeals a Monday ruling prohibiting him from furloughing state workers.

Comments

[Binky]

to help balance the state budget

What does that even mean?

[George V]

It means they are going to ask for more.

[Apologetic California]

So when the public union bailouts run out next year, California is on the hook for staffing that it can't afford. Again.

[Eric R.]

California is finished. It cannot be saved; the collapse now is inevitable and will be soon.

The only question is how violent this will turn when unionized state employees/public sector lose their jobs and the less affluent lose their handouts.

Because if anybody thinks a House (and maybe Senate) controlled by the GOP is going to help bail out the People's socialist republic of CA, no matter how much wailing and cries of "racism" come out of the LSM/MFM, they are as high as the proprietor (and patrons) of a Bay Area medical marijuana shop.

[NAL]

I hope you're right in that last paragraph. I'm less sure about that than you seem to be. The GOP may cry "Uncle" when Good Morning America, Today, etc. are depicting sadsack cases every morning and are running specials on "Why do Republicans hate workers?"

[SukieTawdry]

The sooner the better as far as I'm concerned. Maybe then we'll finally be able to take the exceedingly painful but necessary corrective measures. And maybe the rest of the country will learn something.

[S. PALIN]

I could show them how to balance a budget and properly run a state gov't.

[Shannon Love]

California is a microcosm of what can happen to us on a national scale if we don't reverse the trend towards even increasing state power.

Non-leftists have been warning about California's decline for over 20 years but the left (and many on the right) refused to listen. We should heed the warnings on a national scale.

[Harvard@Cal]

Dude, you got it wrong. Gov. Arnold CAN lay off workers, that's a proven and uncontested power he has. What he can't do (at least till the courts decide) is furlough workers. Furloughing has a "Potemkin Village" aspect (see, all the workers are still here, beavering away) that layoffs don't (the workers are gone, get used to it). So Mr. Hollywood went with the easy and phony solution instead of the hard but correct one.

[Mike Laursen]

The $26 billion federal "jobs" bill passed today will include $2.5 billion "to help balance the state budget and pay the salaries of its schoolteachers."

Hey, thanks Rest of the USA. Dude, we really appreciate it and we won't forget! Promise!

[Blacque Jacques Shellacque]

Hey, thanks Rest of the USA. Dude, we really appreciate it and we won't forget! Promise!

CA will show its appreciation by giving Senator Stupid (Barbara Boxer) another term.

[California]

California is gone now. I guess they are hoping to collect lots of tax after marijuana will be legal in November.

[cheap watches]

I just want to make an advertisement in here,you can find whatever watch you want on my name

[New Balance Fashion]

I get some info about corruption.policy needs transparency.money should be distributed correctly.citizen needs mare jobs.