Tim Cavanaugh Talks Golden State Stagnation on Good Day L.A.

Reason.com managing editor Tim Cavanaugh appeared this morning on FOX 11 Los Angeles.

Topic: California Gov. Jerry Brown's is pushing for steep tax hikes even though the state's economy has shown no signs of recovery and its unemployment rate is still the second-highest in the nation. 

More than two-thirds of Californians support tax increases, according to a Public Policy Institute of California pollster who uses the phrase "Therein lies" so it's clear he knows what he's talking about. 

The Tax Foundation reports that California's tax climate is the nation's third-worst for business. 

Brown says they've been saying the same thing since Jerry Ford was president. 

Cavanaugh pontificates from the heart of Hollywood: 

Comments

[silent v]

"I have in my office a report that rated California the forty-ninth worst state in 1975"

Doesn't forty-ninth worst mean second best?

[?]

You have the right to remain silent.

[Mr. FIFY]

It means "second from not the worst".

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["Furious" Styles]

"We reached out to the other side for a response. Long time opponent, Max, responded 'Tim Cavanaugh is a racist, libertard cunt, and his mom smells bad and dresses him funny.'"

[Incredulous]

"So what's wrong with taxing the people who have higher incomes, $250,000 a year or more? Have them pay a little more to help out Californians. Many people might think hey that's a great idea."

WTF? Of course people think it's a great idea if OTHER people pay more. It's wrong for several reasons. First of all, they already pay higher tax rates. Secondly, how is it right to steal more of their money? Thirdly, it's impractical since many of them will just leave your crappy state.

["Furious" Styles]

Fourth, the money will never reach Californians, as the bureaucratic shitty-hole of a government will burn the cash on wasteful endeavors or use it to pay off special interest groups.

[Sevo]

Fifth, whatever money is collected under the new taxes will be spent along with an additional 25%, meaning it, like every other tax increase, will generate a higher debt.
Simply put, there is *no* revenue level which will satisfy a government. *Any* increase in revenue will result in higher government debt.

[Sevo]

Sixth, there will be an astonishing increase in the number of people who make $240,000.00/annum. And decide December is a good time to not provide services and products.

[BakedPenguin]

Nice smack down of Brown to start off with.

Also, was that YouTube comment spelled correctly? I'm surprised a YT commenter was able to get through a paragraph without mistakes.

[db]

I'd bet on a Hit and Run regular.

[rsi]

Its not Jowhn.

[EDG reppin' LBC]

I think you meant Jonh.

He meant to say:

Hey Tim - GET SOME!

Fashion advice: You look whore-able in that 'colored' suit and the black shirt is dawwful.

Do you seriously think you don't look [this way]? Like, shit, you are on camera buddy!

Look! [I can] count... 1 2 3 4

[fishfry]

To be fair, when Gerald Ford was president, Jerry Brown was governor. They overlapped in 1974 and 1975.

[Ken Shultz]

Another awesome job by Cavanaugh.

From the opening line, "Yeah, the state was in trouble the last time Brown was governor, too" to the very end about not giving small business owners yet another reason to leave the state, I couldn't have said it better myself.

The saddest part is that if they raised taxes in the middle of what are still recession like conditions in California, it may not even get them much more revenue over the long run.

They should be cutting taxes under these conditions; not raising them.

[Sevo]

"The saddest part is that if they raised taxes in the middle of what are still recession like conditions in California, it may not even get them much more revenue over the long run."

Except for very temporary conditions, there is *no* revenue level which will not be turned into additional debt by the Dem-controlled CA government.

[Ken Shultz]

There is *no* revenue level which will not be turned into additional debt by the Dem-controlled CA government.

Yeah, there's that, too!

There's no way Sacramento is about to make good use of any extra money they get anyway.

Oh, and speaking of stupid decisions by the California government, rejecting that foreclosure settlement the other day? I think that was a seriously stupid thing to do.

The sooner those homes get foreclosed on, the sooner things start getting better. You can't have all those assets dragging on banks' balance sheets without it having a profound effect on lending in the state. You can't have all that supply of homes sitting out there waiting to come onto the market--and expect home prices to recover!

The state government should be doing everything in its power to help that foreclosure process run as quick and smoothly as possible--but instead, the state government is throwing the biggest monkey wrenches they can find into the process at every opportunity.

I don't know if Harris and Co. are so stupid they don't know that? Or if it's a political calculation on their part--maybe they think they'll score more political points by being seen as stickin' it to the banks than they'll lose by being seen as stickin' it to the economy?

Whatever it is, what they're doing looks mighty stupid from where I'm standing.

[ryan]

I believe you're a Californian so it may be more relevant to you, but I don't often bother attempting to decipher political motives. Actually that applies to all duplicity. It's generally dull stuff.

[Ken Shultz]

When somebody pulls the rug out from under a workable solution to the biggest economic problem we have right now, it's hard not to wonder why.

[Sevo]

"Or if it's a political calculation on their part--maybe they think they'll score more political points by being seen as stickin' it to the banks than they'll lose by being seen as stickin' it to the economy?"

She is an ex-GF of Willy Brown; she entered local politics on his coat-tails, and AFAIK, has never considered any value other than the political considerations resulting from any given decision or activity. There isn't a shred of evidence to presume she understands the economic impact of the alternatives, let alone considers them.
"Cynic" pretty much covers her. "Sleaze-bag" does well also.

[Ken Shultz]

In this case, cynicism might be better than the alternative.

I'd hate to think they actually thought that what they were doing was better for the economy.

[Sevo]

"I'd hate to think they actually thought that what they were doing was better for the economy."

Nothing the woman has ever done (as a politico) suggests she'd give the least consideration to economic effects.

[Colonel_Angus]

Good Day Go Fuck Yourself, LA. I'm Barrack Obama?

[Fist of Etiquette]

"Well, he's right. California was in trouble last time he was governor, too."

Higher income folk are also more capable of heading for friendlier climates. Bloomberg's been finding that out with his tax incentives to exodus.

And a black shirt with that color suit? Youtube commmenters are always right, my friend.

[ryan]

I think you look great, Tim.

Here's my resum

[Tulpa]

Cavanaugh's problem is his uncanny resemblance to HP Lovecraft. Fits in with the whole once-prosperous, now-accursed coastline theme of his writing.

[Sevo]

"Cavanaugh's problem is his uncanny resemblance to HP Lovecraft."
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wi.....ft1934.jpg
Yep, they both have two eyes....
Tulpa, you need a new 'scrip for your glasses.

[Heroic Mulatto]

To be fair, the only legitimate time one could wear a black shirt with a suit is during a production of Guys and Dolls.

[rather]

"California was in trouble the last time he was governor too"

Oh snap!

BTW, what is it with libertarians who don't know how to dress for TV?