Re. California Budget Crisis:
By Daniel at 4 February, 2010, 11:08 am
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
There are many problems in the golden state that can be fixed easily, but special interest will make it very hard to do anything about it.
First is the outrageous salaries of many state workers. Many cities in the bay area, police officers are making over 150K easily. These aren’t 20 year veterans, but 4-5 year officers. There base salary might be 70-75K but since they work an extra 40 plus hours overtime ” eating donuts, relaxing at the station, etc ” they are making a lot more then engineers and management in private companies in the bay area. A article in the Mercury News had a story about one officer making 185K since he had 1500 extra hours of overtime for the year, plus he had K9 training and a allowance for the dog, etc. Many other workers in government are getting pay raises this year, and how many council members are really needed in small cities.
Second is prop 13, which has hurt the coffers for the state. Even a person like Warren Buffett is paying next to nothing on his Laguna Beach House worth 4 million. “His $500,000 house in Omaha has a tax bill of $14,401. His $4 million house in Laguna Beach has a tax bill of $2,264. The taxes on his Omaha home increased $1,920 this year, compared with $23 on the Laguna Beach home, he said.” If they repealed this and would charge a % of the persons yearly salary maxed to a certain number of anyone buying a house pre 2000 this could close the budget. Imagine someone like Aaron Spellings house worth 100 million paying under 25000, since he bought it in the 70’s. Many young people are dis-infranchised because they can’t afford a house or the high taxes since they get docked for buying a house. Since 2000 there has been 2 million people who have left the state.
Third is the deadend programs here in the state. An example is the special interest of the unions like prison guards who lobby for prisons. The state spends over 11 billion a year for the prisons and its 180K prisoners. They spend less then 4 billion a year for the 160K UC of California system. Invest more for the schools since the students are a better investment for the future (making companies, being productive, and paying taxes).
It sucks living in a state where you pay a state income tax of 9% and 9% state tax, and federal.
If you are the top income bracket 36%+9%+9%=54%. This is really sad and they still can’t balance a budget.
California’s road to ruin was probably best exemplified by voters approving that $2+ Billion bond for stem cell research a few years back. Prop 13 is the only place a California taxpayer isn’t taking a shelling.
To get back on it’s feet (and restore sanity), CA would have to:
-Cut all welfare programs (some of these can be brought back when all debts are paid and there is a surplus, but in the meantime, they all need to be cut) -especially all these “bucks for babies” programs that encourage these undereducated, dumb-ass chicks to have kids for the welfare cash.
-Disband Caltrans; Contract out the roadwork
-Cut state employee wages by 30% across the board and eliminate multipliers on “overtime” pay
-No pension for any new state workers. Full pension for existing state worker to be extended to 30 years from 20.
-Cut the police force by 75%. Violent crime is not stopped by a guy on a motorcycle hiding behind a bush with a radar gun.
-Eliminate state recognition of daylight savings time. Ok, wouldn’t save much money here, but daylight savings time is just retarded.
-Let the non-violent drug offenders out of prison, unless they were dealing to kids
-Put penalty multipliers on cops and elected officials caught breaking the law. Those who are paid to uphold the law need stiffer penalties when they decide to break it themselves. A 4-10x multiplier on the fines and 3x multiplier on jail time is probably a good start and maybe some whistleblower rewards for those that turn these scumbags in.
- Joe
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
No comments yet.