California´s Living Nightmare, By Roger Behra

SHORT COMMUNICATION 250

California´s Living Nightmare

By

Roger Behra

Once upon a time state of California was the envy of all the other states in America. People from all over America and foreign countries also had wonderful dreams and wishes of living in California. They were moving there by the thousand every year. There was ideal climate, low taxes, low prices, and beautiful homes available everywhere. Since the year 2000 and the present the pleasant dream has turned into a living nightmare for a barrel full of depressing reasons. In 2011 the only part of the peasant dream that´s left is the ideal climate. The rest of the dream is a disaster of great proportions.

The state of California in 2011 faces a monumental 25 billion dollar budgetary shortfall with no plan or remedy to correct it. The only thing for sure is all the coming corrections are going to be extremely painful. The politicians in Sacramento cannot see eye-to-eye on any cures for the budget problem because all the cures put into the pot are very hard to put into practice. It´s a no win situation, and the suggested cures are many, because the problems are many.

The budget problem tops the list of all the problems. California has the highest taxes in the nation on just about everything. Businesses flee the state in droves. New businesses are very hard to start. California has the highest gasoline price per gallon in all of America, along with the highest gasoline taxes per gallon. California´s Schools are rated at the bottom of the national and international list. The highest numbers of prisoners in the nation are locked up in California.

California is home to over 25% of illegals in the nation, and they drain the welfare system through child births. Home prices are sky high compared to other states. Retirees quickly leave the state to nearby states. And one of the worst events ever was the election of a governor twenty years ago when the downhill slide began on his watch. Jerry Brown is in the clutches or the unions, and the second time around he cannot keep that reputation. They are the real culprits in the 25 billion dollar budget mess.

The Governor and legislature must completely have a change of thinking and the way they do business. They simply cannot continue to be union pawns now or ever again. More than two decades of union control of the budget outcome is enough. It has to be starting point. Otherwise, the revenue-strapped and reform-minded Governor will continue to be little more than a modern day political sissy, while California remains in deep bankruptcy and completely dies on the vine. Governor Brown cannot keep pushing the huge budget rock uphill with no chance whatsoever of reaching the top of the mountain. He has to come to an agreement that include the correct input of both parties. Period.

R. B.
3-30-11