California Blue Print to Bankruptcy: Part 1 in Triology

May 30th, 2009 | By Sonnie Johnson

Most of us don’t pay attention to what’s going on in our local elections. Until recently, I shared my portion of guilt on this subject. That would explain why mid-term elections don’t draw as much attention as Congressional races held in Presidential election cycles.

With state after state on the brink of meltdown, I question, What happens to a state that goes bankrupt? I can find no record of an American State even coming close to having to answer that question.

We are currently watching history in the making. California’s economic woes create a blueprint of the future of United States of America, as a whole.

California Blue Print

• Residents: Diversity is the key to California’s appeal. The scenery and weather obviously contribute but if you want to view America as the great melting pot, go to California.
• State Government: 27% of California workforce is employed by State government. Remember, these jobs come with great salaries, healthcare, and retirement after 20 years with 80% of payroll still in tact. (Remind you of any car companies?)
• Hollywood Liberals in Charge: What can match Star Power? With the majority of Who’s Who swaying public opinion, where does this leave the average voter?
• Sanctuary Cities and Illegal Immigration: California is the illegal immigrant capital of the United States. Can’t blame the immigrants though, I’d come to if I could get free housing, food, and benefits.
• Go Green, Don’t Drill: Most states can’t boast they have a product to sell. There may be private industries to tax, but not a state owned commodity, like oil. If you don’t have money, why not drill and make some?
• And when it starts to crumble: Raise taxes on an already tax riddled, unemployed population.

When you watch a movie and the bad guy catches the good guy, do you question why the bad guy lays out his evil plan? He tells the Hero who, what, when, why, where, and how; then gives the good guy time to plot his escape and foil the evil plan.

Currently, America is hanging over a shark pit by a thin rope and an ax is slowly inching it’s way towards our only safety. No, I’m not calling California the villain but the bureaucracy practiced in states like California definitely deserve that title.

As in all good movies, here comes the twist. The California people have finally realized the true culprit. It wasn’t Gray Davis or Arnold Schwarzenegger. It was the huge state government spending, both of these men are responsible for.

The bureaucracy, like any other villain, goes into self preservation mode. To feed it’s own ego and hold on to it’s power, it needs money. So the bureaucracy turns to threats. If you don’t feed us, we’ll let the prisoners out of jail, fire the school teachers, and stop answering 9-1-1 calls. You don’t want that, do you?

The California people answered by starting to undo the rope wrapped around their hands. They voted down tax increases to keep the bloated government afloat. On measure after measure, they said enough was enough.

The shocked bureaucracy calls on it’s allies, the federal government. This is where all the audiences’ questions are answered.

Who: The countries’ most populous state

What: On the brink of exposing the dark side of the federal government’s increased spending

When: Immediately! We need your help now

Where: In the bastion of Liberal ideology. If it can’t work here?!?!?

Why: The people have started to turn against us

How: We need money. If you can’t give directly, at least vouch for us to get it elsewhere

Here’s what makes a Great Movie, another twist.

The Federal Bureaucracy, like any other villain, is in self preservation mode. “We need money too, we can’t go giving any money to you. And as for borrowing, have you seen our checkbook? I don’t think our recommendation will do you any good.”

Now, the big “villain” has left the little “villain” to fight it’s own battles. This is where the audience starts to get excited. Will the villain carry through with his threats? Will the hero escape and save the day? Will the big “villain” offer the little “villain” help in the end with strings attached?

All those question will be answered on the next episode. O.K., to far but that’s where we are.

California has serious decisions to make. The bureaucracy is still in self preservation mode. Cuts to the budget are inevitable but each cut provides self inflicted pain to the bureaucracy. It now has to relinquish power and make concessions, where there was once a blank check.

Who gets hurt by the cuts?

5,000 states employees and another 20,000 to get pay cuts. Not bad, huh? Not even close.

500,000 people on welfare-to-work program

1 Million children will lose their healthcare

Elderly individuals will no longer receive dialysis for breast or cervical cancer

250,000 students will no longer receive California grants for college

And next year, California will no longer finance state parks

And more budget cuts are on the way!

Who is this hurting? Are the rich Hollywood elite going to be affected? Will the heirarchy of the bureaucracy see massive slashings? Will the political lobbying groups and guilty politicians have to take a pay decrease or suffer some other punishment?

NO!!!! It will only hurt the people that voted for the massive spending.

This is the problem with the Nannie State, a state where the government does everything for it’s people. Eventually, the money runs out and the people who DEPENDED on that money are the first ones’ cut. Insert Blue Print Here.

• Residents: The poor who were working their way up and those who weren’t are cut. Parents had a set fiscal budget because they thought their child’s healthcare was covered, now it’s not. Parents neglected setting money aside for college tuition because grants were available to state schools. The elderly assumed the government wouldn’t pick and choose which cases of cancer would be treated and which ones wouldn’t, now they have.
• State Government: 5,000 jobs lost. Not to downplay the effect of those jobs on 5,000 California families, but in the over all scheme, how much of big government is actually reduced? Compare the number of schools losing teachers and cities losing police officers, not to mention stats above, and how much of this hit is aimed towards the bureaucracy that caused the mess in the first place.
• Hollywood Liberals in Charge: Be careful what you ask for. You campaign and raise money for the same lobby groups that help shape big government. Now that all the industries are leaving and the manufacturers are going away, you will be the only “RICH” people in the state. How come you never see “STARS” campaigning for the millionaire tax or luxury tax on the items and services only they can afford, to help California out of it’s financial woes? They cheered when child healthcare was proposed, why are none stepping up to keep it in place?
• Sanctuary Cities and Illegal Immigration: The construction jobs are gone and the cities that provide you sanctuary can no longer afford such a luxury. The people are already looking at you like a cause, what happens when the government needs to get the majority back on it’s side? I predict massive deportation in California, soon.
• No to Drilling: Back to the Hollywood elite, you know, the big green machine. Now that you are the only “RICH” group left and the main source of income of the California state government, will you still oppose drilling?

I’ll give California until it’s budget deadline before I start predicting what will happen in the sequel to this movie. The bureaucrary was definelty handed a blow but will it come back with a genius plan to once again trap the good guys in a vicious cycle of cat and mouse? Or will the good guys dispose of the little “villain” and focus it’s attention the Federal Government? Will the little “villains” failure expose the big “villains” evil plan with enough time for the Hero to save the day?

The Mid-term elections of 2010 will tell the next portion of the story. Pay Attention.