Comments on: California Officially Broke

By: Gianomarco

Gianomarco — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 19:37:59 +0000

in addition to the illegal mexican problem; what about all those state employees, bastions of them, milking the clock, benefits, OT, pensions, annual increases, etc…we have hoards of police, fire, DWP, teachers, many of whom took a government job simply to get away from their spouse, eat lunch, hide, milk the clock, maybe do a little “work”, then retire at 50 years with a FULL benefits package all paid for by the american working sucker. Why work in the USA where they terry nickell and dime you, when you can be illegal or be a state lackie and collect big time. the honest, hard-working people are suckers. the illegal mexicans have the system all wrapped up.

By: assteck

assteck — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 18:45:09 +0000

I became joe legal and nowi'm done and out

By: Jermo2

Jermo2 — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 05:51:27 +0000

Basic Economics - here is why California is broke! Let me explain... There
are two families. Joe Legal and Jose Illegal - Both families have two
parents, two children, and they live in California.

Joe Legal works in construction, has a Social Security number, and makes
$25.00 per hour with payroll taxes deducted - Jose Illegal also works
construction, has NO Social Security number and gets paid $15.00 cash per
hour "under the table."

Joe Legal - $25.00 per hour x 40 hours = $1000.00 per week or $52,000 per
year minus 30% away for state and federal taxes... Joe Legal now has
$31,231.00 per year.

Jose Illegal - $15.00 per hour x 40 hours = $600.00 per week or $31,200 per
year. Jose Illegal pays NO taxes out of his illegal $31,200.00 per year
salary.

Joe Legal pays Medical and Dental Insurance with limited coverage $1000.00
per month (in California) or $12,000 per year. Joe Legal now has $19,231.00.

Jose Illegal has full Medical and Dental coverage through the State of
California and Local 'City of Angels' (L.A) Health Clinics at an annual cost
of $0.00 per year. Jose Illegal still has his $31,200.00 yearly salary.

Joe Legal makes too much money is therefore NOT eligible for Food Stamps or
Welfare, so he pays for food at around $1,000.00 per month or $12,000 per
year. Joe Legal now has $7,231.00.

Jose Illegal has no documented income therefore, he is eligible for Food
Stamps and various forms of Welfare. Jose Illegal still has his $31,200.00
(Cha-Ching!).

Joe Legal pays also has a house payment of $1,000.00 per month or $12,000.00
per year and he is now in the hole to the tune of (-) $4,769.00.

Since Jose Illegal... Remember, has no documented income... He also receives
a $500 per month Federal Rent Subsidy - this subsidy pays his rent at
$500.00 per month or $6,000.00 per year - he still has $31,200.00 in his
pocket.

Joe Legal sees this happening and realizes he has to figure out some way to
make ends meet or he is going to lose his house - so... He now works as much
overtime as he can. He finds a part time job on the weekends and evenings.

Jose Illegal has nights and weekends off to enjoy with his family. Joe
Legal's and Jose Illegal's children both attend the same school. Joe Legal
pays for his children's lunches while Jose Illegal's children get a
government sponsored breakfast and lunch.

Jose Illegal's children have an after school ESL program. Joe Legal's
children go home after school. Joe Legal and Jose Illegal both enjoy the
same Police and Fire Protection Services, but Joe Legal paid for them and
Jose Illegal did not.

Joe Legal must repay educational loans for his children to go to college -
Jose Illegal does not. Therefore Joe Legal cannot afford to send his
children to College - JoseILLegal can!

California taxpayers (like Joe Legal) pay for all of Jose Illegal's stuff.
That totals over $42,000 in this example. So Jose Illegal has his $31,200
plus at least $42,000 of value received each year or the equivalent of
$73,200 after tax income. Joe Legal is struggling and Jose Illegal leads a
pretty good life.

And Voila - California is now broke, busted, and disgusted. And now, you and
I will bail them out.

By: Lassi

Lassi — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 00:07:33 +0000

Duce:
while many of the thing you listed are ridiculous, i would wonder as to the legitimacy behind your claim that food stamps are. Everyone deserves a right to live, and in fact, it is most likely the increase in taxes without the equal increase in wages that has caused a need for food stamps. What needs to occur is that people within gov't need to realized that they too are simply people and live a normal life without the extravagance that they are accustomed to, cut their wages in order to cause them to feel what it is like to live within a normal pay scale and funnel those funds into more appropraite and pressing venues.

Unfortunately welfare is not used as it was intended to. It was to be a short term solution for people to get back on their feet. So bring wefare back to its original intent, its not an evil entity in and of itself, however the misuse of it is and thats wherein the problem lies. Too much misuse of programs and services with no accountability and too many government employees getting near to a free ride. Revamp those two areas and see the savings pour in.

By: duce14277

duce14277 — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 18:05:39 +0000

PATRICK EDABURN,

You seem to be very biased based on your comments. The facts are that it is not a Democrat or a Republican issue but rather unprecedented spending that has put CA in this situation. Taxes are already too high, and by raising them more in these tough economic times would be foolish. The state should cut down on their spending. Stop some benefits, and stop stupid programs such as radio adds and other advertising. There is no need for this. Also no more paid holidays if the state workers are not working. Also the pensions the state workers get are ridiculous. Reform and paying attention to P&L statements and cash flow is the only way to solve CA's problems.

Patrick don't direct your hatred towards Republicans. Point the finger at all the unions, pensions, welfare recipients, section 8 housing, high amounts of state employees, food stamps and radio adds. These things are ridiculous and not needed.

By: Dr_J

Dr_J — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 03:15:36 +0000

Let's see… government struggles for over a year with its most basic job, to balance revenue and expenses. It fails. It calls a special election with a bunch of half-fixes for voters to punt real decisions down the road another year or so. Voters decline. Government fails again to come up with a budget.

And this is the fault of…the private sector capitalists?

Father Time needs to get back on his medication.

By: Buckelew

Buckelew — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 02:51:50 +0000

“Home of the Crisis Structure” should be California's new state motto. It has become the poster child for all that is wrong in America: Too many stupid people crammed into too little a space with too much government.

Do you realize how large California's government has gotten? Do you realize how into everyone's personal business it has leveraged itself?! Taxpayers are leaving the state in droves while those dependent on the state are moving in.

Get a grip — get rid of the state government and all its stupid rules, and California could once again become a viable, attractive place to live. But not a single day before then.

By: Zzzzz

Zzzzz — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 22:58:03 +0000

It is retirees who are bankrupting America. Medicare, retirement packages, social security, senior transportation services, nursing homes, on and on.

Left leaning politicians enable them via unions. Right leaning politicians ignore the dramatic effect retirees have on government budgets and blame everything on the poor, while enabling them with new entitlements (Medicare, Part D) or tax relief (Prop 8 in California). We are all becoming slaves to the elderly.

By: njgirl4

njgirl4 — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 20:42:34 +0000

Are you serious?
Liberal policies and Liberal overspending have bankrupted the state. Everyone is getting screwed now because of this and it's only going to get worse.Capitalism would have worked here, it's government mandate and ridiculous spending that has failed the people.

By: DLS

DLS — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 19:37:08 +0000

Liberal policies bankrupted New York City by the mid-1970s and they have bankrupted California now.

This is no surprise, nor are any lies and floridly-psychotic charges against others or other feeble and worthless attempts at diverting attention from the real issue at stake here.

California deserves no bailout from the federal government.

Federal receivership should be accompanied by demotion to territorial status and federal occupation -- these leftist lunatics deserve the equivalent of Reconstruction and even more radicalism than then.

This California native has no sympathy for undeserving California. You engineered your own sick fate.

By: Father_Time

Father_Time — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 17:06:43 +0000

All this state and federal government going bust is exactly the long term republican plan. Bankrupt government and government becomes weak. Weak government means strong powerful capitalists. Strong capitalists means everybody else gets screwed. Social Darwinism will be the cornerstone of our new Corporate Republic. Nazism without the military paraphernalia.

By: shannonlee

shannonlee — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 16:26:24 +0000

The only thing that can help California now is serious social unrest. We need massive change and that usually only comes at the end of a crisis.