[I'm bumping this up because the new gasoline tax is about to take effect.]
I was born in California and have lived my entire life in California. The state has great climate and geography, natural resources, and human resources. Unfortunately, it is ruled unchallenged by gender-confused, big government, nanny state, unionist, environut reconquistadors, or, to be redundant, Leftists. Democrats have a supermajority in the state Senate and Assembly, and our Governor is a Democrat. These are not moderate Democrats, either. They are far on the Left. Not only is San Francisco city/county led by Leftists, but so is Los Angeles County and the City of Los Angeles. L.A.’s Mayor is itching to run for Governor or even President.
Illinois is having trouble and California isn't far behind. This is what the rest of the Union faces the more Left it goes.
Here are just some of the things going on in the state right now, that are getting closer and closer to driving me and my family from our home state.
Attack on Quality Health Care - While Congressional Republicans, who voted to repeal Obamacare countless times when Obama was POTUS, fight over how to actually repeal it now that they really can, the California legislature considered further socializing health care in the state. Much to the anger of their Leftist base, they realized they didn’t have the funding for it, but they’ll no doubt try again. This alone may drive us from the state as my family literally can’t survive a reduction in quality.
Government Employee Pensions - Even more so than many other states, California faces massive unfunded public employee pension liabilities. Some people are saying it is approaching $1,000,000,000,000.
Sales Taxes - In addition to income taxes, property taxes, and seemingly countless other fees, taxes, and assessments, California has a statewide sales tax that is currently 7.25%. However, local governments pile on additional sales taxes. For example, the rate in Los Angeles County is currently 9.25%, with some cities at 10.25%. Remember, this is on top of income and property taxes and in addition to federal taxes. Easily, most of your income could be going to taxes, fees, and assessments to fund government.
Gas Taxes - One of those other taxes is on gasoline/fuel. This is addition to federal taxes. I wrote about this already. From sacbee.com:
Transit ridership is down, no doubt in part to illegal aliens getting driver’s licenses, but that won’t stop these social engineers, who are trying to force us out of automobiles, from throwing money at “public transit” and the Browndoggle Train to Nowhere.
Minimum Wage - If sales and gas taxes weren’t enough to raise the cost of everything, the state and local governments are also raising up the minimum wage ahead of the federal government.
Statewide, it is currently $10.00 an hour for employees of 25 or fewer employees, and $10.50 for all others. As of January 1, 2023, it is scheduled to be $15 per hour for all. In unincorporated areas of Los Angeles County as well as within the City of Los Angeles (the county has more than 80 other cities in addition to L.A.), it is now $10.50 for small businesses and &12.00 for others, and scheduled to up every year, until it is $15 for businesses in general 2020 and small businesses in 2021.
Raising the minimum wage increases inflation, kills jobs, and reduces hours for existing jobs.
Homeless and “Affordable” Housing - With our generous taxpayer-funded programs and our good weather, we’re a magnet for the homeless. Who exactly is “homeless” depends on who you ask. Those who want more taxpayer assistance will include people crashing in the homes of friends and family or parking recreational vehicles/campers on public land or borrowed private land as “homeless”. Providing “affordable” (subsidized) housing is not going to solve the problem, because there are a variety of reasons people are homeless. Sure, these programs can help people who are temporarily down on their luck (their residence burned down, they got hit by a bus, their job disappeared, etc.) get back on their feet, but private programs are better at doing that. Many of the homeless are mentally ill, but not ill enough to be hospitalized against their will, addicts, deliberately avoiding “the system”, or people who simply prefer being “homeless” to permanent residency.
Yet, the taxpayers are going to be charged more to support government overhead anyway:
Illegal Aliens - Hey, at least their babies are American citizens! California has been hit hard by illegal aliens, especially the lifestyle criminals and dependents. But don’t worry! In addition to “sanctuary” policies being proposed and implemented statewide and locally, the local government will spend money defending illegal aliens!
Meanwhile, as California Democrats oppose and try to subvert Trump’s “travel ban” intended to protect Americans and our guests from the kind of barbarians who throw people off of tall buildings because it is suspected they are homosexual, while attempting to ban government officials from traveling to certain states because those states don’t force everyone to play the game of pretending some women are men and some men are women. The lunacy is strong with them!
Climate Change Hoax - California is still increasing intrusion into the business and personal and financial lives of residents under the ruse of fighting climate change. Energy costs are rising in California in large part due to requirement about “renewable” energy sources (even as they want to tear down dams). The California Air Resources Board is an agency with far too much power. The state leaders pretend they are the federal government it terms of things like the Paris climate accord. It's amazing to see the rhetorical contortions made by this crowd as they insist federal government has supremacy and the responsibility and then turns around and acts like state government does, depending on when it suits them. They have no integrity.
Taxing Rain - With “clean” water requirements imposing impossible standards on the people of California, trying to eliminate any “pollution” going into the ocean (I wonder who stopped animal droppings from being washed out to sea 200 years ago?), politicians are desperate to figure out how to tax Californians for rain. Many people already live in a flood control district and pay property assessments under that. But the politicians want more. So what’s the solution? Declaring that rainwater that runs off of your property naturally and into storm drains that lead to the ocean is the same thing as controlled sewer water that travels in pipes from your kitchen sink, shower, toilet, etc. to treatment plants. This apparently provides a loophole that allows them to take even more money from property owners.
Violent Crime - Rather than build more prisons, crimes, such as raping a woman who has passed out, are being reclassified as “non-violent”, and state prison inmates are being sent to local jails. Criminals can already serve about half of their already lenient sentence for serious crimes before being set loose. Keep in mind a lot of these criminals have plea-bargained down from more serious charges and/or had some of their charges dropped (for example, they only plead guilty to stealing 10 cars instead of the 30 they actually stole). And that’s just the ones who are actually caught in the first place. But Heaven forbid they get roughed up by another inmate or by a prison guard; taxpayers end up getting soaked in settlements. California has a death penalty and over 700 people on death row, but it’s a joke due to the obstructionists. Go ahead and check for yourself the last time someone was executed in California.
Whiny protestors block our already-horrible traffic. Supermarkets can no longer give us those useful plastic bags for “free” (factored into overhead). Snowflakes riot at our public universities if someone is scheduled to speak who doesn’t bow to their opinions, and they get away with it!
It doesn’t help California that it is run by the competing party to the one controlling the federal Congress and Presidency.
Many Californians, including Leftists, flee for other states. Unfortunately, they often take their voting habits with them, voting for the same thinking that created the conditions they’ve fled.
The Leftism of Democrats is ruining California. Don't let it happen to more states!
I was born in California and have lived my entire life in California. The state has great climate and geography, natural resources, and human resources. Unfortunately, it is ruled unchallenged by gender-confused, big government, nanny state, unionist, environut reconquistadors, or, to be redundant, Leftists. Democrats have a supermajority in the state Senate and Assembly, and our Governor is a Democrat. These are not moderate Democrats, either. They are far on the Left. Not only is San Francisco city/county led by Leftists, but so is Los Angeles County and the City of Los Angeles. L.A.’s Mayor is itching to run for Governor or even President.
Illinois is having trouble and California isn't far behind. This is what the rest of the Union faces the more Left it goes.
Here are just some of the things going on in the state right now, that are getting closer and closer to driving me and my family from our home state.
Attack on Quality Health Care - While Congressional Republicans, who voted to repeal Obamacare countless times when Obama was POTUS, fight over how to actually repeal it now that they really can, the California legislature considered further socializing health care in the state. Much to the anger of their Leftist base, they realized they didn’t have the funding for it, but they’ll no doubt try again. This alone may drive us from the state as my family literally can’t survive a reduction in quality.
Government Employee Pensions - Even more so than many other states, California faces massive unfunded public employee pension liabilities. Some people are saying it is approaching $1,000,000,000,000.
That’s because unfunded pension liabilities are simply what we’ve promised employees for work already performed. And in California, pension promises can never be broken – at least, not outside of federal bankruptcy court.Just about any public funding is at risk to be diverted to current and retired government employee health insurance, salaries, and pensions. Manipulated voters believe the claims that the money is going to go to children, or the elderly, or the sick/disabled, but a lot of it is going to go to public employees.
Sales Taxes - In addition to income taxes, property taxes, and seemingly countless other fees, taxes, and assessments, California has a statewide sales tax that is currently 7.25%. However, local governments pile on additional sales taxes. For example, the rate in Los Angeles County is currently 9.25%, with some cities at 10.25%. Remember, this is on top of income and property taxes and in addition to federal taxes. Easily, most of your income could be going to taxes, fees, and assessments to fund government.
Gas Taxes - One of those other taxes is on gasoline/fuel. This is addition to federal taxes. I wrote about this already. From sacbee.com:
Existing: The base excise tax is 18 cents a gallon. A price-based excise tax is currently set at 9.8 cents a gallon, for a total rate of 27.8 cents a gallon.The new tax is tied to inflation, which means it will feed itself in a vicious cycle. A recall effort has been undertaken to remove a legislator in response, and the Democrats have engaged in all sorts of dirty tricks to undermine the recall effort. It’s really shameful.
Nov. 1, 2017: The base excise tax will increase to 30 cents a gallon.
July 1, 2019: The price-based excise tax will reset to 17.3 cents a gallon, about half-a-cent more than the rate the Brown administration projects will be in effect by then anyway.
The 47.3-cent combined excise tax in effect July 1, 2019 will be adjusted for inflation beginning July 1, 2020.
Average annual revenue: $2.4 billion
Transit ridership is down, no doubt in part to illegal aliens getting driver’s licenses, but that won’t stop these social engineers, who are trying to force us out of automobiles, from throwing money at “public transit” and the Browndoggle Train to Nowhere.
Minimum Wage - If sales and gas taxes weren’t enough to raise the cost of everything, the state and local governments are also raising up the minimum wage ahead of the federal government.
Statewide, it is currently $10.00 an hour for employees of 25 or fewer employees, and $10.50 for all others. As of January 1, 2023, it is scheduled to be $15 per hour for all. In unincorporated areas of Los Angeles County as well as within the City of Los Angeles (the county has more than 80 other cities in addition to L.A.), it is now $10.50 for small businesses and &12.00 for others, and scheduled to up every year, until it is $15 for businesses in general 2020 and small businesses in 2021.
Raising the minimum wage increases inflation, kills jobs, and reduces hours for existing jobs.
Homeless and “Affordable” Housing - With our generous taxpayer-funded programs and our good weather, we’re a magnet for the homeless. Who exactly is “homeless” depends on who you ask. Those who want more taxpayer assistance will include people crashing in the homes of friends and family or parking recreational vehicles/campers on public land or borrowed private land as “homeless”. Providing “affordable” (subsidized) housing is not going to solve the problem, because there are a variety of reasons people are homeless. Sure, these programs can help people who are temporarily down on their luck (their residence burned down, they got hit by a bus, their job disappeared, etc.) get back on their feet, but private programs are better at doing that. Many of the homeless are mentally ill, but not ill enough to be hospitalized against their will, addicts, deliberately avoiding “the system”, or people who simply prefer being “homeless” to permanent residency.
Yet, the taxpayers are going to be charged more to support government overhead anyway:
The supervisors also agreed to spend $266 million over the next 12 months to help the homeless.And of course racism has to be brought into the mix:
The funding comes from a quarter-cent sales tax increase approved by voters in March. The tax will take effect Oct. 1, but Homeless Initiative Director Phil Ansell said the services approved by the board would get underway July 1.
Several people said more funding should be earmarked for black homeless individuals.Meanwhile, local government spenders are really worried that not everyone who can qualify for taxpayer assistance is asking for it. They (are? want to?) run advertising and do outreach that encourages people to become dependent on the government. I kid you not.
Illegal Aliens - Hey, at least their babies are American citizens! California has been hit hard by illegal aliens, especially the lifestyle criminals and dependents. But don’t worry! In addition to “sanctuary” policies being proposed and implemented statewide and locally, the local government will spend money defending illegal aliens!
A $3 million agreement was approved by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors that would provide legal defense for immigrants who are undocumented and facing deportation.But wait! There’s more!
The two-year agreement, which passed 4-1 Tuesday with only Supervisor Kathryn Barger in opposition, partners the county with the California Community Foundation.
These funds are in addition to $5 million in philanthropic contributions and $2 million from the city of Los Angeles, Barger’s office cited, totaling the justice fund to $10 million.Must be nice to have taxpayers pay for your legal defense, if you can get quality lawyers.
Meanwhile, as California Democrats oppose and try to subvert Trump’s “travel ban” intended to protect Americans and our guests from the kind of barbarians who throw people off of tall buildings because it is suspected they are homosexual, while attempting to ban government officials from traveling to certain states because those states don’t force everyone to play the game of pretending some women are men and some men are women. The lunacy is strong with them!
Climate Change Hoax - California is still increasing intrusion into the business and personal and financial lives of residents under the ruse of fighting climate change. Energy costs are rising in California in large part due to requirement about “renewable” energy sources (even as they want to tear down dams). The California Air Resources Board is an agency with far too much power. The state leaders pretend they are the federal government it terms of things like the Paris climate accord. It's amazing to see the rhetorical contortions made by this crowd as they insist federal government has supremacy and the responsibility and then turns around and acts like state government does, depending on when it suits them. They have no integrity.
Taxing Rain - With “clean” water requirements imposing impossible standards on the people of California, trying to eliminate any “pollution” going into the ocean (I wonder who stopped animal droppings from being washed out to sea 200 years ago?), politicians are desperate to figure out how to tax Californians for rain. Many people already live in a flood control district and pay property assessments under that. But the politicians want more. So what’s the solution? Declaring that rainwater that runs off of your property naturally and into storm drains that lead to the ocean is the same thing as controlled sewer water that travels in pipes from your kitchen sink, shower, toilet, etc. to treatment plants. This apparently provides a loophole that allows them to take even more money from property owners.
Violent Crime - Rather than build more prisons, crimes, such as raping a woman who has passed out, are being reclassified as “non-violent”, and state prison inmates are being sent to local jails. Criminals can already serve about half of their already lenient sentence for serious crimes before being set loose. Keep in mind a lot of these criminals have plea-bargained down from more serious charges and/or had some of their charges dropped (for example, they only plead guilty to stealing 10 cars instead of the 30 they actually stole). And that’s just the ones who are actually caught in the first place. But Heaven forbid they get roughed up by another inmate or by a prison guard; taxpayers end up getting soaked in settlements. California has a death penalty and over 700 people on death row, but it’s a joke due to the obstructionists. Go ahead and check for yourself the last time someone was executed in California.
Whiny protestors block our already-horrible traffic. Supermarkets can no longer give us those useful plastic bags for “free” (factored into overhead). Snowflakes riot at our public universities if someone is scheduled to speak who doesn’t bow to their opinions, and they get away with it!
It doesn’t help California that it is run by the competing party to the one controlling the federal Congress and Presidency.
Many Californians, including Leftists, flee for other states. Unfortunately, they often take their voting habits with them, voting for the same thinking that created the conditions they’ve fled.
The Leftism of Democrats is ruining California. Don't let it happen to more states!
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