Image above from Jun 2009 article "Why is California broke?"You've all heard California is broke, right? Do you know why?
Some reasons can be seen in a glaring harsh reality described by Victor Davis Hanson in Two Californias.
He "wanted to witness, even if superficially, what is happening to a state that has the highest sales and income taxes, the most lavish entitlements, the near-worst public schools (based on federal test scores), and the largest number of illegal aliens in the nation, along with an overregulated private sector, a stagnant and shrinking manufacturing base, and an elite environmental ethos that restricts commerce and productivity without curbing consumption."
Remember when California had a reputation as "the golden state" because of the gold rush which made furtunes, of course lovely weather and perhaps a bit of old time Hollywood glamour from decades past.
Now? Not so much.
Mr. Hanson thinks the ticking time bomb problems in CA is due to "vast transformations over the last 20 years that are the paradoxical wages of unchecked illegal immigration from Mexico, a vast expansion of California’s entitlements and taxes, the flight of the upper middle class out of state, the deliberate effort not to tap natural resources, the downsizing in manufacturing and agriculture, and the departure of whites, blacks, and Asians from many of these small towns to more racially diverse and upscale areas of California."
Good article, read the rest here.
Mr. Hanson might be very happy to hear a "Federal judge orders rewrite of delta smelt plan" which means more WATER will go to farming instead of saving a wee fish.
That is good business news for California agriculture.
"U.S. District Judge Oliver Wanger said in a 225-page opinion that portions of the guidelines meant to protect the delta smelt and manage water flows from the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta violated the law.
The opinion covered six cases filed separately by agriculture interests, environmental groups and urban water districts against federal wildlife, land and water managers over plans meant to safeguard the dwindling species, called a biological opinion.
"The 2008 (biological opinion findings) are arbitrary, capricious, and unlawful, and are remanded to Fish & Wildlife for further consideration in accordance with this decision and the requirements of law," Wanger wrote."
-and-
"With the economy struggling and unemployment still soaring, it is welcome to see a judge refusing to rubber stamp extreme, destructive and unjustified environmental regulations," said Damien Schiff, an attorney with the Pacific Legal Foundation, which represented three farmers who say water cutbacks harmed their businesses.
In recent years, court decisions aimed at protecting the smelt have restricted water deliveries from the delta, the inland estuary where the finger-sized fish live, and have spelled major losses for growers in the state's farm belt who rely on the system to irrigate their crops.
The delta is also the heart of California's water delivery system, and provides drinking water for 25 million people. Urban water districts in Southern California welcomed Tuesday's ruling, saying the regulatory restrictions previously had "crippled" their water supplies."
Also, in non-related, Kyle Olson at Breitbart points out some good news out of California, "L.A. Parents Pull the Trigger on School Choice":
"The parents of students at McKinley Elementary School in Compton, California have risen up and taken control of their children’s education.
The parents are making use of a new California law, called the Parent Trigger, which gives them the power to impose sweeping changes on failing schools."
"There are many California schools that would qualify for parental action under the Parent Trigger law, according to the Los Angeles Daily News.
In the Los Angeles United School District alone, 250 schools have failed to meet academic standards for more than three years, the newspaper said.
Under this law, if the majority of a school’s parents agree, they can choose to close down the school, replace the entire staff, or convert it to a charter school. All that is required is a petition signed by 50 percent of the parents."
"Giving parents the power to choose the best option for their child’s education – that must be the future of education in the United States. Together we can create a new future for all children, one that prepares them for a successful future and a better quality of life. America’s children deserve nothing less."
WOW... Great news! Good on them. Less union influence and more parent involvement. Excellent. Hopefully there will be more truthful teaching and less public school propaganda peddling.
Remember when California had a reputation as "the golden state" because of the gold rush which made furtunes, of course lovely weather and perhaps a bit of old time Hollywood glamour from decades past.
Now? Not so much.
Mr. Hanson thinks the ticking time bomb problems in CA is due to "vast transformations over the last 20 years that are the paradoxical wages of unchecked illegal immigration from Mexico, a vast expansion of California’s entitlements and taxes, the flight of the upper middle class out of state, the deliberate effort not to tap natural resources, the downsizing in manufacturing and agriculture, and the departure of whites, blacks, and Asians from many of these small towns to more racially diverse and upscale areas of California."
Good article, read the rest here.
Mr. Hanson might be very happy to hear a "Federal judge orders rewrite of delta smelt plan" which means more WATER will go to farming instead of saving a wee fish.
That is good business news for California agriculture.
"U.S. District Judge Oliver Wanger said in a 225-page opinion that portions of the guidelines meant to protect the delta smelt and manage water flows from the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta violated the law.
The opinion covered six cases filed separately by agriculture interests, environmental groups and urban water districts against federal wildlife, land and water managers over plans meant to safeguard the dwindling species, called a biological opinion.
"The 2008 (biological opinion findings) are arbitrary, capricious, and unlawful, and are remanded to Fish & Wildlife for further consideration in accordance with this decision and the requirements of law," Wanger wrote."
-and-
"With the economy struggling and unemployment still soaring, it is welcome to see a judge refusing to rubber stamp extreme, destructive and unjustified environmental regulations," said Damien Schiff, an attorney with the Pacific Legal Foundation, which represented three farmers who say water cutbacks harmed their businesses.
In recent years, court decisions aimed at protecting the smelt have restricted water deliveries from the delta, the inland estuary where the finger-sized fish live, and have spelled major losses for growers in the state's farm belt who rely on the system to irrigate their crops.
The delta is also the heart of California's water delivery system, and provides drinking water for 25 million people. Urban water districts in Southern California welcomed Tuesday's ruling, saying the regulatory restrictions previously had "crippled" their water supplies."
Also, in non-related, Kyle Olson at Breitbart points out some good news out of California, "L.A. Parents Pull the Trigger on School Choice":
"The parents of students at McKinley Elementary School in Compton, California have risen up and taken control of their children’s education.
The parents are making use of a new California law, called the Parent Trigger, which gives them the power to impose sweeping changes on failing schools."
"There are many California schools that would qualify for parental action under the Parent Trigger law, according to the Los Angeles Daily News.
In the Los Angeles United School District alone, 250 schools have failed to meet academic standards for more than three years, the newspaper said.
Under this law, if the majority of a school’s parents agree, they can choose to close down the school, replace the entire staff, or convert it to a charter school. All that is required is a petition signed by 50 percent of the parents."
"Giving parents the power to choose the best option for their child’s education – that must be the future of education in the United States. Together we can create a new future for all children, one that prepares them for a successful future and a better quality of life. America’s children deserve nothing less."
WOW... Great news! Good on them. Less union influence and more parent involvement. Excellent. Hopefully there will be more truthful teaching and less public school propaganda peddling.
Image above from Apr2010 Carpe Diem "The Unsustainable Unionacracy of California"
Much work to do... might be awhile til California is "golden" again.
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