Wonder what you would find if you frisked California and their Governor Arnold “The Terminator” Schwarzenegger?
Answer: He wants a $8 billion bailout.
Ugh… California has already received $7 billion in state grants from the failing stimulus package, but Gov. Schwarzenegger wants more:
Facing another huge deficit, the governor wants $8 billion or threatens massive cuts in social services. He also plans to renew push for offshore oil drilling.
Facing a budget deficit of more than $20 billion, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is expected to call for deep reductions in already suffering local mass transit programs, renew his push to expand oil drilling off the Santa Barbara coast and appeal to Washington for billions of dollars in federal help, according to state officials and lobbyists familiar with the plan.
If Washington does not provide roughly $8 billion in new aid for the state, the governor threatens to severely cut back — if not eliminate — CalWORKS, the state’s main welfare program; the In-Home Health Care Services program for the disabled and elderly poor, and two tax breaks for large corporations recently approved by the Legislature, the officials said.
Schwarzenegger also will propose extending a cut in the state payroll that is scheduled to expire this summer. That cut has translated into 200,000 state workers being furloughed three days a month, the equivalent of a 14% pay cut. Lawmakers would have the option of extending the furloughs, imposing layoffs or some combination of the two.
Disgraceful… We all know the debt racked up by our federal government is awful, but we at least – as a country – hold states accountable to balance their own budgets. Personally, I don’t give a rat’s (you know what) if the Governor has to strap on his Edward Scissorhand blades to make drastic budget cuts that will likely upset Californians. The state has relied on liberal policies for decades which got them into this whole mess. I feel bad for you California, but as Michigan citizen – which we have our own economic problems – I am not paying for your state’s shortfalls.
IF we end up bailing them out – which liberals love to do – we should impose some serious consequences on the state of California. Ed Morrissey has an interesting idea:
Taken at face value, a bailout request is an insult to the federalist model of state sovereignty. The basic act of governance at any level is creating a budget and determining which functions to fund and at what level. California has failed at this for the last few years, and only stayed out of bankruptcy in 2009 because of the Porkulus cash. Coming to Washington, hat in hand, should carry a big penalty for California and any other state demanding that citizens of other states subsidize their incompetence — say, the loss of voting rights in Congress until the money gets repaid. After all, if they’re asking to be a federal protectorate, why should California have any more privileges in Congress than Puerto Rico or other federal protectorates?
Something needs to happen, because this type of reckless political spending is destroying our country and the American people are realizing this!
Side-Note: Notice how I didn’t mention Arnold “The Terminator” Schwarzenegger is a Republican… Yeah, I’m in embarrassed and angry. 😡
You do know we live in the -United- States, right? As in, everyone is in this together.
California’s budgetary problems are not because of its liberal policies. California has the largest population of all 50 states as well as the largest illegal immigrant population. Even the most conservative policies would put it into a deficit. You can not attribute an economic issue rooted in population to simple leanings on the political spectrum.
Do I realize that I live in the United States? Hmm… Yes. Not to be rude, but that’s a pretty dumb question. Since you posted this remark under a story about a state pleading for the American People’s help for a bailout, I have to be curious by what you are referring to when you say “everyone is in this together.” In the context for my post above, no… Actually we aren’t necessarily in this together. Our country consists of 50 independent organized governments under a single federal government. I (from Michigan) am not responsible for the California government’s incompetence when it comes to one of the main goals of a state: balance a budget. As for your population argument, I understand what you are trying to say but how do you explain Texas’ budget? They have the second largest population and rest up against most of the Mexican border? Interesting how that works, huh? Not to mention, it’s the liberal policies that have taken its tole on the state. Due to high costs and higher taxes – what liberal’s love in order to pay for all their entitlements – more Americans have moved out of California than have moved in and business costs are more than 20% higher than the average state’s. You are right about the illegal immigration, but it’s been a big thing with the liberal ideology to give illegal immigrants amnesty. Therefore, out goes the talent while in comes Mexico’s poverty.
Hey there
Absolutely agree.
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100 percent agreement.
keep up your postings
if they don’t have the guts to fix the problem then, they are the problem
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