An interesting piece from William Jasper at The New American regarding the ongoing debacle that is California's political, social and economic climate.
I did not even realise the extent to which California's economy has gone into the shitter: cited in the article is data from the Forbes "Best Cities for Business" rankings from last year and this year, where California went from having 10 of the top 25 and 6 of the top 10 spots, to having only one in the top 25 -- Santa Rosa, ranked 23rd. San Diego has dropped from 1st place to 27th; Ventura has absolutely plummeted from 4th place to 67th.
Some other information specific to Gray Davis' miserable tenure as governor:
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>
• Davis illegally tripled the annual automobile license fee by executive order. This one action, which would add $460 to the average family tax bill, may be the single move that has triggered the most virulent voter response.
• According to Davis projections, his car tax should pay for about half of the $8 billion he needs in new revenues. An increase in the sales tax, already one of the highest in the nation, should bring in another $2.8 billion. The rest he hopes to obtain by increasing the cigarette tax and boosting the state income tax on the state’s wealthiest 10 percent.
• During Governor Davis’s first term, population and inflation combined increased 22 percent. During the same period, tax revenues increased 28 percent and state government spending increased a shocking 36 percent.
• When Davis came into office, he benefitted from a $12 billion budget surplus. He spent that and began his second term by announcing a $34.6 billion deficit.
• The Davis budget falsely claims to be making spending cuts by accounting tricks such as shifting health programs to county and local governments.
• Davis vowed to create 500,000 new jobs during his second term, but the Pacific Research Institute estimates the Davis tax increases will destroy 590,000 more California jobs over three years.
• California spends more than any other state on education, and 44 percent of the Davis budget goes to K-12 education. Yet California ranks 35th nationally on academic achievement.
• When Gray Davis took office in 1999, California ranked 41st in the Small Business Survival Index. But under his stewardship it has sunk to 46th.
• Under Davis, California’s bond rating has plummeted to the lowest of any state, rating just above junk bonds.
• Davis has signed proclamations supporting the Gay, Lesbian, Straight Education Network’s (GLSEN) annual "Day of Silence" in California’s schools and signed legislation giving legal status to homosexual partnerships, paving the way for homosexual "marriage." He has also signed legislation outlawing discrimination against homosexuals by employers, rental property owners, business owners, and others.
• Davis has approved the expenditure of Medi-Cal funds to pay for over 100,000 abortions per year. He has appointed abortion activist Susan Kennedy, who had served for six years as the executive director of the California Abortions Rights Action League (CARAL), as a top Cabinet adviser.
• The latest available figures show that during the first six months of 2002 violent crime was up in California’s major population centers: Homicides increased by 16 percent; robberies, 9.2 percent; rapes, 3.8 percent; auto theft, 12.7 percent.
• Davis changed the definition of overtime from weekly hours (more than 40) to daily hours (more than eight), which has effectively destroyed flexible work schedules, comp time, and four-day workweeks. He also forced businesses to provide paid family leave. Many businesses have cited these measures as major reasons for plans to leave the state.
• Davis signed bills raising the state minimum wage to $6.25 in 2001 and $6.75 in 2002, pushing more jobs and businesses out of the state.
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
Full story is here.
Phaedrus
I did not even realise the extent to which California's economy has gone into the shitter: cited in the article is data from the Forbes "Best Cities for Business" rankings from last year and this year, where California went from having 10 of the top 25 and 6 of the top 10 spots, to having only one in the top 25 -- Santa Rosa, ranked 23rd. San Diego has dropped from 1st place to 27th; Ventura has absolutely plummeted from 4th place to 67th.
Some other information specific to Gray Davis' miserable tenure as governor:
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>
• Davis illegally tripled the annual automobile license fee by executive order. This one action, which would add $460 to the average family tax bill, may be the single move that has triggered the most virulent voter response.
• According to Davis projections, his car tax should pay for about half of the $8 billion he needs in new revenues. An increase in the sales tax, already one of the highest in the nation, should bring in another $2.8 billion. The rest he hopes to obtain by increasing the cigarette tax and boosting the state income tax on the state’s wealthiest 10 percent.
• During Governor Davis’s first term, population and inflation combined increased 22 percent. During the same period, tax revenues increased 28 percent and state government spending increased a shocking 36 percent.
• When Davis came into office, he benefitted from a $12 billion budget surplus. He spent that and began his second term by announcing a $34.6 billion deficit.
• The Davis budget falsely claims to be making spending cuts by accounting tricks such as shifting health programs to county and local governments.
• Davis vowed to create 500,000 new jobs during his second term, but the Pacific Research Institute estimates the Davis tax increases will destroy 590,000 more California jobs over three years.
• California spends more than any other state on education, and 44 percent of the Davis budget goes to K-12 education. Yet California ranks 35th nationally on academic achievement.
• When Gray Davis took office in 1999, California ranked 41st in the Small Business Survival Index. But under his stewardship it has sunk to 46th.
• Under Davis, California’s bond rating has plummeted to the lowest of any state, rating just above junk bonds.
• Davis has signed proclamations supporting the Gay, Lesbian, Straight Education Network’s (GLSEN) annual "Day of Silence" in California’s schools and signed legislation giving legal status to homosexual partnerships, paving the way for homosexual "marriage." He has also signed legislation outlawing discrimination against homosexuals by employers, rental property owners, business owners, and others.
• Davis has approved the expenditure of Medi-Cal funds to pay for over 100,000 abortions per year. He has appointed abortion activist Susan Kennedy, who had served for six years as the executive director of the California Abortions Rights Action League (CARAL), as a top Cabinet adviser.
• The latest available figures show that during the first six months of 2002 violent crime was up in California’s major population centers: Homicides increased by 16 percent; robberies, 9.2 percent; rapes, 3.8 percent; auto theft, 12.7 percent.
• Davis changed the definition of overtime from weekly hours (more than 40) to daily hours (more than eight), which has effectively destroyed flexible work schedules, comp time, and four-day workweeks. He also forced businesses to provide paid family leave. Many businesses have cited these measures as major reasons for plans to leave the state.
• Davis signed bills raising the state minimum wage to $6.25 in 2001 and $6.75 in 2002, pushing more jobs and businesses out of the state.
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
Full story is here.
Phaedrus
