State of California is broke

I can somewhat understand this with police and fire because they put themselves in harms' way (and sometimes actually risk their own lives) to protect the communities they serve. They should be compensated for that.

Where I have a problem is giving those same perks to government paper pushers.

 

The unintended consequences of Prop. 13


www.economist.com/node/18548109


In effect, cities, counties and school districts thus lost their funding independence. Instead of local governments setting their own taxes, they became tentacles of the state octopus. The resulting flow of payments is notoriously opaque—and also ironic, given that Mr Jarvis and his supporters thought of themselves as small-government conservatives. A central tenet of American conservatism is to decentralise power. But one unintended consequence of Proposition 13 was “the centralisation of virtually all finance in Sacramento”, says Lenny Goldberg, director of the California Tax Reform Association.

Today this centralisation is one of the biggest differences between California and other states. Bruce Cain, at the University of California, Berkeley, and Roger Noll, at Stanford University, identify it as the “distinctively dysfunctional element”. California transfers about 71% of its state revenue to local governments. Because the money comes from the state, local administrators no longer have much incentive to spend it efficiently.

 

An unattributed Economist editorial, posted by a board member who obviously doesn't live in the state, and featured some quotes by a couple of professors. All the while, spending goes on like crazy, California has some of the highest state income taxes, sales tax and gasoline taxes in the country (gas tax which is exempted for any ships in the ports, see first link in this thread). A culture of greed and waste seeps into every municipality - I see it, I live it. You don't.

 

Aren't you pulling a "You don't know me?"

Every state has problems. California's problem is basesd on politicians of all stripes not having any will to make tough decisions, whether that means tax reform that could lead to some tax increases or spending

As for the culture of greed, what are you doing in your community to change it? Instead of calling us out for not understanding, I think you need to call your neighbors and community to action.

 

Which is also why those benefits should be high for the cops and firefighters. Why should they risk themselves for $50K a year when they can earn that as a paper pusher?

And that also goes for correctional officers. It's not exactly an easy job.

 

So, it's never going to get better, then.

This is true, poin.

I mean, if you won't suffer from anything, then you really can put yourself out there.

BE the change you seek! Take that immunity out for a spin!

 

They need to elect a governor who will completely change how the pensions work. I don't see that ever happening.

 

A lesson in not using an iPad for work purposes if you use the on-screen keyboard.

 

Spineless pols is definitely part of the problem. When the legislator in my district talks, I swear I see the party bosses' lips move. There's NO original thinking, just goose-stepping along with the party line. For example, a few months ago when the governor made his budget pitch, our guy came out with the routine "we're against the governor's plan" quotes. So I shot him an email (as a private citizen) asking what his plan was. Week or so later, get some canned response about "we're still evaluating it" from the field rep. And I guess we'll never know, since after two years as a marionette in Sacramento, he's running for Congresss!

 

Stitch, tell me what shithole state you live in, so I can opine from 3,000 miles away.

I've broken keyboards from writing to my congresswoman/senators/governor and LA County Supervisors.


Lets take a look at a grass roots campaign, the Long Beach City council. The 4th district councilman has received $24k from the Long Beach Police Officers Association, $12 grand from the L.A. County Federation of Labor AFL-CIO, and $5 grand from LB Firefighters Ass'n.

Politicians bought and sold down to city councilmen.

http://www.lbreport.com/news/jun12/4thcamp2.htm

 

I don't either. But the unfunded pension liability problem, which is not unique to California, will start to be solved by lower salaries for government workers. I know Brown is now proposing five percent salary cuts for government employees, which will basically reduce future liabilities by five percent. And just denying cost of living increases usually reduces pension liabilities.

 

Pennsylvania isn't broke, but it has problems. First, it has the largest state legislature in country and is full-time. There are too many authorities that serve as patronage jobs. Property values haven't been reassessed in decades in some counties. State funding to individual schools doesn't decrease if a school loses students, unlike many states that use a per-pupil formula.

The governor and GOP is against increases taxes for the gas industry despite drilling taking a toll on infrastructure. Oh, infrastructure across the state is in shambles, but if I drive 5 miles to New Jersey, the roads there are great.

Polticians do not want to give up pork in order to fund infrastructure.