California's real drought....common sense.

After a considerable hiatus brought on by personal commitments that could not be left unattended, I am happy to report PCT is back online.  Our first episode will be an analysis provided by Joel Kotkin on the present California drought and how it might have been avoided, or at the least, alleviated through preparation. Preparation which was dissuaded by the political outlook of the Golden State's Leftist hegemony. To whit the Golden State is no longer so golden....and that is a very unfortunate situation for everyone.

California has met the future, and it really doesn't work. As the mounting panic surrounding the drought suggests, the Golden State, once renowned for meeting human and geographic challenges, is losing its ability to cope with crises. As a result, the great American land of opportunity is devolving into something that resembles feudalism, a society dominated by rich and poor, with little opportunity for upward mobility for the state’s middle- and working classes. 

The water situation reflects this breakdown in the starkest way. Everyone who follows California knew it was inevitable we would suffer a long-term drought. Most of the state—including the Bay Area as well as greater Los Angeles—is semi-arid, and could barely support more than a tiny fraction of its current population. California’s response to aridity has always been primarily an engineering one that followed the old Roman model of siphoning water from the high country to service cities and farms. [...]

 

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In 2014 the "War on Women" was a Fluke...a Sandra Fluke

Historically speaking, minority participation in mid-terms is usually low. This fact is usually troubling for Democratic operatives who now, like in mid-terms past, have opted to target the female demographic, in order to make-up the lost share of votes that are otherwise cast by racial minorities.

So...if you are targeting women then it only seems reasonable that you would dig into your political bag of tricks and bring out an oldie but a goodie, the perpetual Republican "war on women."

Beyond using the ass-beating Democrats took in the mid-term as a metric for success, there is a far more humorous and snide way of determining whether or not this "strategy" was effective.

Enter...the Condom Fairy Princess, Sandra Fluke.

Mzzz. Fluke gained a certain bit of notoriety in early 2012 by testifying in front of the Democratic members of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee on the "importance of requiring insurance plans to cover birth control."  Fluke was then repudiated by Conservative talk show host, Rush Limbaugh, as a "slut" and a "prostitute." Needless to say this catapulted Mzzz. Fluke to upper echelons of Liberal hierarchy and sympathy; even garnering her a shot at California state Senate seat this past election cycle.

Well...Mzzz. Fluke lost that contest to a fellow Democrat and a man!! And lost it quite handedly I might add.

Fluke lost to fellow Democrat Ben Allen, a Santa Monica-Malibu school board member, by over 21 points.

Subsequently, it seems that the "war on women" adage isn't even resonating with hard core liberals of the California variety. But on a brighter note, maybe with this defeat it might be the last we see of Mzzz. Fluke. Well maybe until Liberals want to recycle identity politics of Christmas past and dust Mzzz. Fluke off for the next go-round.

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Schwarzenegger to consider "Flat Tax" for California

I came across an interesting article from the LA Times, courtesy of Drudge, about Arnold Schwarzenegger considering such "radical" proposals as a flat tax to overhaul the beleaguered state's tax codes.

From the LA Times.

LA Times-Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said today that he would like to see such “radical” proposals come out of a commission now studying an overhaul of the state’s tax system. The governor told the editorial board of the Sacramento Bee that he hoped the commission would not be afraid to propose something like “a 15% straight tax.”

With all the fiscal problems facing California the attitude of some West Coasters seems to be shifting, at least fiscally. By all accounts, a Libertarian styled movement is generating among Cali's constituency.

Now, I am not saying that they will no longer be the Left Coast, just that it might be becoming the Liberaltarian Coast.

Strange brew.

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California Dreamin' or Nightmarin'

Ever get the feeling you are about to get mugged? Have you ever come home to find your home has been ransacked by criminal thugs who have just turned your life upside down? Well, if you don't feel it now, when comes time to pay for the stimulus package, you might.

The state of California, according to the all seeing all knowing Wiki, boasts the eighth largest economy as far as GDP, eleventh as far as purchasing power parity, and is responsible for thirteen percent of the national GDP of the United States. Pretty impressive.

Now for the bad news, as reported by the LA Times, Cali is facing a projected $41 billion budget deficit by the middle of next year. Lawmakers and Governor Arnold "Arnie" Schwarzenegger are feverishly attempting to come to a compromise on how to settle their budgetary shortfalls. Their solutions; $14.4.billion in tax increases,$15.1 billion in program cuts, and $11.4 billion in borrowing.


Here is a more acute breakdown from the Tax Foundation,




Why look at Cali? Because, California, is the looking glass for future outcomes for the rest of the country, politically and economically. Looking at their solutions might just give some insight as to what to expect from our government and for the country over the next few years .

Now, when it comes time to pay up for the stimulus, what do you think our almost broke country is going to have to do? Raise taxes, cut spending, borrow, or spend more, much like California. Here is the cost per family and per person for just this stimulus, forget the original Bush stimulus ($168 billion), TARP I ($700 billion), Geithner's proposed TARP II ($1 trillion to $2 trillion), and the national debt, pre-stimulus rich environment (Sept.2007 est.-$9,007,653,372,262.48).

From WashingtonWatch.com



However, this is per American; every man, woman, and child, all 303,824,640 (July 2008 est.) of us. Though, this is not necessarily the people who are going to be paying it back, enter working Americans. The labor force estimates in the US, as of 2008, are at 155.2 billion (Using Ms. Pelosi's numbers.), roughly half of the population. That just about doubles the tax burden, generated by the stimulus, on working Americans who will be required to pay this garbage back. Or, $4,696.20 per American worker, using WashingtonWatch.com's numbers. Feel like you're getting mugged yet?


Important Sites:

ReadtheStimulus.com

Even though it is too late, NoStimulus.com

How your money is being spent, ProPublica.

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