California Dreaming Now Nightmare for West Coast
The real estate market collapse wasn’t enough. Immigration woes continue along with gay rights concerns. But the A bomb of aggravation is the pending layoff of 20,000 government workers potentially for today.
Cobalt123
This beautiful beach represents the California dreaming, the great affection and love people have for beauty of California.
That’s a fire alarm that would wake anyone up from California dreaming.
The stimulus bill is to be signed by Obama bill, but the body on the table, California, is burning up now. Schwartzeneggar and Co. are poised to start layoffs because there isn’t enough money in the budget to pay folks. “We are dealing with a catastrophe of unbelievable proportions,” was state Sen. Alan Lowenthal’s statement. Lowenthal is a Democrat from Long Beach and presently chairman of the Senate transportation committee.
Despite the budget shortfall Republicans have refused tax increases. That means no additional money to pay the bills. Senate leader Darrell Steinburg has pleaded with members to put the interest of the state before ideology. Plunging tax revenue has jeopardized state services, and presently because of one Republican vote shortfall a bill to help turn things around with tax increase hasn’t passed.
The result could be layoffs today. Republicans declare that it isn’t reduced tax revenues but spending problems that have caused the difficulties.
Steinburg declared he didn’t like the idea of raising taxes, "Nobody likes that idea, but remember the reason we are in this crisis is because we are in a
national and international crisis," he said.
Right around the corner and down the block a bit, Oregon is facing the same bleak issues.
Not enough tax revenue is the concern. Some people suggest a sales tax. Others wring their hands in dismay. Still others quibble over tax increase vs. reduced spending or combinations of both, but the facts remain that trouble is in another Northwest state other than California. My brother owns a cab company in Portland and already sees more people wandering the streets and folks who have lost their jobs or about to lose them. Worried looks are everywhere, he says
Still there is Washington the land of plenty with Microsoft and Boeing, one would think. But no, trouble there as well. Tax revenues declared to be $4.6 billion. That was the projection in November 2008, just a few short months ago. Problems
loom for Washington State in much the same way as its neighbors.
West Coast folks voted for Barack Obama and put their fate in the hands of this new fellow, now President of the United States. But it appears their savior came too late to stop the calamity that appears well on its way.
