State Budgets: Day of Reckoning

[bearishgurl]

[quote=paramount]An excerpt from an excellent article on the Central Valley this week in the National Review by VICTOR DAVIS HANSON.

http://www.nationalreview.com/articles/255320/two-californias-victor-davis-hanson?page=1

In two supermarkets 50 miles apart, I was the only one in line who did not pay with a social-service plastic card (gone are the days when “food stamps” were embarrassing bulky coupons). But I did not see any relationship between the use of the card and poverty as we once knew it: The electrical appurtenances owned by the user and the car into which the groceries were loaded were indistinguishable from those of the upper middle class.

By that I mean that most consumers drove late-model Camrys, Accords, or Tauruses, had iPhones, Bluetooths, or BlackBerries, and bought everything in the store with public-assistance credit. This seemed a world apart from the trailers I had just ridden by the day before. I don’t editorialize here on the logic or morality of any of this, but I note only that there are vast numbers of people who apparently are not working, are on public food assistance, and enjoy the technological veneer of the middle class. California has a consumer market surely, but often no apparent source of income. Does the $40 million a day supplement to unemployment benefits from Washington explain some of this?[/quote]

The types of “late-model” vehicles mentioned above are NOT particularly “upper middle class.” 5-15 year-old vehicles of these models, while still “looking new,” are cheap to buy these days and also reliable transportation for a low-income family, esp the Japanese models. And cell phones are often given away (not iphones) in exchange for a 2-year contract with a carrier. I can’t tell you how many offers I’ve thrown away to receive a ‘Droid, Blackberry (Bold or Curve), or other phone with features I don’t need or use for either =<$50 or FREE just for signing a 2 yr "feature-filled" contract! A $25 "bluetooth" device is required by law in this state to talk on a cell phone while driving. EBT cards (formerly "food-stamps") are not valid for non-edible mdse. WIC coupons, also widely used, ARE bulky and time-consuming to process at the register and are only valid for a very strict list of commodities, all edible. In order to qualify for WIC, you must be a mother of young children and/or an eligible expectant mom. The vast majority of EBT recipients/users have minor children. Indigent (usually homeless) adults on “General Relief” and new parolees from a CA Dept of Corrections facility can usually get $50-$75 mo put on EBT’s for their use for a shorter period of time than a family with young children.

I’m not siding with recipients that Hanson observed while visiting markets in CA’s central valley (a far lower-income region than CA’s coastal counties). What I AM stating here is that it may APPEAR to a casual observer that these people are actually somehow “making out better” or “working the system.”

Every resident of this state if free to apply for these benefits and should certainly attempt to if they somehow feel “cheated.” Then they will find out exactly how “poor” they have to be to actually qualify for them :=]

[bearishgurl]

I just read Hanson’s piece on “Two Californias.” He is a native of the Fresno County town of Selma. He’s basically lamenting that CA’s entire central valley is now nearly 100% “Hispanic,” many of whom are “illegal immigrants” and the fact that, due to the shut down of many farms in the last few years (Fed Gov’t paid landowners to idle their land), the unemployment rate in CA’s central valley is now 15-20%, causing much of this population to live in squalor and subside on public assistance.

He’s blaming the wrong people. Illegal immigration is a Federal issue. Many services and benefits CA attempts to provide for this population are essentially unfunded mandates. CA is mandated to pay for emergency room treatment of an illegal immigrant, provide prenatal care, food, housing vouchers and education, yet it is not compensated anywhere near enough by the Fed Govm’t to do this. It is the fault of the Federal Gov’mt that CA has this huge of an “illegal alien” population to begin with, due to its various “work visa” and other visa policies (in which many just overstay and disappear), its “open border policies” and past “border-sieve” problems. This is why our representatives need to stay singularly focused on getting our fair share of Federal dollars from Washington for all of these “unfunded mandates” as well as border-patrol and INS enhancements. Continuing to fulfill these ongoing “mandates,” even partially, could easily wind up “bankrupting” CA in the near future.

[bearishgurl]

I just read Hanson’s piece on “Two Californias.” He is a native of the Fresno County town of Selma. He’s basically lamenting that CA’s entire central valley is now nearly 100% “Hispanic,” many of whom are “illegal immigrants” and the fact that, due to the shut down of many farms in the last few years (Fed Gov’t paid landowners to idle their land), the unemployment rate in CA’s central valley is now 15-20%, causing much of this population to live in squalor and subside on public assistance.

He’s blaming the wrong people. Illegal immigration is a Federal issue. Many services and benefits CA attempts to provide for this population are essentially unfunded mandates. CA is mandated to pay for emergency room treatment of an illegal immigrant, provide prenatal care, food, housing vouchers and education, yet it is not compensated anywhere near enough by the Fed Govm’t to do this. It is the fault of the Federal Gov’mt that CA has this huge of an “illegal alien” population to begin with, due to its various “work visa” and other visa policies (in which many just overstay and disappear), its “open border policies” and past “border-sieve” problems. This is why our representatives need to stay singularly focused on getting our fair share of Federal dollars from Washington for all of these “unfunded mandates” as well as border-patrol and INS enhancements. Continuing to fulfill these ongoing “mandates,” even partially, could easily wind up “bankrupting” CA in the near future.

[bearishgurl]

I just read Hanson’s piece on “Two Californias.” He is a native of the Fresno County town of Selma. He’s basically lamenting that CA’s entire central valley is now nearly 100% “Hispanic,” many of whom are “illegal immigrants” and the fact that, due to the shut down of many farms in the last few years (Fed Gov’t paid landowners to idle their land), the unemployment rate in CA’s central valley is now 15-20%, causing much of this population to live in squalor and subside on public assistance.

He’s blaming the wrong people. Illegal immigration is a Federal issue. Many services and benefits CA attempts to provide for this population are essentially unfunded mandates. CA is mandated to pay for emergency room treatment of an illegal immigrant, provide prenatal care, food, housing vouchers and education, yet it is not compensated anywhere near enough by the Fed Govm’t to do this. It is the fault of the Federal Gov’mt that CA has this huge of an “illegal alien” population to begin with, due to its various “work visa” and other visa policies (in which many just overstay and disappear), its “open border policies” and past “border-sieve” problems. This is why our representatives need to stay singularly focused on getting our fair share of Federal dollars from Washington for all of these “unfunded mandates” as well as border-patrol and INS enhancements. Continuing to fulfill these ongoing “mandates,” even partially, could easily wind up “bankrupting” CA in the near future.

[bearishgurl]

I just read Hanson’s piece on “Two Californias.” He is a native of the Fresno County town of Selma. He’s basically lamenting that CA’s entire central valley is now nearly 100% “Hispanic,” many of whom are “illegal immigrants” and the fact that, due to the shut down of many farms in the last few years (Fed Gov’t paid landowners to idle their land), the unemployment rate in CA’s central valley is now 15-20%, causing much of this population to live in squalor and subside on public assistance.

He’s blaming the wrong people. Illegal immigration is a Federal issue. Many services and benefits CA attempts to provide for this population are essentially unfunded mandates. CA is mandated to pay for emergency room treatment of an illegal immigrant, provide prenatal care, food, housing vouchers and education, yet it is not compensated anywhere near enough by the Fed Govm’t to do this. It is the fault of the Federal Gov’mt that CA has this huge of an “illegal alien” population to begin with, due to its various “work visa” and other visa policies (in which many just overstay and disappear), its “open border policies” and past “border-sieve” problems. This is why our representatives need to stay singularly focused on getting our fair share of Federal dollars from Washington for all of these “unfunded mandates” as well as border-patrol and INS enhancements. Continuing to fulfill these ongoing “mandates,” even partially, could easily wind up “bankrupting” CA in the near future.

[bearishgurl]

I just read Hanson’s piece on “Two Californias.” He is a native of the Fresno County town of Selma. He’s basically lamenting that CA’s entire central valley is now nearly 100% “Hispanic,” many of whom are “illegal immigrants” and the fact that, due to the shut down of many farms in the last few years (Fed Gov’t paid landowners to idle their land), the unemployment rate in CA’s central valley is now 15-20%, causing much of this population to live in squalor and subside on public assistance.

He’s blaming the wrong people. Illegal immigration is a Federal issue. Many services and benefits CA attempts to provide for this population are essentially unfunded mandates. CA is mandated to pay for emergency room treatment of an illegal immigrant, provide prenatal care, food, housing vouchers and education, yet it is not compensated anywhere near enough by the Fed Govm’t to do this. It is the fault of the Federal Gov’mt that CA has this huge of an “illegal alien” population to begin with, due to its various “work visa” and other visa policies (in which many just overstay and disappear), its “open border policies” and past “border-sieve” problems. This is why our representatives need to stay singularly focused on getting our fair share of Federal dollars from Washington for all of these “unfunded mandates” as well as border-patrol and INS enhancements. Continuing to fulfill these ongoing “mandates,” even partially, could easily wind up “bankrupting” CA in the near future.

[paramount]

[quote=Allan from Fallbrook]

Paramount: If you think Belichick isn’t nervous about the prospect of facing the Chargers in the playoffs, you’re crazy.

[/quote]

For some reason, I don’t think New England is to worried about the Chargers.

The Bengals CRUSHED, DESTROYED and DOMINATED the Chargers today.

Norv Turner is done at San Diego.

[paramount]

[quote=Allan from Fallbrook]

Paramount: If you think Belichick isn’t nervous about the prospect of facing the Chargers in the playoffs, you’re crazy.

[/quote]

For some reason, I don’t think New England is to worried about the Chargers.

The Bengals CRUSHED, DESTROYED and DOMINATED the Chargers today.

Norv Turner is done at San Diego.

[paramount]

[quote=Allan from Fallbrook]

Paramount: If you think Belichick isn’t nervous about the prospect of facing the Chargers in the playoffs, you’re crazy.

[/quote]

For some reason, I don’t think New England is to worried about the Chargers.

The Bengals CRUSHED, DESTROYED and DOMINATED the Chargers today.

Norv Turner is done at San Diego.

[paramount]

[quote=Allan from Fallbrook]

Paramount: If you think Belichick isn’t nervous about the prospect of facing the Chargers in the playoffs, you’re crazy.

[/quote]

For some reason, I don’t think New England is to worried about the Chargers.

The Bengals CRUSHED, DESTROYED and DOMINATED the Chargers today.

Norv Turner is done at San Diego.

[paramount]

[quote=Allan from Fallbrook]

Paramount: If you think Belichick isn’t nervous about the prospect of facing the Chargers in the playoffs, you’re crazy.

[/quote]

For some reason, I don’t think New England is to worried about the Chargers.

The Bengals CRUSHED, DESTROYED and DOMINATED the Chargers today.

Norv Turner is done at San Diego.

[Djshakes]

[quote=CA renter]
Do realize that wealth can be defined in a number of ways, but I define it as the control and ownership of the world’s finite resources — the monetary units might change, but the end result is what I care about. In this sense, it is most definitely “zero-sum.”[/quote]

You can define wealth however you want to compliment your stance. In regards to finite resources, what maybe currently overlooked today could very well be tomorrow’s resource. The only thing finite is man’s ability to discover and utilize new resources. 400 years ago no one would have ever imagined a combustible engine or what would power this engine, although the resources existed. Assuming resources are finite is assuming mankind is at the peak of his knowledge in discovering new resources or utilizing them. What if man discovers a way to efficiently utilize a resource with zero waste? Then it doesn’t matter if there is a finite source of that resource as long as the finite source is able to meet the demand.

[Djshakes]

[quote=CA renter]
Do realize that wealth can be defined in a number of ways, but I define it as the control and ownership of the world’s finite resources — the monetary units might change, but the end result is what I care about. In this sense, it is most definitely “zero-sum.”[/quote]

You can define wealth however you want to compliment your stance. In regards to finite resources, what maybe currently overlooked today could very well be tomorrow’s resource. The only thing finite is man’s ability to discover and utilize new resources. 400 years ago no one would have ever imagined a combustible engine or what would power this engine, although the resources existed. Assuming resources are finite is assuming mankind is at the peak of his knowledge in discovering new resources or utilizing them. What if man discovers a way to efficiently utilize a resource with zero waste? Then it doesn’t matter if there is a finite source of that resource as long as the finite source is able to meet the demand.

[Djshakes]

[quote=CA renter]
Do realize that wealth can be defined in a number of ways, but I define it as the control and ownership of the world’s finite resources — the monetary units might change, but the end result is what I care about. In this sense, it is most definitely “zero-sum.”[/quote]

You can define wealth however you want to compliment your stance. In regards to finite resources, what maybe currently overlooked today could very well be tomorrow’s resource. The only thing finite is man’s ability to discover and utilize new resources. 400 years ago no one would have ever imagined a combustible engine or what would power this engine, although the resources existed. Assuming resources are finite is assuming mankind is at the peak of his knowledge in discovering new resources or utilizing them. What if man discovers a way to efficiently utilize a resource with zero waste? Then it doesn’t matter if there is a finite source of that resource as long as the finite source is able to meet the demand.

[Djshakes]

[quote=CA renter]
Do realize that wealth can be defined in a number of ways, but I define it as the control and ownership of the world’s finite resources — the monetary units might change, but the end result is what I care about. In this sense, it is most definitely “zero-sum.”[/quote]

You can define wealth however you want to compliment your stance. In regards to finite resources, what maybe currently overlooked today could very well be tomorrow’s resource. The only thing finite is man’s ability to discover and utilize new resources. 400 years ago no one would have ever imagined a combustible engine or what would power this engine, although the resources existed. Assuming resources are finite is assuming mankind is at the peak of his knowledge in discovering new resources or utilizing them. What if man discovers a way to efficiently utilize a resource with zero waste? Then it doesn’t matter if there is a finite source of that resource as long as the finite source is able to meet the demand.

[Author]

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