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367 Comments
- Hillsfar, on 06/04/2009, -26/+181
Biggest thing:
1. No more illegal immigrant children in schools. Currently, they can attend kindergarten through college and even pay in-state tuition and get financial aid..
2. Bill their home governments for all illegal immigrant health care. (Mexican consulate sent the bill, for example.)
3. Send illegal immigrants into federal custody. Deport on sight. Check driver's licenses.
Even back in 2004, the cost of illegal immigrants was some $10 billion annually.
http://usgovinfo.about.com/od/immigrationnaturaliz ...
None of these shows up on the choices, though. - codyman, on 06/04/2009, -13/+92/beginrant
Stop giving state government officials "perks" like free cars, gas, travel expenses, fine dining, etc. that the tax payer currently ends up having to pay for
Kick out the illegal immigrants -- Illegal = illegal ---> a new concept to a bunch of people here in California who prefer to say they are "undocumented" -- sorry, but no, you're illegal, if all the sudden I decided to pickup and live in Germany "undocumented", if they found me, they would kick me out in a heartbeat, and so would many other countries - we seem to be the only country / state that just says "sure, come on it, don't pay taxes, and while you're at it, take up jobs and use our healthcare / education / etc. for free!!!"
Oh, and find out all the people that do those "studies" -- I mean, for instance, they want to put a light pole up yet they have to hire a person "contractor" to "study" the situation, usually for six figures -- who the hell are these people? where do you sign up for those jobs? sweet baby Jesus, why would you pay someone tons of money to "study" a situation when you could go out and just look yourself? Basically, all this waste in bureaucracy needs to be cut
Unions / teachers union / police etc --- ***** YOU -- you always want more money regardless of the economic situation and regardless of your performance... saying "I have been here xyz" amount of years != merit -- merit is when you do a good job, thus you get rewarded, NOT "oh hey, I have been slacking here xyz amount of years, therefore pay me more" -- having gone through the public education system k-12 here in southern California, trust me, there is a lot of ***** teachers out there that only are here cause of "tenure" in that they basically did a ***** job for xyz amount of years, and now can't get fired and only big pats on the back for being ***** --- and let's not even get started with the police...
ok, I think that's enough
/endrant - TheInformer, on 06/04/2009, -7/+84Until California decides that paying prison guards, teachers, and other essential positions is more important than spending billions of dollars on illegal aliens, they should get no help at all. California needs to get their priorities in order.
Also, exorbitantly taxing people and businesses (which is really a tax on people) which causes them to move out of state isn't a good idea. Encourage businesses and growth; don't scare them away. - santiago1, on 06/04/2009, -5/+68 A comment worth a million diggs if I ever saw one.....
I'm all for immigration, but you don't do it like a virus. - otterp, on 06/04/2009, -1/+63SNL already solved this: Don't Buy Stuff You Can't Afford.
Just as people should earn things instead feeling entitled, governments should not provide services that they can't pay for or guarantee entitlements for things that people should earn for themselves. - mehan, on 06/04/2009, -15/+751. Legalize and tax.
- merky1, on 06/04/2009, -2/+51I noticed that. All of the immigrant services listed mentioned "legal". The only discussion for illegals was to make them the federal governments problem.
- wesleyzero, on 06/04/2009, -1/+44I think we all know the answer. It's been tested and proved time and time again: bake sale.
- sirjimithy, on 06/04/2009, -1/+39And while you're up, could you make us a ham sandwich?
- igeoffi, on 06/04/2009, -7/+41If in 2004 illegals cost CA $10 billion annually, I'd say by now it's at least increased another $5 billion to $15 billion. I would bet that if we deported all the illegals we would close this $24 billion budget deficit very rapidly with little cuts in other gov. programs.
- hipnerd, on 06/04/2009, -10/+42How about "Repeal Prop 13" which has destroyed the state's ability to stabilize its income (we are far too dependent on income taxes) and helped create the bizarro-land housing market that led to our current crisis?
No one likes to pay taxes, but this mantra that all taxes are bad needs to stop.
I remember when Bush was running against Gore in 2000. At the beginning of the campaign, the Feds were running a large surplus. Gore wanted to "put it in a lockbox" for Social Security -- an excellent idea if not a particularly sexy one. Bush wanted to "give it back to the American people" in the form of a tax cut. Forget shoring up Social Security or paying off any of the massive debt we have accumulated over the years (primarily under Republican administrations.)
Then the dot-com bubble burst and the economy slowed down. It was not certain that we would have a surplus to "give back to the American people." What was Bush's new tack? "We need a tax cut to stimulate the economy."
In good times, cut taxes. In bad times, cut taxes. Spend more than you take in and let future generations figure it out. I'm sick of it. Lowering taxes is easy, but none of the people who lower taxes ever seem to have any idea how to reduce spending to match the reduced revenues. And don't give me that "lowering taxes increases revenues" crap. It does not. Never happened. Never going to happen.
Bill Clinton balanced the budget and ran a surplus by slight tax increases combined with a reduction in the size of government. At the same time the economy boomed. He chose practicality in tax policy over ideology and the country benefited as a result. - offrdbandit, on 06/04/2009, -4/+36So it's hard to balance a budget when you mandate universal health care, turn a blind eye to illegal immigration, and tax businesses into leaving your economy?
Sounds like a lesson in there somewhere... - minorthreat, on 06/04/2009, -10/+39way to knock out .076% of the budget!!! You'd get my vote for office!
/sarcasm - Quisquis, on 06/04/2009, -2/+30Taking 95% of 100k would leave them with 5000 dollars...
And then I read your last sentence. Well played sir. - Shwaavay, on 06/04/2009, -4/+31And the cotton industry depends on slaves... Oh wait....
- NMVK, on 06/04/2009, -4/+29I don't see the "universal healthcare to replace over $1B in deficit" option. And where is "legalize marijuana" to cut $100M from law enforcement? Yeah, I can see how balancing a budget is difficult if you stick with the status quo and never innovate. Funny that.
- wangalicious, on 06/04/2009, -7/+32At least around here, any time anybody talks about deporting illegals, the pro-illegal folk holler "RACISTS!" (the ol' fallback) and silly ***** like that, and then the anti-illegal heads retract back into their turtle shells.
....I am all for raising my taxes if it helps boot illegals out, they bend the state over. - cheddaro, on 06/04/2009, -3/+271. Spend less
- muzzy, on 06/04/2009, -16/+40Keep taxing those cigarettes & alcohol. If folks can't afford them... great, they'll become healthier (therefore, less expensive to the health system) and more productive members of society. If they can afford them, it just helps fund state services. Win-Win.
- rebrad, on 06/04/2009, -5/+28Oil is messy. Tax Hollywood or anyone that makes over 100k at 95% for a start. Then outlaw cars and trucks and ship them to the other 49 for parts or what ever. Then limit each household to no more than 10% of last years usage with no exceptions. Excess electric can be piped to the smart grid for sale to others. Californian would benefit by becoming fitter from walking and learn what's really important. One more thing would be to build a wall around the state and totally neutralize anything that tries to escape.
- igeoffi, on 06/04/2009, -2/+24There is a method to get naturalized already. Illegal immigrants should have to follow the same process as everyone else. It wouldn't be fair to those who follow the rules and wait in line that some person who decides to break the rules gets naturalized first.
- badenglishihave, on 06/04/2009, -9/+28I chose to cut everything except for retaining the bogus "advance tax withholding." Net result? $12.2 billion surplus with no tax increases.
Stop giving handouts to everybody! That's what private charity is for, not the government. - BurgGuy, on 06/04/2009, -0/+17The (California) Marijuana Control, Regulation, and Education Act
http://stash.norml.org/support-california-assembly ...
Its estimated to bring in 1 billion a year in new taxes. Wow. - lordwow, on 06/04/2009, -1/+18There are so many things on that list that are no-brainers.
- inactive, on 06/04/2009, -0/+16It's the rest of the state that drains it. Surprisingly, those are the one who complain the most as well.
- the2989, on 06/04/2009, -0/+16Pass the assembly bill 390. It'll be a good start.
- GreenDragon78, on 06/04/2009, -1/+14I was more than a little disappointed that it wasn't one of the options..
- rwbrinso, on 06/03/2009, -30/+43$100 million in offshore drilling seems like a place to start.
- inactive, on 06/04/2009, -2/+14Is this a sponsored Digg Ad?
- awtripp, on 06/04/2009, -0/+12I'm all for welfare for those who show they're doing something to get off of it (similar to unemployment, but assisted income or something), but the straight up lazy and especially the non-citizens have no business getting handouts.
- minorthreat, on 06/04/2009, -6/+18my bad, letting them drill offshore will only cut it down .041%. Not even a half a percent..
My first calculation was incorrectly based off me cutting the deficit down to 13 billion.. - Velena, on 06/04/2009, -0/+12California + Budget Crisis + Bake Sale = $1,000,000 Pot Brownies
- tinkafoo, on 06/04/2009, -2/+14Eliminate funding for the state parks? Whose colossally stupid idea is that?!
- homah, on 06/04/2009, -0/+11The problem isn't lack of revenue, it's wasteful spending.
- NathanielJ, on 06/04/2009, -4/+15Just cut everything and enjoy your $34 billion surplus.
- bloominoctober, on 06/04/2009, -4/+15"there is a lot of ***** teachers out there"
Yeah, and apparently your English teacher was one of them. - GreenDragon78, on 06/04/2009, -1/+12Most of them....yes.
Do it legally and don't get arrested or do it illegally and get arrested...hmmmmm - igeoffi, on 06/04/2009, -5/+16There are arguments floating around to revoke the kids of illegal immigrants citizenship on the basis that they wouldn't even be citizens if their parents didn't break the law. Illegal immigrants do not have the same rights and access to the services that we pay. We have rights to these services because we pay for it with taxes, illegal immigrants don't pay taxes.
- Bleue, on 06/04/2009, -3/+14Problem is illegal immigrants, being illegal, also tend to do the utmost to stay underground. So how much do you think it would cost in law enforcement to systematically find and deport these people? Federal institutions would also most likely flat out refuse to detain so many illegals, in fact i believe that they are currently usually held in state facilities pending deportation hearings.
Also factor in the fact that per capita illegals cost vastly less to the state because services available to the normal working poor, who also don't pay very many taxes BTW, are either shunned by illegals who are scared of being caught or not available to them.
So deportation hearings, detention fees, law enforcement fees, and lost commercial revenue from having to hire much more expensive legal labor, probable raised wages on jobs illegals would normally hold very cheaply but no one else wants, not to mention a significant hit in population.
And you expect this would SAVE the state some money? Highly unlikely. - X9001, on 06/04/2009, -5/+16This one isn't going to be popular, remember that cap you put on property tax? Its gotta go, it works great when the economy is stable and well but it is not. Otherwise you have to start cutting social services across the board
- whaleyboy69, on 06/04/2009, -4/+14It is a stupid law that I would like to see repealed. Throw them out.
And, since you suggested it, ***** you too. - whaleyboy69, on 06/04/2009, -3/+13Yes! I just heard a presentation by the city government here in So Cal regarding education budget. 85% of the budget is for the teacher's union. 0% of the cuts are from the teacher's union. The population of kids in schools has declined over the last 10 years and the income to the city has decreased by about 40%. Despite the shrinking group of kids who are in schools and the decrease in revenues to the city the union has refused to discuss any reduction in the number of employees (notice I didn't say teachers, there are boatloads of freeloaders - administrators etc. - in that system) or any reduction in costs associated with health care (expensive) or retirement (amazingly generous and expensive). Instead they want to close down useful and used programs like school lunches for poor kids and athletics.
All I can say is: ***** YOU - Rioracer916, on 06/04/2009, -2/+12Taxes in California are out of control.
Nearly a 10% sales tax in a lot of areas, highest income tax in the country, highest property taxes...and yet we may not have police and fire service in the next couple months due to budget DEFICITS!
Truly mind boggling... - awtripp, on 06/04/2009, -2/+11If you hire better teachers but don't give them much of a budget to work with that's kind of like buying a Ferrari and putting stone wheels on it.
- BrawndoMan, on 06/04/2009, -1/+10Close the community college system? That's ridiculous. Worthless degrees? What, like nursing? (i thought there was a shortage of nurses)
The only bright spot of the California public education system are the UC's, Cal States, and CC's. My time at Pasadena City College gave me the opportunity to go to one of the finest colleges in the country. By cutting off the CC's, you cut off the feeding system to the UC's and Cal States. Just a terrible idea IMO. - DirtPile, on 06/04/2009, -13/+22***** break off into the ocean.
- kemp34, on 06/04/2009, -0/+8Stonebear, Is that not another reason to actually uphold the immigration laws?
- kemp34, on 06/04/2009, -0/+8If they could not employ those individuals, they would have to look elsewhere. This is simple fact of reality. They may not like seeing their costs increase via laws actually being enforced, but tough *****!
- kronzdigg, on 06/04/2009, -13/+21This is the problem with liberal democratic socialism. You can't provide everything to everybody. Personal responsibility is the answer, the government is not the answer. GM has failed because of too large a retirement and health package, California is failing for similar reasons and Obama wants to get heavily into healthcare. This is going to be a huge FAIL.
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