Milestones 7/1/09

By Miles H Barber
Years of reckless California legislative spending have been camouflaged through slippery budget maneuvering by our legislators.
Now this patchwork puzzle, put together pitifully, points to repulsive problems packed with disruptive patter.
Tax revenues continue to decline and the deficit increases daily.
Cal Pers retirement fund dropped $60 billion in 2008, a 25% loss.
Corporations have been given the cold shoulder and simply asked to pay more of the tax burden. In addition, Californian citizens already pay the highest personal income tax in the nation.
Illegal aliens have been given the State’s credit card for medical services and the welcome mat at all social service centers.
Unions have held the legislature and governor hostage, demanding protection for their state jobs and cushy 90% retirement benefits.
Consider that BART union members right now are in negotiations for a new contract. There is little appreciation from these union leaders for their workers having jobs. They want more and are preparing to strike if they don’t get more.
Is anyone listening?
This is a depression folks. We all pull together or we push everyone over the edge.
Reason and sanity must replace greed and self interest.
Thinking that we can continue to pay for our own services and anyone else who happens to show up at our borders is fiscal insanity.
Unions holding out for higher wages and benefits threaten to rip apart the last strand of financial fabric holding together our fragile economy.
Why are we laying off our teachers while funding social services for illegal aliens?
Raising taxes continues to promote endorsement of sloppy spending practices.
Raising taxes does not infuse money into our economy.
Our tax burden and red tape bureaucracy has been driving industry out of California.
Without business and industry we are left only with government and state unions.
California has manipulated budget issues for years because our leaders thought they would never have to pay the Piper. And, if it did go bad they would just raise taxes.
Guess what? The Piper showed up and not at a good time.
Now they and we have to face the painful truth.
Special interest politicking will have to take a seat in the back of the bus.
Protected empires and entrenched unions will have to share the burden.
Cutting costs by reducing employee salaries, benefits and jobs is painful.
Granting continued “entitlements” to employees is absurd.
In Santa Clara, we have for the first time begun to mimic Sacramento. This year we borrowed against City reserves to give our union employees more money and benefits.
While we have not wiped out our reserves, we are dangerously close to borrowing for operations.
This is a red flag bigger than a barn.
Speaking of barns, it might be a good idea to close the door on this “spend till we drop” mentality before we actually emulate the fiscal policies of our State.

Miles Barber can be reached at: SCWeekly2004@yahoo.com