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"You know what happened to the Romans? The last six Roman emperors were fags. Neither in a public way. You know what happened to the popes? They were layin' the nuns; that's been goin' on for years, centuries. But the Catholic Church went to hell three or four centuries ago. It was homosexual, and it had to be cleaned out. That's what's happened to Britain. It happened earlier to France. Let's look at the strong societies. The Russians. Goddamn, they root 'em out. They don't let 'em around at all. The upper class in San Francisco is that way. The Bohemian Grove, which I attend from time to time--it is the most faggy goddamned thing you could ever imagine, with that San Francisco crowd. I can't shake hands with anybody from San Francisco."
-President Richard Nixon, White House audiotapes
www.prisonplanet.com/032604nixontape.html

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Originally posted by rue:
California has a few specific problems that keep its budget a mess.

Proposition 13 - Property taxes are fixed at 1978 land values until the property is sold. Winners ? Large corporate landholders - railroads, utilities, refineries - places that have a lot of land, and/ or extremely valuable land that they will never, EVER sell. Those places will be paying 1978 property taxes --- forever. Everyone else - has the privilege of making up the difference for them, over time.

The California Constitution - it requires - REQUIRES - that if an excess of taxes are collected in a year, for example, due to a booming real estate market, they MUST be returned to the taxpayers. You and I, who are sane and rational, know that if you do well at some point, it is prudent to save for the rainy day when you will not be doing so well. California is forbidden from doing that.

The budget process - requires a 2/3 majority to pass the budget. Is that crazy, or what ? That is a guarantee that any collection of nutcases and roadblockers can join together for the sole and common purpose of grinding the state to a halt over the budget.


Aside from the bad economy, these are the specific items that account for the mess. Bottom line though, everyone including Arnie knows that these are the problems. And if you want to fix the problems, you have to address these things. Anything else is posturing and pretending. Which apparently Arnie, as well as the legislature, are only too happy to do.


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Silence is consent

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