California Governor Jerry Brown Proposes Spending Cuts

ShawnD

Legalize drugs, build the largest meth lab in the history of the universe, then sell meth to the other 49 states and the rest of the world.
Hate it all you want but you know it would work :P

nismaratwork

I think it would actually drive down the price of meth so much that in essence, it would be like flooding the market with diamonds... well... diamonds that do nasty things. That's the other problem; you're going to over-saturate the market with a drug that lasts for a very long time... no... this would be a failed economic policy.

I think an earthquake would be best... you know... something really profound; a kind of natural jettisoning of increasingly dead weight.

WhoWee

Here's a short term solution - sell the topsoil - the environmental groups don't want any agribusiness anyway. Look at the money that could be saved on lawsuits over water.

nismaratwork

Have you lived in California??... you seem to really have a grip on the issues and the pathologies.

Yeah... actually, to just get honest with themselves, they should add gambling like Nevada and legalize marijuana HARD. Sell THAT, and reinvigorate their agricultural business... at least it's not meth! They can trade weed for water... I think that's sort of where they're going anyway...

WhoWee

They have the most productive farm land in the country. What do they do to increase production - turn off the water?

Next, look at the prisons and Medi-cal - here's a glimpse at what happens when the paths of the two programs cross:

http://www.lao.ca.gov/handouts/crimj...e_03_18_10.pdf

"The revised budget for 2009-10 refl ects a total of about $1.8 billion
in General Fund support for adult inmate medical operations
under the control of the federal court-appointed Receiver. This is
an increase of about $424 million, or 32 percent, from the
enacted 2009-10 budget, based on the following adjustments:"

my bold

WhoWee

Now Brown wants to cut $1.7 Billion by charging co-pays of up to $100.
http://californiawatch.org/dailyrepo...al-budget-7971

"Gov. Jerry Brown is counting on fewer Medi-Cal users seeing the doctor, visiting the emergency room or spending the night in the hospital - by charging those low-income patients a co-pay of as much as $100.

In other words, what's bad for the patient, might be good for the state budget.

The expected drop in "utilization" – budget code for people who fail to take advantage of government services because of various roadblocks - is just one of the ways that Brown expects to carve $1.7 billion from Medi-Cal, the state health insurance program for the needy."

He's planning to restrict access to medical care with a co-pay?

PhilKravitz

How do thing compare north versus south in California?

nismaratwork

Wow... that's a HUUUUGE amount!

PhilKravitz: Historically the South has been wealthier, but water-poor, and the north (of LA and more) was typical pacific northwest.

ShawnD

I don't want to use diamonds as the example since that's a very complicated issue. Look at alcohol instead. According to this random website, alcohol is worth $280 billion per year in the US. Meth could very easily slip in there and take $24b. The budget problem could be fixed (pun intended) in 1 year.

But they won't listen to me. Instead, they'll probably jack the taxes on alcohol and cigarettes.


The budget problem could probably be fixed with some basic common sense, but common sense is never as common as it should be. For example, prisons generally don't do anything to prevent prisoner-on-prisoner violence, but tax payers flip the bill to give medical treatment when it happens.

WhoWee

Maybe they should just collect back taxes from all of the various convicted dealers - plus suspend all Medi-Cal benefits to prisoners (except for emergencies), and all benefits for "undocumented persons".

PhilKravitz

The California thing seem over blown Brown is going to cut spending 10% and increase taxes 10%. Here in New York we have cities increase taxes by 43% Newburgh, NY and cutting services. The mayor has left office. School districts increasing their tax 14%. 10% is tame.

PhilKravitz

If you do not like the increased taxes work less (Laffer curve MIT).

WhoWee

How would you expect to pay your bills?

PhilKravitz

Of course your tax bills are lower. As far as property tax move to a smaller house in a cheaper neighborhood. As far as medical care use less bigger deductible, as far as food grow some. It is the new normal the system will not provide for us we must provide for our selves and our community.

WhoWee

You are basically specifying personal responsibility for tax paying citizens - in order for the state to continue to spend uncontrolled?

nismaratwork

Good... I thought maybe I was misunderstanding him. Re-routing confiscation funds from the drug enforcement and back into the budget would allow for the dual forces of adding money to the budget, and shrinking the prison population and budget.

ShawnD: Meth is pretty nasty... I'd say stick with weed and sell it to the nation; it's already being done from California so why not tax it?

ShawnD

They already do the first one (police auctions). The second one is mostly true. The third one will never happen because 99% of California is Mexican.


Not addictive enough to be profitable. Alcohol withdrawal causes seizures, nicotine withdrawal causes irritability, caffeine withdrawal causes headaches. Marijuana withdrawal involves getting a job and taking a shower.