I periodically write about the on-going fiasco that is California suffering under misrule in Sacramento and its two major cities, LA and SF. Since my last posting, things have only gotten worse.

Currently, the state has a 14 billion dollar shortfall, not surprisingly considering the out of control spending that goes on, added to all the services for illegal aliens. As Tom McClintock, the only sane politician in the state, has repeatedly pointed out, though inflation has risen during the past decade, revenue to the state has risen at a faster rate. The problem is that spending has outpaced both inflation and revenue. Therefore, we have a budget deficit of some 14 billion. Nevertheless, our state government always has the same solution: raise taxes, which is exactly what they want to do now. Thus, they now seek to overturn Proposition 13, which saved many people from losing their homes through rising property taxes, and they also want to revisit the car tax. LA County even wants to access a 3% "Global Warming Tax" on gasoline.

Arnold Schwarzenegger, the erstwhile Republican governor, who originally tried to fight the left-wing Democrats and lost, has now given up and merely swims with the tide. The only positive development was a few months back when voters rejected a ballot measure cleverly labeled as a term limits measure that was really designed to allow corrupt politicians like Don Perata and Fabian Nunez to hold onto office. Now they will have to leave public office after this year. No worries. They will just land in some high-paying consulting job-or even better be appointed to some commission that only has to meet once a month but gets paid big bucks.

In Los Angeles, Mayor Tony Villar (the real name of Antonio Villaraigosa)continues his mismanagement of Los Angeles. The city is swamped with illegal aliens, which is just fine with Villaraigosa and his lackey police chief, William Bratton. The schools are collapsing, and less than 50% of the students are graduating from high school. Now Villaraigosa is trying to squeeze more tax money from Angelenos to make up for LA's own budget shortfall.

But it gets better; It has now been revealed that for the past several years, the Department of Water and Power (DWP)has been blessed with millions of dollars of surplus that they have contributed to the city's general fund. This year, the contribution was 175 million dollars. Yet, the LA City Council has just approved a rate hike for water and electricity that will amount to 270 million dollars to DWP coffers. This leads one to ask why DWP didn't just hold on to the surplus instead of giving it to the city's general fund-or why government agencies have these surpluses surpluses to begin with.

DWP is apparently quite a well-off enterprise in LA. In addition to generous salaries and benefits, DWP even offers free lactation classes to its employess and dependents.

Let me repeat that: DWP offers free lactation classes to its employees and dependents-courtesy naturally of the local taxpayers. Yet they need a rate hike.

Then there is the Great City of San Francisco under Mayor Gavin Newsome and countless other quacks. This is the same city that attracted hoards of homeless people with the offer of $400 a month. Just show up in San Francisco, register with the city, and collect your $400 a month-courtesy of the good taxpayers of the city.

Of course, San Francisco is a sanctuary city for illegal aliens. Now it is publicly proclaiming this fact in a series of multi-lingual ads designed to attract more illegal aliens. So illegal aliens are welcome, but the US military, its recruiters and retired battleships are not.

If you are wondering about the hard-working, tax-paying people in California who are being asked to pay for all this, here is the answer. Many are leaving. Those who are fed up with the high taxes and the business owners who are fed up with the regulations and taxes are leaving to friendlier places like Nevada and Arizona. They are taking their wealth and their jobs with them. As the ratio of taxpayers declines in relation to the tax-beneficiaries, those left behind will face higher and higher taxes. How long before we reach the point where those who depend on government largesses outnumber those who have to pay? When that happens, ballot measures that are required to raise certain taxes will start to pass based on pure self-interest.

Those of you in the other 49 states who think bigger government is the answer to our problems should examine the case of California.

gary fouse
fousesquawk

I'm in Massachusetts and we are right behind you. I'm going south!