Jul 24 2012
What Do California & Italy Have In Common?
Both Italy and California experience that wonderful Mediterranean Climate that people wish to live in. And they both produce some of the world’s finest wine, as well as being renown tourists magnets.
But they also are two of the areas in which leftist, socialist policies have made financial promises the tax base just cannot support, and so both going bankrupt one city at a time:
Italy’s financial outlook darkened on Monday amid warnings that 10 cities are at risk of bankruptcy and schools may not be able to open in the autumn because of drastic spending cuts.
The cities at risk of running out of money include Naples, Palermo in Sicily and Reggio Calabria, on the toe of the Italian boot, according to the Italian press.
The Democrats are turning once vibrant economies into third-world disasters at a frightening pace, with California leading the implosion here in the US:
First, Vallejo, in 2008. Next, Stockton, then Mammoth Lakes and, now, San Bernardino and soon, perhaps, Compton. As Orange County Supervisor John Moorlach told Bloomberg News, the bankruptcy dominoes are starting to fall. One California city after another – following a decade-long spree of ramping up public-employee pay and pension benefits, as well as redevelopment debt – are becoming insolvent.
And the state’s legislators have nothing constructive to offer.
California’s exclusively Democratic leaders not only are unwilling to rein in the costs of benefits for their patrons, the public-sector unions, they have been erecting roadblocks in the paths of localities that want to fix the problem on their own. Yet all the political hurdles in the world cannot fix the basic problem of insolvency.
If anyone wants to explain to the voters what 4 more years of liberal insanity will bring, look no farther than Italy and California. Two regions of the globe blessed with all the perks life on Earth has to offer, and yet the left has proven they can screw up anything, given enough time and taxpayer money.
Born and raised in California it is so sad to see. My grandfather used to say we were special because Californian’s were the real pioneers of this Country, strong, determined, educated, not afraid of hard work. We didn’t care where you came from or who your parents were, like some of the “East-Coasters” did. We could do anything we put our mind to. That mentality is gone!
The Golden State has just about killed the goose that laid the golden egg. Even bancrupcy won’t solve the problem if the same politicos who created the mess remain in charge. Like a person who walks away from a mortgage and massive credit card debt, then 3 years later has a new mortgage and new credit cards, unless behavior changes they end up in the same situation. Given that California can’t seem to get past Jerry Brown I don’t see much hope for a new generation of fiscally conservative leaders.
ironically Kathie “Californian’s were the real pioneers ”
still applies, but not in a desired manner. They are now pioneers in how to bankrupt a state.
California got rid of Gray Davis, for good reason, replaced him with someone that didn’t have a clue how to fix problems and with a population that didn’t really want anything fixed anyhow, they didn’t stand a chance of fixing their problems. Then they went from bad to far worse with Jerry Brown, just an extension of his incompetence of the past. Until the state legislature develops a backbone, nothing is going to be fixed in that state.
RT: Gonna disagree with you just a little bit about Ahhhnold.
Recall that he put several initiatives on the ballot to limit taxes and the size of the State governement. He was opposed in unprecedented fashion by the public employees unions and every single one of his measures was soundly defeated. After that he was a shadow of himself and who can blame him. He gave the people what they wanted.
Another reason I’m not hopeful.