I love the state of California, I really do.
It is land beautiful, different, offering all four seasons. It is rich in farmland, the finest vineyards in the world. It is home to Hollywood, Silicon Valley, quality education, many industrious people and diversity, the right kind of diversity everywhere.
But this once great state has become THE FAR LEFT COAST, so says Charles R. Kesler, Professor of Government at Claremont McKenna College in California. Kesler bemoans the never ending progressive assault on this great state.
In fact, Kesler believes that California has become a “progressive policy laboratory.” Through trial and error, California seems willing to revive socialism and progressivism of old and to seek the fundamental change of lifestyle, values and morality of the some 40 million people who live there. It is to so many shocking what has happened to California.
California, says Professor Kesler has become a “one party state.” Politics state, city and local have become virtually completely controlled by DEMOCRATS. Democrats now control some 87% of the state’s congressional delegation, some 46 of the 53 representatives. Even Orange County, says Kesler, one of the original strongholds of the conservative movement is now a “liberal bastion.” Both United States Senators are Democrats and all eight elected statewide offices are Democratic. Democrats control 28 of 40 Senate seats and 61 of 80 seats in the Assembly of the State Legislators. The democratic power is more than a super majority, more than two thirds of the power structure and in reality, says Kesler, more like 75% of all decision making in the state. In short, the Democrats can do anything and everything they want and what they want is a revived and virulent socialism, progressivism in every way.
As a result of this “crushing dominance,” California has the highest number of people on welfare in the United States. Approximately one third of all Americans on welfare live in California! One third! What a staggering statistic. Billions of dollars, raised over and again with more and more taxes are necessary to support this crushing welfare load. But supporting this welfare catastrophe, including illegal immigrants, seems to be acceptable as the new socialism develops in California. Those on welfare seem to be flocking to California and the number will only increase in time. It is now and will continue to be a financial disaster for this great state.
California also has the largest number of illegal immigrants. So many cross the border from Mexico and settle contentedly in California, virtually assured they will not be found and deported knowing in fact they will be supported by the progressive California government. The state seems to be indifferent to the effect on legal American citizens or the impact on the work place and job opportunities. Yet, unbelievably, so much of the state continues to vote democrat and the problems persist.
California also has an exploding homeless population. In San Francisco for example, the homeless as they live on the streets have become an extremely serious problem. There is ever growing crime. There is growing disease and illness as it spreads among the homeless and consequently the general population. The ambiance and gentle environment of this beautiful city continue to decline. And of course, the welfare, the caring for these non-workers only increases. The homeless are problems for the great state of California everywhere.
California has become the most anti-business state of our 50, so say any number of economic entities. California has the most onerous and largest number of regulations on both business and private property of any state. California government state, county, city and local is intrusive, difficult, growing anti-business more so by the day. Businesses and business men and women leave the state daily, escaping these unbelievable regulations and the ever increasing taxes on every aspect of income. It is tragic indeed how business is disrespected in California.
Professor Kesler believes that California education is possessed of mediocre public schools. California education is represented by unions which are unbelievably powerful and seemingly supportive of the progressive agenda. Those unions are against much of private education, including charter schools and fight for preference in every way. No matter the power or financial assets, the education offered, says Kesler, is mediocre at best.
California also has the highest income taxes of any state. The highest marginal rate is 13.3%. And that is in addition to any local taxes, including county, city and even local community. Real estate taxes are sky high. The state retail tax is as high as any state in the union. It is staggering to think in terms of how much in taxes Californians pay to support, as Kesler says, this democratic progressive laboratory. Small wonder that wealthy, productive citizens and their businesses leave the state in droves. And both income and sales taxes are only scheduled for further increases. And all the while there is this “yawning gap” between the rich and the poor. The rich seem to get richer and the poor seem to get poorer, so says Kesler. No matter the attempt of the socialist to redistribute income, or take from the rich and give to the poor, the leveling out never seems to happen, never.
California has the most expensive gasoline charges in the country, primarily as a result of the taxes involved. Roads and highways are in disrepair in so many places. And crowded. Driving in prime times can be an absolute nightmare, and only getting worse. As a partial solution, California has proposed its high-speed railway which has become as Kesler says “widely mocked” the country over. From a proposed budget of some $22 billion, the projected cost of this transportation fiasco is now as high as $88 billion. Newly elected Democrat – Socialist – Progressive Governor Gavin Newsome has now put the project on hold, and for further study but without the courage to cancel this looming financial disaster. One – party California seems close to disaster, so says Kesler.
And then there is healthcare, California style. Legislation to create a single-payer system in California in fact passed the democrat–controlled state senate in June 2017. However, the bill stalled in the democrat-controlled assembly. If enacted, this legislative disaster would have cost the state $400 billion annually. By comparison, the entire state budget of California is $201.4 BILLION. So that, single-payer healthcare would have cost Californians twice as much as the entire budget of the state itself. The total state budget if enacted would then have been over $600 billion an absolute financial disaster. The speaker of the democrat–controlled assembly one Anthony Rendon prevented the bill from passing in the assembly when he confessed that his party had no idea how to raise the $400 billion annually. No matter, said Governor Newsome, he continues to endorse “long term goal of single payer” but never even bothered to introduce legislation to accomplish that.
The new tax code passed by the Republican House and Senate, and endorsed by President Trump eliminated what is now known as SALT: the non-deduction of state and local income tax and other such state taxes from federal taxes. All such deductions, potentially millions of dollars on the part of the rich are now capped at $10,000 annually, and no more. Wealthy taxpayers could justify increased local taxes because of the federal deduction. With that deduction eliminated, states like California will suffer shortfalls in budgets and the financial problems in a state like California, now astronomical, will only increase. Californians brag that their state is the world’s fifth – largest economy. But they fail to recognize that of the 40 million California residents, less than one percent of the state’s taxpayers pay nearly half of the total state income tax. LESS THAN ONE PERCENT! When the full impact of the loss of federal deductions and the increase in state taxes is felt, you can be certain there will be an increased exodus of the wealthy from this once great state. If even a few thousand of the state’s one percent wealthy flee to no-tax states such as Nevada or Texas, California could face a devastating shortfall in annual income. And as the health, educational and legal costs associated with massive illegal immigration to California continue to grow, the economic impact on the state will be disastrous. But such are the consequences of a one-party state, democrat controlled and often without check and balance, progressive to the core and as one economist stated, “spiraling out of control.”
I first went to the great state of California in 1958. As I left the airport, I noticed a billboard which stated:
CALIFORNIA IS A STATE OF MIND.
And in 1958, that state of mind was positive, capitalistic, full of opportunity, fair and impartial, a state the leader in so many ways of our great country. But, how it has changed. From a state of wide open opportunity it has become a DEMOCRAT PROGRESSIVE LABORATORY and worsening by the day. Politicians compete with each other for the next and latest radical, progressive idea – implementation. The sensible can only wonder what comes next. But what is sure to come is the continued exodus of the productive, the wealthy, the businesses which once thrived in California, gone and never to return. And with that, billions and billions of tax dollars never to be seen again. From a state once to be emulated and envied, a leader in every way, California has become a state to be feared, unpredictable, not to be politically trusted and seemingly growing worse by the day. That is so in large part because there is no check and balance, no Republican or conservative influence in decision making whether state or local. As one economist stated, California has become a progressive economic dictatorship.
Our company, the Crawford Broadcasting Company has the God–given privilege of presenting Christian radio in Los Angeles – Orange County, San Francisco and San Diego. The message of the Gospel through our company can be heard in every part, the entire territory of this great state. We are but a small voice pleading for revival, a return to Christian ethics and values, and to all the things which have made America great, hoping, praying and working for the MAKING OF CALIFORNIA GREAT AGAIN. We ask that you pray with us to that end. For we will now and always do our very best for California and this great country to make them both great again as we carry out our mission:
SERVING GOD AND COUNTRY.