Where did we go wrong as Californians to get ourselves in debt
to the tune of $38 billion?
We could just continue to blame the current governor and hope
that whoever replaces him in October will transmogrify the state.
The only problem is that we must first realize that California’s
problems didn’t just happen because of one man.
Where did we go wrong as Californians to get ourselves in debt to the tune of $38 billion?
We could just continue to blame the current governor and hope that whoever replaces him in October will transmogrify the state. The only problem is that we must first realize that California’s problems didn’t just happen because of one man.
Don’t get me wrong, I believe Davis should go, and needs to go, but not because he is a Democrat but rather because he is a bureaucrat.
Bureaucrats have no sense of reality, mainly because they’ve never had to work in the real world. Instead, they thrive on finding ways to spend money rather than on finding ways to save money.
They hire people they don’t need and pay them salaries they don’t deserve. They pass laws that aren’t needed so they can appear to be productive. They create agencies we don’t need or understand in an effort to employ their cronies.
The question we should ask ourselves is: Will things get better with a new governor (bureaucrat)? Maybe, but what we have to admit to ourselves is that we have created a system where the state steals money from its cities for its own selfish pleasures, and we let it happen.
No new governor will be able to fix this problem. They might be able to put a Band-Aid on it, but they can’t fix it. Why? Because the people of California don’t control the government, the lobbyists do.
The lobbyists write the laws to suit their needs and then get the stamp of approval from those campaigns they financially supported. That’s politics!
I’m not saying our elected officials are on the take, but they definitely have been taken.
To solve our problems, we need more then a new governor, we need to create a new financial structure that will stop the outrageous spending habits of our elected representatives.
We should start by reducing their salaries to that of the average Californian, using the median income of Californians. We should also pull their health insurance, dental plans and pensions. This way our elected representatives can live just like the people they represent.
As far as tax revenue goes, 80 percent of the money collected should stay where it was generated. What do I mean?
We should use the 80/20 rule, rather than sending Sacramento 80 percent of our tax revenue, we should send them 20 percent.
Currently, San Benito County keeps only 11 percent of the property tax that is generated. Imagine what we could do with an additional 69 percent of our own money.
Local communities know what’s best for their communities and could spend their tax revenue accordingly. An example would be the proposed $8-billion to $15-billion high-speed train between Los Angeles and San Francisco. Why should we use our money to benefit those cities?
If those cities want the high-speed lines, let them pay for it. Our money could be better used improving Highway 25.
Things can change for the better in California, but only if we demand it from our elected leaders. The time has come where we can make a difference with new leadership, but we, as citizens, have to learn to vote for leaders that have a vision and a plan rather than voting for more bureaucracy.
Take the time to make a wise choice on Oct. 7
Ignacio Velazquez is owner of The Vault restaurant and a regular contributor to the Free Lance.
