There is barely any difference between the two parties, but there is a difference. One party, every once in a while, does something good for the country, or in this case, the state of California.
California is the embodiment of the great liberal experiment. Massive debt, high crime, open boarders, awful public schools, businesses leaving, high unemployment, over paid public employees.
Please, please don't counter by calling Schwarzenegger a conservative.
Every step along the primrose path to destruction, the voters of California had a choice.
They voted themselves into that situation, and their votes reflect their values. If the voters of California had different values, they would have voted differently.
Personally, I think we should cede California back to Mexico and put up a fence to keep the people of California IN California so they can stew in their own juice.
you claimed that the Republicans were scum. Now Dems do something very similar and you're fine with it.
I'm not making any comment on the specific matters that were being voted on in California. I have no dog in that hunt and really am not concerned with how the vote went since I live thousands of miles away.
I'm just pointing out some more hypocritical comments by the one and only willawonka4u.
There are a handful of places where one party's inflluence is so overwhelming that you can see the result of their philosophy.
For the last 50 years, with one exception, CA has been run by liberal Dems with a moderate (RHINO) GOP in the governor's position. Even when there were GOP in the executive, the Legislature was pretty solid Dem.
CA should be a paradise. Resources coming out of our ears. Great climate. Desert, moutains, beaches. It used to be one of the leaders on industry from airplanes and entertainment to agriculture and mining, and every thing in between.
The state is broke. One party can take 90% of the credit (blame).
Was Gray Davis a liberal Dem? Or was he the poster boy for the DLC? Was Pete Wilson a Rhino? Was George Deukmejian? Ronald Reagan?
Republicans have served as the Governor of California for 32 of the last 44 years.
Even then, "liberals" like Dianne Feinstein were always there to represent "the other side", right? Is that why she voted for the Iraq war, wiretapping Americans, and was the Democratic cosponsor for the Patriot Act?
There are a lot of complex reasons why California is so fucked up. Trying to sum it up with "it's the Dem's fault" is intellectually lazy.
So California is a total cesspool because they aren't liberal enough? Should they give the labor unions more power? Should they put even more restrictions on free enterprise? Should they increase taxes more? Should they spend more? Should they figure out a way to let more illegals in? That should fix it.
PS- What does Iraq, wiretapping, and the Patriot Act have to do with California's sad state? To say that your argument is "intellectually lazy" would imply intellect.
Davis was. Or do you think Davis was a conservative GOP?
Wilson and Deukmejian were Rhinos. Put nicely, they were "moderate" GOP. Neither could be called conservative, and during all those years the Leg was a majority Dem.
I do not know if the GOP have held a majority in either chamber of the Legislature for 50 years, if ever.
If they ever came close, if you combined "moderate/liberal" GOP and Dems, you had an substanial majority Dem.
Feinstein is a liberal. Or do you think that SF just is a hot bed of moderation?
There are reasons she took the stands you mentioned that are too numerous to mention.
It may be intellectually lazy to say it is the Dems, if that is all you do. But in fact, if you look at any one problem, you can trace it pretty much to one side of the aisle.
Republicans have served as the Governor of California for 32 of the last 44 years.
Even then, "liberals" like Dianne Feinstein were always there to represent "the other side", right? Is that why she voted for the Iraq war, wiretapping Americans, and was the Democratic cosponsor for the Patriot Act?
There are a lot of complex reasons why California is so fucked up. Trying to sum it up with "it's the Dem's fault" is intellectually lazy.
Cartmann, what makes you think increasing sales taxes is a liberal idea? What makes you think that letting in more illegals, which has the net effect of lowering wages for workers, is a liberal idea?
Can anyone demonstrate that the great power of the unions, which only account for 9% of the private work force has done anything to damage California? Can anyone demonstrate how regulations on "free enterprise" caused California to be in the situation it's in right now?
California is fucked up for a lot of reasons. Shitty economic policies for one. DLC Dems like Gray Davis allowed Enron to operate as a "free enterprise", and look at what that produced.
The biggest thing that's hurting California is the now burst housing bubble. It's the same problem that's hurting the entire country. But that bubble was worse in California than anywhere else. You can thank Republicans like Phil Gramm for that, and Democrats like Bill Clinton as well.
But don't think that California's current state is a vindication for conservative policies. Because no matter how much of a basketcase it is, it ain't Mississippi.
letting all the Mexicans in and then giving them all the free shit. The big city school districts (LA, Santa Ana, Oakland etc.) are trying to educate the children of Mexico.
You ask what makes Cartman think raising sales taxes or letting in illegals is a liberal idea.
Wake up. 95% of the people in favor of raising taxes are libs and 95% opposed are conservative. Same for illegal immigartion.
I will demonstrate how union power hurt CA. CA has hundreds of billions of dollars in unfunded obligations to public employee union benefits. Not one city in CA can afford the service it used to provide because so much is going to union negotiated benifits.
We will be paying ex-cops and ex-teachers, but not current cops or teachers.
I will show how excessive regulation fucked the economy. I know people who have left the state because it is easier to run a company elswhere.
The guy who owns the cafe I go to used to do all his paper work himself 30 yeasrs ago. Now he has an accountant, a clerk, and he has to consult his atty.
I know a guy who owns a car repair business. He has 4 bays that are vacant even though he has more work than he can handle. He doesn't want to hire any other people other than the three he has because there is so much paper work, and the expenses outside of salary just don't make it worth it.
I know someone who tried to open a dance studio and had to have three handicap parking spaces. In 4 years she never had a real handicap person use one. The area has street parking that isn't long enough for people to take class, so she needs every space she can get, and for four years she was denied 4 spaces every hour, that would have allowed 16 people to park there each day.
If I were to say someone favored banning abortion, you would know where he stood, but somehow two of the great lib/conservative divides are mentioned and you can't see who is on what side.
It is so amazing that you cannot look at CA, one of the most liberal states in the nation, and not see it.
Can anyone demonstrate that the great power of the unions, which only account for 9% of the private work force has done anything to damage California? Can anyone demonstrate how regulations on "free enterprise" caused California to be in the situation it's in right now?
California is fucked up for a lot of reasons. Shitty economic policies for one. DLC Dems like Gray Davis allowed Enron to operate as a "free enterprise", and look at what that produced.
The biggest thing that's hurting California is the now burst housing bubble. It's the same problem that's hurting the entire country. But that bubble was worse in California than anywhere else. You can thank Republicans like Phil Gramm for that, and Democrats like Bill Clinton as well.
But don't think that California's current state is a vindication for conservative policies. Because no matter how much of a basketcase it is, it ain't Mississippi.
By the way, you are able to find a few examples where some CA Dems did not strictly adhere to every stereotype of liberal votes, but that begs the big question:
What do you think CA is, a conservative state? If CA is not run by liberals, what state is?
And the lib Dems have done so well in NY. Oh, oh, oh, they had some GOP governors. NY must be conservative.
Come on Willy.
Do you really think insurance companies are just going to take the hit?
WRONG!!
They will re-write their policies only offering limited coverage, stop covering other items all together. Other companies will just no longer write policies in California.
I've said it before Willy, they can pass this feel good legislation all day, in the end its the little guy who gets hurt.
Congratulations Willy, You're celebrating that the middle class just got f**ked.