Does anyone else think California is starting to look a lot like a train wreck that is inevitable, but hasn’t quite happened yet?
They’re about to pass a law to place an “enforceable limit” on greenhouse gas emissions, and have already rammed the highest minimum wage in the country down the throat of businesses.
However, the prize on the cake is SB 840 a/k/a the California State Universal Health Care System. If Gov. Schwarzenegger doesn’t veto it — and he has made noises about vetoing it — SB 840 will replace all, let me repeat that: ALL private health care plans in the State of California with one gigantic Government-run, statewide bureaucracy, which every person in California will be required to be a part of, and every person, entity, corporation, business and piglet will be taxed to support.
It is, in plain, simple English: Socialized medicine.
*sigh*
Personally, I’m of two minds about this. One part of me is quite happy about this, as it will give me a giant, stinking, smelly catastrophe to point to the next time some elected jackass starts making noises about “universal healthcare”.
“America needs some form of universal healthcare”, snivels Pat Congresscritter.
“You think so? There’s California. Take a look, and then take a good, long drink of Shut The Hell Up.”
The other part of me isn’t quite so happy about this, because I bloody well know that when things go down the khazi, a whole bunch of those California idiots are going to wind up in Texas.
Hell, a lot of them are already here.
And just as sure a God made little green apples, those bloody idiots are going to do their best to do the same thing to Texas that they did to California. And why anyone would believe that something which fails miserably in California is going to work any better in Texas is completely beyond my powers of comprehension, I mean, face it: I don’t mind if you screw your State into a bloody cocked hat — it’s your State, knock yourselves out — but I do mind people who screw up their State, then run from the screwed-up State because it’s so miserable, and proceed to do the exact same screw-job to the new State.
But I digress.
Anyhoo, does anyone else get the feeling that California is about to go over the edge?
LawDog
47 thoughts on “This ought to be interesting to watch.”
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It’s ridiculous what they’re doing. They obviously haven’t learned anything about socialized medicine from countries that already have it. VAT (Europe’s answer to a sales tax) starts at about 12% depending on the country and goes up from there (it’s not uncommon to see VATs in the 18% and up range). In Spain alone, to finance universal health care $800 to get a drivers license and roughly 30% tax on car purchases.
Plus, the quality of care drops with socialized medicine.
‘Dog, I’m afraid you are right.
It’s personal for me, I live in Orange County CA, but if this piece of socialist stupidity is allowed to stand I will be pulling up stakes for Texas.
Dunno where it originated, but, “If you think health care is expensive now, just wait until it’s free.”
Oh. Don’t forget about the passage of their Senate Bill that requires handguns be able to create an identifier-number on the cartridge case.
Art
Dog, Cali went down the drain about 40 years ago. It’s just taken this long for the 60’s “flower children” to get their programs into place and twist a formerly wonderful place to live into a communal utopia.
People who don’t have things elect representatives that can get them things.
Redistribution of wealth..all states do it.
California has always been on the cutting edge of this ponzi scheme.
I hope they bankrupt themselves into a big aztlan utopia.
Then we can all point and laugh and hopefully learn what not to do.
Like everyone else with medical insurance, my premiums cover the cost of treating my family, plus the cost of a couple of freeloading strangers. As long as hospitals can’t refuse care for people who won’t or can’t pay, we’ve already got socialized medicine, in an extremely ineficient form. Somehow we need to rationalize this. I think it would be possible economically to cover everyone with no more money being spent, and without requiring those of us who pay to give up our coverage. I don’t think it would be possible to do politically–If we try, we’re most likely to wind up with some stupid system like this one.
And the beat goes on ………………… as Los Angeles County May Lose Another ER { http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-er28aug28,1,5581970.story?ctrack=1&cset=true } ………………… how many ERs have shut down out there, because of non-paying illegals? Hell, how many have shut down here in Texas, due to non-paying illegals?
If Crazyfornia ever does have “the Big one”, I hope that it sinks, really fast.
I hate to think of all those millions of nutters going east looking for a new home.
Papa Ray
West Texas
USA
Let ’em keep screwing up California – just stay out of Pennsylvania.
And I thought we had issues here…
OK, so I’m a recently transplanted new yorker and I’ve been trying very, very hard NOT to bring any of that ‘new york attitude’ with me to Texas.
Unfortunately, on a day to day basis, I’m running into _way_to_many_ other ‘transplants’ who have been here for years now from parts further West, or other “more enlightened areas” _they_seem_to_think_, that still have this dillusional left coast attitude still firmly implanted AND continue to this day to have same. I.e, learned nothing from history or current events. Worse yet these days, I’m running into a bunch of Texans that seem to have this same whiny attitude regarding how the government isn’t doing enough to protect them from all sorts of stuff. I find it all a bit pathetic.
OK again, so maybe I shouldn’t have relocated to just a little ways North of Austin? But still, this is the Great State of Texas, right? To see this pervasive Left Coast/East Coast mentality already taking hold here in TX as down right disconcerting? Not a good sign for sure.
Art Eatman,
Author was P.J. O’Rourke.
Expect a copy-cat wave through other states that will need to be fought off. They say, as goes California…..
Got the same trouble here in North Carolina. New Jersey/New York gimme people come here because they can’t afford to live there anymore and then want to recreate the ‘little bit of heaven’ from which they fled. I see New Jersey license plates, I need to refrain from cussing.
Being from CA, I’d like nothing but to be left the hell alone no matter where I go. I don’t want or need the government for anything, they screw up everything they their little fingers into. I want NOTHING to do with them!
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: Single most effective thing in raising the national IQ will eventually be the San Andreas faultline.
Bro. ‘Dog, I’m afraid Texas isn’t safe any more. Dallas has banned toy guns. Hairspray counts more than huevos in the governor’s race. Idiocy abounds everywhere. Taxes are soaring, and test scores (the few that haven’t been faked) are dropping.
I’ve had enough. I’m bugging out. I’ve found me a place with a fierce spirit of independence, a proud history of telling both the state and feral gummints where to stick their latest program, where they love their guns and feel $10 is enough to cover the cost of their shall-issue carry license, where the 400 (!) state legislators only make $100 per year…
I’ve found my true fellow redneck conservatives in… ta-da! … New England!
I’m headed for New Hampshire. Home of granite-faced, rock-ribbed, yankee conservatism. Where even their Democrats are so libertarian that Howard Dean had to run screaming from neighboring Vermont.
Where they might think I talk funny, but they listen to me anyway.
I’m telling you, for this old Arkie who gave up on Arkiesaw a long time ago, and is quickly giving up on Texas, New Hampshire is like finding “home”, all over again.
Do you know what happened this week back in 1850, in California?
California became a state.
The State had no electricity.
The State had no money.
Almost everyone spoke Spanish.
There were gun fights in the streets.
So basically, it was just like California today except the women had
real breasts and men didn’t hold hands.
For now we (Texans) are using Arizona as a buffer zone, but I’m afraid kbcraig is correct. However, I’m not ready to bug out.
Morning Glory,
I’m so stealing that and passing it along!
LawDog:
I remember seeing an article in a lame-stream magazine more than 10 years ago regarding Kalifornians who were relocating to Montana. They’d sell their shack on the beach in Malibu for mega-bucks, and buy up some 1,000-acre ranch. And then, just like Ted Turner, they’d fence off the roads that had been used for hunting access for generations, because hunting is cruel.
One flaming twit’s comment that I still remember as standing out was, “Montana is a wonderful place. Now all we have to do is get them to vote the RIGHT way on things like gun control, and it will be perfect.” This particular moron was from L.A.
The magazine’s reporter didn’t think to ask twitling, “Seeing as how you come from an area with strict gun control and a skyrocketing crime rate, and are moving to an area where you can carry a loaded rifle in your pick-up’s cab rack that has an essentially ZERO crime rate, what makes you think you’re not going to simply SCREW IT UP???”
Logic, facts and data are meaningless in any debate with a collectivist mentality. All that matters is:
A) If they’re stupid, what matters is “how they FEEL about it”.
B) If they’re evil, they KNOW that they’re wrong…but to those types, word are weapons, not instruments for accurate and truthful communication.
I’m not sure that rationality can win the propaganda war.
…….oh no once they see the price difference in land between oklahoma and texas they go north.
My family does realestate and we have had a number of “transplants” from kalifornia. One quote that sticks out to me is “how can you sleep at night knowing your neigbor has a gun?” I contemplated on it and think that I should be more worried if my neigbor doesnt have a gun. critter breaks into my neigbors house sees no weapon but looks through a window and sees my flatscreen. critter comes to my house to get that fancy flatscreen and gets 2 rounds of 00 buck, 4 rounds of #4 shot, 2 slugs, and a good kick to his groin area. I dont have to understand people that dont like guns, hell they dont have to understand me but they need to respect my rights. As long as A2 is still around
I feel ok about telling them where to go stick that finger they want to wave in my face.
‘Dog,
Remember, these folks are True Believers in Liberalism/Socialism. They’re not gonna leave CA to go to TX because CA is messed up, they’re gonna go so they can make the same improvements in TX as they made in CA. These are the same people who point to Cuba as a great place. CUBA, where people will tie inner tubes together to try to get to Florida.
Reality has left the building.
The thing to do is eliminate the insurance companies. Business and individuals are not going broke over the cost of health care so much as the insurance companies are gouging incredible profit from the health care business.
That said, the attempt California is making to eliminate this problem is well intentioned but contains no reasonable planning. In other words, California is fighting a war with no strategy, no tactics and no experienced generals. California will lose.
I also note the infamous California electric energy fiasco, which is still being felt in the State today.
California is certainly on the cutting edge. They can be rightfully proud of the cap on greenhouse gasses, the higher minimum wage, and their new plan to provide equal healthcare to all. They are trendsetters, fighting hard to eradicate prosperity, industrial capability and personal freedoms. California will lead the way and show the rest of the nation that socialism is still a bad idea, but caring socialism with just a dash of respect for the earth is insanity on steroids.
kbcraig,
New England contains Vermont, Massachussetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut. Any of which could kick PRK in the second chakra on sheer stupid blueness.
kbcraig–
Welcome to NH. Land of friendly folks and common sense.
I was fortunate enough to marry a NH resident and become a resident of the state (even thought we’re currently in the liberal hellhole of WA state because of his naval career).
Gotta love a state with the motto of “Live Free or Die”. Also gotta love a state that accepts your father in law as proof of identity (he’s a retired state police officer) when changing your driver’s license from your prior home state.
Well that tears it! Dog, I vote we secede from the union. Put the wall on the borders and man it with some decent Texicans. Hoist the “Come and Take It” battle flag and tell the rest of the world to kiss our rosy red cheeks. We’ll gladly accept the states of libertarian thought and any freedom loving individuals as allies. The rest of you socialist blue state harpy chuckleberries can go suck eggs.
I hope that PRK does get hit by the big one. That way they can float off into that misty dreamland socialist utopia together singing kumbaya and ‘shiny happy people.’ I’ve said it once, I’ll say it again: “Kalifornia is a big cereal bowl full of nuts, fruits and flakes. Someone please pour some milk on them so they drown.”
If my wife’s home country wasn’t a socialist enclave (Sweden), I’d be pulling up stakes and moving there. Since they won’t let me bring my guns, or carry them, I guess I will dig in and defend my beloved Texas.
… and all the closet racists on the conservative side of the aisle will blame the Mexicans when California finishes going bankrupt, instead of having the cojones to put the blame squarely where it belongs: on socialism itself.
Hospitals shutting their doors? “Damn the illegals.”
No electricity? “Damn the illegals.”
Businesses fleeing the state? “Damn the illegals.”
Can’t find a job? “Damn the illegals.”
I’m all for sealing the borders. Let’s start with the ones connecting California to the rest of the states.
Shooter, Let’s put the fence up around Texas and Oklahoma (where I live). In what counts these two states are virtually identical. I would be proud to stand with Texans any day.
As much as I’d like to think that TOOL’s song Ænema could come true, I seriously doubt that Cali is due for a cataclysmic natural or sociopolitical failure.
So long as the state continues to be an economic powerhouse, they’ll continue to saddle the productive class with more and more restrictions, limping along under the weight.
Titan and Shooter – can we put that fence one more state north, please?
And when we do, can we please put being a terminal PITA on the list of deportable and or executable offenses. I have a certain home-grown disbarred lawyer/preacher that I’d love to show to the OTHER side of said fence……
They could make a lot of people happy on both sides if they split California into two states. One for the ‘fringe’ folks on the coast and another for the folks out in the desert. Sure, there are a few enclaves like Palm Springs but a quick look at that county-by-county 2004 Presidential Election map will show you where to draw the line.
I’d say, “Hey, this is a good thing. Finally Wal-Mart single mothers will have health care.”, except that this is California, and they are going to screw it up.
My state is REALLY screwing itself now. Arnold recently signed a bill mandating gender-specific-free education.
Arnold needs to hear from the ENTIRE NATION:
SB 1441 Facts
Among other things, SB 1441 requires Christian and other faith-based colleges and childcare centers to support transsexuality, bisexuality, and homosexuality.
UNDERSTAND SB 1441: Read CCF’s news release, which explains the effect of SB 1441.
READ THE BILL: SB 1441 uses the Penal Code’s unnatural definition of “sex” to include transsexuality and transvestitism, and an expansive definition of “sexual orientation,” meaning both bisexuality and homosexuality.
____________________________
Today, the Assembly has on its agenda as Item 68, the handgun microstamping bill (AB352). It failed on yesterday’s vote but could be revoted today.
The socialists, libtards, democrats, gays, and America-haters are in control of California. The rest of the nation needs to take heed at what’s happening here so it doesn’t happen elsewhere.
If all this crap passes, along with the socialized healthcare, taxes on business, screwing firearm owners, and stomping on conservatives by the hordes located in Los Angeles and San Fransicko (San Diego is still relatively conservative – THANK GOD), we’re getting the hell out of here!
Argh!
Gov. Terminator should look north to canuckistan.
Five short decades of ‘free’ socialized medicine, and everyone from the politicos on down to the unionized, monopoly delivery providers now know that socialist health provision cannot be financially sustained. So you either ration service, or go bankrupt.
You only need THREE people to run your government with ‘free’ health care.
1. the boss (governor)
2. the taxman (to collect all the citizen’s money)
3. the one in charge of health care (to spend all the citizen’s money)
You do not need anyone to teach (no money left to spend), build roads, sewers or waterworks (no money left to spend)! Or any other programs!
So. The government rations sevices, and the unionized monopoly providers working in the system cover their future health costs by raping the taxpayers for obscenely high wages through fear-mongering.
So, it is clear. Socialized health care mandates smaller government, with fantastic efficiency in fiscal matters.
By the way, if you are not a celebrity, sports star or politician, you get in line and wait.
Lowly taxpayers like myself lovingly call our ‘free’ socialized health care “universal”.
“UNIVERSAL WAITING LIST”!
Cheers!
Scares the crap outta me. Minnesota just sits and waits to see what new hell they can bring on us for “our own good” and “it’s for the children”. Minneapolis has turned into an armed (by gangs, not citizens), scarey place. Sometimes I wish I could just withdraw from society.
Doctors will leave like scalded dogs. Eventually, California will either throw out the politicians or turn into a third world ghetto.
“Gov. Terminator should look north to canuckistan.”
Heck he could just give the state of Washinghell a call and ask how many canuckistanians have defected down here to get better access to healthcare.
I see more British Columbia plates here than out of state plates belonging to military members stationed here (between Ft Lewis, McChord AFB, NAS Whidbey Island, NS Everett, etc–you’d think you’d see more)
LawDog, thanks once again for spotlighting the suicidal lunacy of the left coast.
I take it most of you don’t care much for California and I can’t blame you for that. Me, on the other hand, well, I grew up here and I love my state. Living in LiberalLand, you tend to build up a high liberal threshold (think of it as a natural self-defense mechanism), but this latest flurry of unrighteousness is bordering on unbelievable. Are these people mad? For crying out loud, have they lost their little minds?!
I’m thinking our “Republican” governator must be running scared and trying to shore up some key demographics before the upcoming elections. I’m sure he’s even keeping a list: Sexual deviants? Check. Labor unions? Check. Liberals? Check. Anti-gun groups? Check. Freaky-whackos-as-of-yet- unnamed? Check. Conservatives? Nah, I don’t need ’em this time.
Looks like the’re racing Massachusets to see who gets “universal” healthcare first. New Jersey is making the same kind of noises. It’s always the states already verging on bankruptcy making these promises. Then they go to the Fed to get the rest of the states to pay for it.
(New reader here who has been enjoying the blog archives. 🙂
If you think it’s going *over* the edge, you’re sorely behind the times. The train has zipped over the edge and is now enjoying a really cool free-fall – cool only until it hits the rocks. Take it from a Californian…
As a resident of Cali, I hope to Hell it doesn’t happen. On the other hand the purpose of some is to serve as a bad example to others, and there’s nothing holding me here-and maybe the NE part of the state will finally secede.
How about if we just extend Arizona right on over to the ocean at just above the 33rd parallel (put all of San Diego county into Arizona)?
That way all the liberals in L.A. and San Fransicko don’t have to worry about all the conservatives down here messing with their fruit-loop politics (socialized healthcare, give me a break!).
You know what? I bet we’d be able to get McCain recalled too, if San Diego became part of AZ!
I can dream, can’t I?
Highest minimum wage?
Well, that explains why McDonald’s has outsourced their drivethrough tellers to here in North Dakota.
Heck, as a born and raised Californian I can stick my thumb right on the problem: folks from out of the state. If we could just get rid of all of these loony implants maybe life would get back to good again.
Lots of natives are conservatives. It’s the immigrant liberals that are killing us. And even though I live 40 miles south of SF, I’d be a happy camper if it and LA went down into the sea.
— Loudog
PLEASE pray for this state & the Union. Gangrene’s setting in. Amputation’s not an option.
Yes, California is going over the edge. It will take “the BIG ONE” in Los Angeles to shake some sense into the representatives of the electorate. Perhaps the State ought to be divided into thirds ( Hangover in the North w/ HQ at Napa, Farm Hands in the Middle w/HQ at Fresno, and Silicone Heights in the South with its HQ at San Bernardino)and the present leadership forbidden from ever holding office in the newly formed states. Just a thought…
There is a cure for all this, of course: The electorate in its entirety MUST VOTE!
Why is it that we have to recall a governor in order to get a decent voter turnout? AARRGGHH!
These antics may drive me to Texas, even though your summers are rather balmy and your winters a bit crisp. I do like VA or RI, though.
But don’t worry, I’m a crack shot. And I vote sanity!
And I make a DELECTIBLE pot of spaghetti, too.
I’ve got family in CO who see the same problem: idiots who move there from CA to ‘get away from the crowding/gangs/taxes/prices/etc.’, then start trying to pass laws to make it more like CA.
Apparently not being smart enough to note that
A. This crap didn’t work back there,
and
B. The gangs are there now because your worthless offspring was IN a gang.
Born’n’bred Canadian, here, ‘Dog – and I honestly *do not* understand what it is you all have against socialized medicine.
Yes, it means Joe Taxpayer will be paying a bit more, come tax time.
But let’s take a look at what’s already socialized: fire departments; law enforcement; libraries; and public education.
Yes, some damnfool is going to end up trying to slash budgets. They may even succeed. Idiots are abundant, after all.
But that doesn’t change the fact that, up here in Canada, if I fall down and break my leg, and then need an ambulance to get to the hospital? I won’t be charged a penny for my treatment, and the costs for anything I’m prescribed would be comped.
The same would not be true in America.
We do have private health insurance, I’ll admit – but it’s in the same line as life insurance: it’s just compensation in case Bad Things happen and you lose a limb; it’s intended to help pay anything over what the government automatically covers, and to help support you while you adjust. It doesn’t offer much more than OHIP does, in the way of treatment.
So honestly, can you answer me this? What is it that the average American seems to have against Socialized Medicine?
The thing about socialism is that its either all or nothing: Denmark, for instance, is way on the socialist end of the spectrum, but everything is paid for, education, health care, the lot. Point is, you can’t half-ass it, all you get then is all the bills with none of the results.