California's Budget Mess

California's budget crisis wasn't born in a day. As California voters prepare for the May 19, 2009 special election, Mark Paul explains how California landed in its mess.

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  News & Politics

[ticks4ticks4]

Good question! Go into any California "welfare" office (Dept. of Social Service) and see how many MEXICANS) are in the lobby!

[brokentricycle]

California brought this problem on themselves. Arnold supported W's "undocumented worker program" which encouraged millions of illegal aliens to enter your state ( in my country)  to work for sub-standard wages for long hours for the sole benefit of the grove owners and produce growers. Paying less that minimum wages, exploiting the Mexican workers while they made a handsome profit. Now you have all these illegal aliens draining your social services dry and no one saw this coming? Dumbasses!!

[garybsg]

Ok, then explain how poor Americans got educated before federal funding?

BTW I am one of those poor Americans along with my wife who got through college without federal help. So please explain how we couldn't do it without government help. I'm waiting

[caffingdu]

And I don't understand your point about poverty being "not about money" and then mentioning that the average kid in college makes minimum wage. what's your point? Most students like the little extra cash, every bit helps, but minimum wage is nowhere near enough to pay for college. If it weren't for public funding and federal and state grants then those in poverty would not have the opportunity to get an education. and those in poverty still have much more to overcome than just finances

[caffingdu]

If citizen A needs education, healthcare, etc, then yes I am willing to take from wealthy citizen B. Citizen B has a social duty, and if he will not fulfill it the people will make him. Call it socialism, call it stealing, call it undermining freedom. I don't care what you call it, or what twist it to be. I call it a more fair a just world, where anybody willing to work hard can have just as many opportunities as the spoiled lazy children of rich parents.

[garybsg]

So if citizen A has a short coming (needs education, housing, etc), you are willing to take (tax) citizen B to compensate his needs. You are willing undermine freedom(freedom for Citizen B to keep his property) and undermine justice( he did not cause citizen A's problem but must pay for it) Anytime you give a man something he did not earn, you teach envy and laziness. Poverty is not about money (the average kid in a college dorm makes minimum wage), it is about values.

[caffingdu]

at the very least, everyone should have equal OPPORTUNITY to succeed in life. We need ease of social mobility. We cannot bar the lower class from ever having any hope of having the comforts of the upper class. For ease of social mobility and equal opportunity, you MUST have education as a right for all people who want it and have the ability and the determination to work for and earn a degree.

[garybsg]

The quality of life is not the standard of a nation. If a nation could have a better quality of life by stealing money or killing people, would this be a good nation? The US is the only nation in the world and in the history of the world built on the an idea: human dignity through freedom. Islamic nations are built on submission to Allah, Communist nations submission to the state, European nations submission to the greater good, America is in decline because our freedom is in decline.

[garybsg]

The sign of losing a debate is start insulting instead of responding. So which documents are more supreme then the US Constitution and the DOI. I'm waiting for your most educated an answer.

[garybsg]

I ground my arguments in the US Constitution and the Declaration of Independence which is founding philosophy of America. Those are the highest documents of the nation. The protection of Life, liberty and property is core essence of the founding of our nation. You need to take a American history class.

[garybsg]

Education is not a right, nor is housing, healthcare or cherry pie. Rights are "right to life", the right to "freedom" and the right to "property". No one has the "right" to take your life, liberty or property. The Declaration of Independence spells this out clearly. The idea that if citizen A (single mom) makes poor decisions (lots of kids), the government can forcibly take the property of citizen B to pay for them. Is this your definition of freedom?

[garybsg]

Complete nonsense. What makes a place wonderful is freedom, not "free" education, not "free" welfare, not "free" food stamps, not "free" tuition for illegal aliens etc. All of that is money stolen from the middle and upper class for this "free" socialist paradise. Guess what, the middle and upper class are tired of paying for all this "free" stuff.