California fiscal crisis

[elmcitymaven 9,712]

I guess you will be moving in November ,right? The manic mushroom crop was good this year huh?

Wow, they make them in manic flavour now? Cool -- I'll get SO much more work done.

[Pinocchio Liberal 268]

Wow, they make them in manic flavour now? Cool -- I'll get SO much more work done.

Its quite funny to watch western washintonians digging in cow patties to find them and eating them straight away. YUM!

[Heracles 417]

Please I have lived here all my life and all around the country. I have lived in the Bay area, Seattle, Portland,Franklin New Hampshire and the list goes on.

I think its a little naive of you to think you know a country that you have spent a short amount of time in.

Five years is hardly a short time. In five years, I can still probably count on one hand the number of roads that I have traveled on that come close to that of European roads - in terms of quality and condition.

It's quite easy to grasp that a country that invest minimally in itself, will also have the crappiest infrastructure. What's interesting though, is your denial of this. You cannot have it both ways. On one hand you cheer on low taxes and zero investment, then on the other you wave your fists when told others have much better infrastructure because they actually invest in their country and people. It's called priorities bud, hence why not one first world country is low taxing.

Does that make any sense to you? You pretty-much pay the lowest gas levy in the developed world and consequently have the 'appropriate' roads.

Why is the US military one of the most advanced? Because you spend large sums of money on it. Likewise, now why is America's infrastructure and various cities total dumps, because you don't spend money on them.

Edited July 29, 2010 by Heracles

[Captain Oates 910]

I guess you will be moving in November ,right? The manic mushroom crop was good this year huh?

I'm here to stay - I see it as missionary work

Today - toilet brushes and fresh air spray

Tomorrow - tolerance of shirt lifters who want to get married in a church with more than one organ

It's a long road - but it was 6 million years from the split with the apes to the copper age, so one must be patient.

Or if you are from Colorado - 6 thousand from creation to the first black president

Edited July 29, 2010 by saywhat

[^_^ 5,021]

Five years is hardly a short time. In five years, I can still probably count on one hand the number of roads that I have traveled on that come close to that of European roads - in terms of quality and condition.

It's logical to grasp that a country that invest minimally in itself, will also have the crappiest infrastructure. What's interesting is your denial of this. You cannot have it both ways. On one hand you cheer on low taxes and zero investment, then on the other you wave first when told others have much better infrastructure because they actually invest in their country and people. It's called priorities bud, hence why not one first world country is low taxing.

Does that make any sense to you? You pretty-much pay the lowest gas levy in the developed world and consequently have the 'appropriate' roads.

Why is the US military one of the most advanced? Because you spend large sums of money on it. Likewise, now why is America's infrastructure and various cities total dumps, because you don't spend money on them.

By not spending enough money on roadways, we end up pushing the cost on to the end consumer through greater wear and tear on vehicles. We're not really saving any money.

Edited July 29, 2010 by Legacy member

[Pinocchio Liberal 268]

I'm here to stay - I see it as missionary work

Today - toilet brushes and fresh air spray

Tomorrow - tolerance of shirt lifters who want to get married in a church with more than one organ

It's a long road - but it was 6 million years from the split with the apes to the copper age, so one must be patient.

Or if you are from Colorado - 6 thousand from creation to the first black president

You speak gorilla? I see a slight chimp dialect to your writing.

[Captain Oates 910]

You speak gorilla? I see a slight chimp dialect to your writing.

We share 99% of our genes with chimps - some people more than others though I am not pointing fingers.

I speculate that this was just laziness on the part of the creator who reused genes and modified them a little instead of creating distinctly new ones.

The more one agrees with creationism, the shorter one's posts are. It always intrigues me that this correlation holds true on any forum. Like why can't creationists create a 20 line post instead of one line grunts ?

[Pinocchio Liberal 268]

We share 99% of our genes with chimps - some people more than others though I am not pointing fingers.

I speculate that this was just laziness on the part of the creator who reused genes and modified them a little instead of creating distinctly new ones.

The more one agrees with creationism, the shorter one's posts are. It always intrigues me that this correlation holds true on any forum. Like why can't creationists create a 20 line post instead of one line grunts ?

Maybe cuz thats all your worth is a one line grunt.

[Heracles 417]

By not spending enough money on roadways, we end up pushing the cost on to the end consumer through greater wear and tear on vehicles. We're not really saving any money.

Now on top of that, factor in the 42,000 Americans killed every year or people disabled due to shitty roads. It's the perfect storm, reckless and negligent drivers, large unsafe death-mobile vehicles and finally death-trap roads that lack adequate: surfacing, lighting, reflectors, markings and safety medians. Most two-way back roads I have driven on are unforgiving, where one wrong move and you are gone period. Need I mention the 6 foot gravel and reflectors marking either side of equivalent roads abroad.

I am more than happy to pay an extra $500 in tax or fuel levies [user pays too] to have a 100 fold safer road. Well roads that are least on par to that of Europe, Asia, Canada and Australia. Actually looking at Google streetview, even South Africa has better roads.

[^_^ 5,021]

Now on top of that, factor in the 42,000 Americans killed every year or people disabled due to shitty roads. It's the perfect storm, reckless and negligent drivers, large unsafe death-mobile vehicles and finally death-trap roads that lack adequate: surfacing, lighting, reflectors, markings and safety medians. Most two-way back roads I have driven on are unforgiving, where one wrong move and you are gone period. Need I mention the 6 foot gravel and reflectors marking either side of equivalent roads abroad.

I am more than happy to pay an extra $500 in tax or fuel levies [user pays too] to have a 100 fold safer road. Well roads that are least on par to that of Europe, Asia, Canada and Australia. Actually looking at Google streetview, even South Africa has better roads.

Understand that this country has had over two decades of "government is bad" garbage broadcast incessantly over the airwaves. It's a blow we may never recover from.

[Captain Oates 910]

Maybe cuz thats all your worth is a one line grunt.

Proved my point for me - thanks. That was easy.

Well I would love to stay and sharpen my intellect against your powers of intelligent repartee - but first I would have to find them.

So I will go and shower my lithe 'European shaped' body and then go to a mexican restaurant. No doubt the cash will go to Mexico where it will be used to grow illegal drugs for consumption by your wholesome countrymen who soon will be hard pressed even to go UGG and write one liners if they can't break their addictions.

What is it about American society that drives so many of them to illegal drugs ? They were doing it before I arrived. One would have thought that the privilege of being born in 'the finest country in the history of the world' (Mitt Romney)would have removed that necessity totally.

Edited July 29, 2010 by saywhat

[Heracles 417]

Understand that this country has had over two decades of "government is bad" garbage broadcast incessantly over the airwaves. It's a blow we may never recover from.

Of course, as in order to get America up to scratch with a Germany, Sweden, Hong Kong, Canada _{cough cough} Australia, would take a good $5 trillion in investments and the country would basically need to start renovating and building tonight. And basically not stop for a good 20 years.

Yet even with being this behind everyone else, you still have people who don't give a ####### or others like ‘not-Gary’ who claim it's all good and we're even better than Europe. Better than ###### Europe?

I saw a small bridge in DC a few months back that looked extremely rusty, like most others, yet is still operational. It had a company name vaguely printed on it but had faded over the years. Forget who but I remember looking it up [out of curiosity] and finding that the Company has been defunct for over 65 years, with the bridge built 70 to 80 years prior to that. Rusted bridges are not the norm in AUS, neither are bridges that collapse.

China already has the world’s longest high-speed rail network, and is investing a whopping $300 billion into it, whereas, the US is 'planning' on spending $8 billion. How can people be so blind to not realize that China is where the US was post 40's, all while the US is becoming a 2nd world country with ####### roads and crumbling infrastructure.

Whenever I ask anyone local who has something to do with politics about such things, the answer is “no money”. So then how the heck does Canada and Australia have money but this superpower has nothing? Some will say government benefits, are they on Crack? The US doesn’t provide 1/30th the benefits of AUS or Canada, yet they sure as hell not broke; quite the opposite actually.

What they don’t have is a handful of people controlling 90% of the country’s wealth. Nor a bunch of geniuses that are poor themselves but cheer this 1% for giving it to them in the ....

Edited July 30, 2010 by Heracles

[Captain Oates 910]

Of course, as in order to get America up to scratch with a Germany, Sweden, Hong Kong, Canada _{cough cough} Australia, would take a good $5 trillion in investments and the country would basically need to start renovating and building tonight. And basically not stop for a good 20 years.

Yet even with being this behind everyone else, you still have people who don't give a ####### or others like not-Gary who claim it's all good and we're even better than Europe. Better than ###### Europe?

I saw a small bridge in DC a few months back that looked extremely rusty, like most others, yet is still operational. It had a company name vaguely printed on it but had faded over the years. Forget who but I remember looking it up [out of curiosity] and finding that the Company has been defunct for over 65 years, with the bridge built 70 to 80 years prior to that. Rusted bridges are not the norm in AUS, neither are bridges that collapse.

China already has the worlds longest high-speed rail network, and is investing a whopping $300 billion into it, whereas, the US is 'planning' on spending $8 billion. How can people be so blind to not realize that China is where the US was post 40's, all while the US is becoming a 2nd world country with ####### roads and crumbling infrastructure.

Whenever I ask anyone local who has something to do with politics about such things, the answer is no money. So then how the heck does Canada and Australia have money but this superpower has nothing? Some will say government benefits, are they on Crack? The US doesnt provide 1/30th the benefits of AUS or Canada, yet they sure as hell not broke; quite the opposite actually.

What they dont have is a handful of people controlling 90% of the countrys wealth. Nor a bunch of geniuses that are poor themselves but cheer this 1% for giving it to them in the ....

I couldn't agree more - all that is a totally spot on analysis

Nothing could be more anti-American than sweeping this under the carpet and cutting taxes and leaving the schools and bridges and infrastructure generally and ghettos as they are.

Even a Republican President like Eisenhower was incredibly enlightened compared to the 'let's go back to 1776' mob

When one joins the armed services, they spend the first 6 weeks telling you how miserably useless and inadequate you are - they then spend the next few months building you back up into someone who has something to be proud about.

What I do when I talk about America's weaknesses is similar - and with the same motive. Someone has to get through to the backwoodsmen that XYZ needs fixing. Only then can it be fixed

If they just grunt that they and their country are being criticized, and their country is the finest country that has ever existed in the history of the world and get out we don't want to hear it, there can be no improvement.

Ostriches every one - and the lions are out there.

Edited July 30, 2010 by saywhat

[Heracles 417]

I couldn't agree more - all that is a totally spot on analysis

Nothing could be more anti-American than sweeping this under the carpet and cutting taxes and leaving the schools and bridges and infrastructure generally and ghettos as they are.

Even a Republican President like Eisenhower was incredibly enlightened compared to the 'let's go back to 1776' mob

When one joins the armed services, they spend the first 6 weeks telling you how miserably useless and inadequate you are - they then spend the next few months building you back up into someone who has something to be proud about.

What I do when I talk about America's weaknesses is similar - and with the same motive. Someone has to get through to the backwoodsmen that XYZ needs fixing. Only then can it be fixed

If they just grunt that they and their country are being criticized, and their country is the finest country that has ever existed in the history of the world and get out we don't want to hear it, there can be no improvement.

Ostriches every one - and the lions are out there.

It's sad that constructive criticism has become being anti-American, yet doing nothing while your country literally turns into the third world [ has turned in various places] is patriotic.

Ironically, some of us foreigners care more about the country than its own citizens, who are clearly more interested in themselves. Unfortunately this attitude is not isolated to this forum, many out there still assume America is the envy of the world. Therefore, why would you bother improving when you are already #1? Deeer idiot...

I realized the other day that conservatives abroad tend to want to expand and overcome tax [smartly], by earning more and investing [growing] their wealth. Totally different mentality here, as it's all about cut cut cut.

####### is there left to cut? CA workers are now being paid minimum wages. Teachers in CA have classrooms with up to 30 students. Some actually expect people to live in cardboard boxes under rusted bridges and eat earthworms to get by. Apparently not doing so means they are overspending and spoiled - deserve nothing. I don't think even the most die-hard right-winger I know outside the US has that attitude.

Edited July 30, 2010 by Heracles

[Pinocchio Liberal 268]

It's sad that constructive criticism has become being anti-American, yet doing nothing while your country literally turns into the third world [ has turned in various places] is patriotic.

Ironically, some of us foreigners care more about the country than its own citizens, who are clearly more interested in themselves. Unfortunately this attitude is not isolated to this forum, many out there still assume America is the envy of the world. Therefore, why would you bother improving when you are already #1? Deeer idiot...

I realized the other day that conservatives abroad tend to want to expand and overcome tax [smartly], by earning more and investing [growing] their wealth. Totally different mentality here, as it's all about cut cut cut.

####### is there left to cut? CA workers are now being paid minimum wages. Teachers in CA have classrooms with up to 30 students. Some actually expect people to live in cardboard boxes under rusted bridges and eat earthworms to get by. Apparently not doing so means they are overspending and spoiled - deserve nothing. I don't think even the most die-hard right-winger I know outside the US has that attitude.

Are you involved in the electric kool-aid acid test? Show me a bridge with no rust. Show me a teacher living under a bridge. By the way ####### you doing living in a third world country for?