After more than 150 years of being a destination, California is becoming a place entrepreneurs, investment capital and the hardy workers who made it a global leader in agriculture, technological innovation and scientific research are fleeing. This exodus is the marker of something deeper than a national recession; it's a sign that the attempts by state leaders to spend their way back to prosperity are killing California.
Despite having the sixth highest tax burden in the nation, California is facing a breathtaking $40 billion budget deficit this year. This comes on the heels of a decade-long spending spree; last year, the state budget was $131 bullion, up from $56 billion in 1998.
Moreover, citizens and businesses are burdened by all manner of state regulations and are fleeing to more business-friendly states. Consequently, Idaho, Utah and Wyoming all have unemployment rates around 5 percent at a time when California is suffering an unemployment rate of 9 percent.
It's time to turn to the ballot initiative and enact needed reforms that elected representatives in Sacramento have refused to correct. Californians need to be able to elect leaders whose primary interest is public service, not furthering political careers; therefore, a part-time, nonpartisan citizen legislature -- a model that has proven effective in states like Texas and Nebraska -- should be enacted.
[here here - it's the 'professional' politician which is the bane of our system {thatandonlytwoparties}]
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