You can’t say that VDH doesn’t care about California, and he gives it a lot of credit despite the following:
‘California’s multidimensional decline-fiscal, commercial, social, and political-sometimes seems endless.’
I imagine it must be tough for a well-educated, reasonably conservative Democrat from a farming family in the Central Valley looking out upon the coast. He finishes with:
‘Soon, even the Stanford professor and the La Jolla administrator may learn that illegal immigration, cumbersome regulations, and the terrible elementary schools affect them as well.
The four-part solution for California is clear: don’t raise the state’s crushing taxes any higher; reform public-employee compensation: make use of ample natural resources: and stop the flow of illegal aliens. Just focus on those four areas-as California did so well in the past-and in time, the state will return to its bounty of a few decades ago. Many of us intend to stay and see that it does.
The public and private sector unions, the teachers’ unions, the green lobby, racial politics and the politicized efforts of groups like La Raza and the large pool of public sentiment for their causes will not be easy to get around, that’s for sure.
So goes California, so goes the nation?
-A link for Michael Lewis’ article about California politics, public pensions and Schwarzenegger’s time in office.
-A map from Immodest Proposals on how to divide California. Just some suggestions.
-California’s anti-immigration, anti-union Democrat: Full video and background on Mickey Kaus here.
Related On This Site: Remember, neo-conservatism partially came out of the increasing liberal trends in our society, as folks get ‘mugged by reality,” . There is always a sharp edge to people, their affairs, and the groups they form: Victor Davis Hanson Via Youtube Via Uncommon Knowledge: ‘The New Old World Order’
Dream big: Via Reason: ‘California’s Public Transportation Sinkhole’
A great city deserves great art extravaganzas…: L.A.’s New Public Art Piece ‘The Levitated Mass,’ Or As The American Interest Puts It: ‘A Moving Rock’
…California Dreamers From The Atlantic-A Brief Review Of Kevin Starr’s History Of California
The people who promise solutions to poverty and homlessness seem to be engaged in a utopian cost-shifting exercise which favors their interests and overlooks crime, violence and personal responsbility…hardly a way to balance the budget: Repost-Heather MacDonald At The City Journal: ‘The Sidewalks Of San Francisco’…
Some concentrated wealth on top, a stalled legislature with members who know how to play the game…and a service sector beneath…that probably can’t go on forever: …From The WSJ: ‘Joel Kotkin: The Great California Exodus’…
