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Republican Governor Arnold 'The Terminator" Schwarzenegger has a new nickname these days - 'The Debtinator". One of our favorite screen superheroes has proven to be a major disappointment in his equally fanciful role of pretending to be a conservative Republican in public office. At the forefront of an entertaining but unprincipled parade of RINO's (Republicans in Name Only) betraying America over the past decade, Schwarzenegger has sealed his credentials through a federal rescue request for the beleaguered socialist republic he struggles to manage.
Socialism's Expensive Bill Comes Due
Let's be clear there is no federal rescue option in the sense of a giant bottomless money bucket pillaged by the majority of our elected officials. There are only the pockets of Americans subsidizing a gerrymandered system that is fraudulent, constitutionally unfounded, and dangerous to the American way of life.
California's long standing indulgences have generated dramatic budget problems. Their current deficit picture is around 20 billion dollars - not counting the 40 or so billion borrowed in bonds to keep the ship afloat. Extravagant public entitlements; massive governmental bureaucracy, and the failure to enforce immigration law have combined to make the golden state anything but.
Every Level of Government is in Trouble
California is just one state of 35 wrestling with a budgetary crisis. The Reason Foundation estimates that between 2002 and 2007, most state's spent at twice the rate of inflation. That pattern of government living better than its people assured debt and depleted reserves at the worst of times.
The problem was aggravated by the use of Federal stimulus dollars and limited belt tightening to temporarily patch budget woes. Those options are no longer on the table and for many states the low hanging fruit has been exhausted at the same time the revenue picture heads south.
As they say in the military, pooh-pooh flows down hill, and local governments are anything but immune. The post 911 boom years deluded most elected officials into believing in an evergreen money tree. Municipalities and county governments expanded programs, introduced entitlements, and depleted reserves while becoming dependent on federal and state dollars and rolling over to unfunded mandates. Our local governments are about to hit a resulting gauntlet of economic pot holes.
Lack of Accountability is Rampant
There are other answers to the 'how did it happen' question. For decades all levels of government have clouded their roles with activities outside their sphere of responsibility. North Carolina state government's involvement in municipal butterfly exhibits subsidized by back door contributions from Washington illustrates this toxic cocktail. Then there is the growing self-protective instinct to reach for low hanging fruit and dodge the tougher climbs. "We can't stop drug thugs from controlling our public housing developments, but we certainly can have pretty butterflies in our nature center."
With so many hands in so many pockets, it is next to impossible to establish accountability for anyone with governing responsibility. If you remember Abbott and Costello doing their skit "Who's on First", you understand the game.
Today we have the federal government spending trillions they don't have - state governments spending billions they don't have - and local governments spending millions they don't have. That leaves you and me spending dollars we don't have or getting ready to fund a Ponzi scheme that dwarfs Bernie Madoff's best efforts.
America is Still Fixable
Solutions to America's crisis of governance will be found in a rededication to core services; getting serious about putting America first; and honestly paying for our choices as we go. If a city's residents want to elect liberal councils and support butterfly exhibits while drug dealers infest their public housing developments, those same residents should fund the resulting nightmare. Just like in California.
We will not fix the system from the top down. Authentic change will develop one community at a time - wherever patriots come together, say "enough" and start fighting back. With most local elections determined by less than 20% of the voters, the mumbling majority still has the power to fix America from the bottom up.
In my home town we can say "no" to new exotic performing arts venues; subsidized housing without accountability for social predators; and nice over necessary greenways and bike trails. If we truly care about the host of citizens are living paycheck to paycheck, we must find a little 'Terminator" courage to stand against the please and appease crowd. How about in your home town?
It's long been said that as California goes, so eventually goes the nation. Let's hope not. They've had a superhero pitching and are still losing the game. So badly, in fact, that on their most confused day, Abbott and Costello could have done no worse. At least they knew there was a first base and that there was no free ride to home plate...
Carl Mumpower
The Candid Conservative
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