We Californians
just received the news -- seems the State’s budget deficit projection of $ 9
billion was off a bit. Expected monies
have not materialized, so our budget deficit is now expected to be a little
higher – say…… $$$ 16 B I L L I O N !!!
How solvent is your State ... or nation, if you're a reader from another country, since there are problems over much of the world?
California has some
serious choices ahead we’re told – some taxes or cutbacks to our already
bleeding education system and programs for those who have the least and need
the most.
Just a few days
ago a news story revealed Google’s co-founder is giving up his U.S.
citizenship to move with his billions to Singapore. This means he’ll likely not pay as much
federal and state tax as he would have otherwise, so no help for California there.
Increasing numbers
of Americans are renouncing their citizenship but I don't know what all the individuals reasons are for doing so. There are pros and cons about whether tax increases will cause even more Americans
to leave the country, taking their money with them, thus avoiding taxes.
Most
were probably educated in this country, or as in the Google
co-founder's case (he's also a citizen of Brazil,) he attended Harvard
and had the benefit of contacts he made there plus our whole system of
business opportunity.
What about all
those individuals and corporations who have secretive off shore bank accounts?
Financial institutions outside the U.S. are required to report information about the income and accrued payed interest to American clients accounts effective in January 2013. We'll see how that all works out.
Doesn’t loyalty,
gratitude, a desire to help the State, nation and people by fully paying the
required tax rate rather than finding ways to avoid doing so seem ethically
appropriate -- especially in these challenging times?
This is the problem with raising taxes the wealthy abscond. Switzerland is also a prime destination. Disgusting isn't it? Jerry also says the state has overspent, so a combo of cuts and tax raises is in the cards. My son lives in SoCal and is concerned for his kids future.
ReplyDeleteCalifornia is the ninth largest economy in the world according to what I have read. Bigger than Greece and of greater concern.
My state of VA has a balanced budget by law. We may be a bit backward but we are not insolvent. I don't know which is worse. Dianne
California's education system has been declining for too many years. I can empathize with your son's concerns for his children. My granddaughter has benefited from Virginia's education system. From the time she started school through present day high school all students in her district are issued computers to use during the school year. She's receiving strong grounding in learning while using the latest technology.
DeleteThe last 2011 ranking I read said California was the 8th largest world economy -- had been 7th -- and a few years earlier was 5th. Perhaps Calif. has dropped in the rankings again, especially with a significant decline in shipping, especially from China.
Our State legislators have political party gridlocked over budget year after year violating the date they are to submit one. Lack of needed action has been as ridiculous, disgusting and devastating to our financial status as that of so many in our D.C. congress.
I suspect your granddaughter is in Fairfax County. FC has a budget bigger than many states. My daughter teaches and says the FC school budget is awesome.
DeleteAnd people wonder why I refuse to play the silly games that these people perpetrate.
ReplyDeleteI know, Kay, all this game playing that goes on is so damaging, especially on a human level.
DeleteIndeed!!!!!
DeleteSome appalling things are going on. It once was rare for an American to renounce citizenship. I guess greed now trumps national pride and gratitude for the opportunities we've had. Sigh.
ReplyDeleteWould that it wasn't so, Dick.
DeleteThere is nothing new about any of this. I think we have been holding on, trying to keep afloat for ourselves and our families while ignoring the systemic attacks on the public sphere.
ReplyDeleteYes, Hattie, our Calif. budget problems aren't new. Didn't help any when electorate when celebrity ga-ga and recalled our then-Gov. and put in "the terminator."
DeleteI can't find it right now, but I read three days ago that California has the 9th largest economy in the world! That's down some from the 2011 figures, which is all I've been able to find, and ahead of Italy and Spain. The same article also said that if California suffers, the whole rest of the U.S. will, too. Guess the teabaggers haven't figured that out yet.
ReplyDeleteCalif. economy continues to go down. Foreign imports plus U.S. exports from our shipping ports have decreased significantly which impacts the nation. All the teabaggers know is cut, cut, cut -- they haven't figured out yet it's not that simple -- especially if you care about ALL the people.
ReplyDelete