It's Very Simple, Really

California used to be the envy of the every other state in the Union. A vibrant economy, a melting pot of cultures, the bread basket (and salad bowl) of the world, a driver of tech-innovation, and movies and art. But, that California is long gone. And it's my bet that it won't be coming back any time soon.

I really don't feel like putting the time or the effort in to a long, detailed post explaining why I'm right. I'll just relate to you what I saw when I lived there (and what I see now that I don't).

At one time, not too long ago, California's infrastructure was the best in the world: The California Aqueduct, I-5, the 10, the 405, Long Beach Harbor, San Diego Bay, Oakland Harbor, LAX, the 101...all of these massive state projects were the foundation that California used to propel its economic growth. The massive Aqueduct system turned California's Central Valley from a barren wasteland into the most productive agricultural area in the entire world. Interstate 5 (I-5) allowed all that food to get to Oakland, and LA to be transported around the world (via the Long Beach and Oakland harbors) or by train or truck.

Yet, in the 30 years I lived in California I watched year after year as I-5 literally fell apart from lack of repair. Not only was I-5 never significantly improved, it was barely maintained. What was once a true "superhighway" of smooth, continguous concrete running from San Ysidro to Yreka, became potholed, abused, cracked, and in such a state of disrepair as to be a threat to average motorists. In fact, right before I left in 1999 the freeway was in such bad shape that several bridges collapsed during a routine night rainfall, killing several people as a result.

At the same time, Sacramento was doing - quite literally - everything in its power to raise taxes on its citizens. Property tax revenues went up, sales taxes increased, California introduced the Lottery (ostensibly to pay for schools (so, query what happened to the money that the Lottery money replaced?)), instituted and (raised annually) a gas tax (to pay for aging roads)...and yet with all that money, infrastructure deteriorated from lack of maintenance. Schools crumbled, yet cost more to run.....while test scores dropped and graduation rates plummeted.

To add to that misery, the legislature started passing out money to every politically connected interest group it could: workers' compensation benefits skyrocketed (especially for government workers); liability laws were changed to make it easier to sue and easier for plaintiff's lawyers to take huge paydays. In fact, in one particular area of the law (building codes for handicap access), the legislature passed a law that allowed businesses to be sued for the tiniest infractions of very intricate state laws regarding buliding codes. In most cases, the codes were ambiguous enough that most businesses had trouble complying even when they hired experts. And, yet the potential liability (triple damages and costs and fees) along with the cost of litigation (attorney's fees, etc.) caused most businesses to settle for 5-figure sums. As a member of the California Bar, I distinctly remember the Bar becoming so overwhelmed with attorney complaints (about this issue) that the discipline section became overwhelmed.

And yet, no matter how much taxes were raised, two things happened: 1. Infrastructure crumbled because the state rarely spent any money on maintenance, and 2. the government always ran out money.

The one common thread that runs through California is that the bicameral legislature has been dominated by the Democrat party CONTINUOUSLY since 1970. The State Senate has been Dem-dominated without interruption since 1970, while the Assembly (the lower house) was only Republican-run for two years (1995 and 1996).

To make a long story short: You want to know who has ruined California? Look at the Legislature: DEMOCRATS, DEMOCRATS, DEMOCRATS.