Dear Fellow Californians: Please Don't Be Morons

An open letter to my fellow Californians:

Friends-

I am a native Californian.  I was born in Pasadena in 1956, lived briefly in L.A. County before spending most of my youth in Orange County.  All of my schooling has been in California.  During adulthood I've lived either in Orange or San Diego Counties.  I'm as native as they get.

I'm old enough to remember when California was truly the land of opportunity, when people in chilly climes would see the Rose Parade on TV on January 1 and dream of moving to the West Coast and the land of plenty. I remember when our schools had supplies that didn't have to be bought by parents, and when teachers actually were more concerned about making sure their students were learning rather than whatever the latest teacher's union email had to say.

I remember when investing in a home meant steady and sometimes spectacular equity growth, when a home could be considered a valuable part of one's retirement portfolio.  Home values soared so often and sometimes so quickly that we had to pass Proposition 13 to keep older people from being kicked out of their homes of 20 or 30 years by skyrocketing property taxes.  We did that in 1978 over the objection of then Gov. Jerry "Moonbeam" Brown.

Yes, I'm old enough to remember when Moonbeam was governor the first time.  And Reagan before him.  Polar opposites in every way.  Reagan had a plan.  Moonbeam didn't.

I remember when 5% unemployment was considered outrageous.  Now we look back on 10% unemployment with fondness.  We've redefined the "good old days".

I remember when opening a business in California was something to be desired, when the risk was worth it because the reward could be so great.  Today it's a different story.  Businesses are fleeing this state for neighboring states which have offered them tax breaks, moving expenses, lower regulation...anything they need to get them to relocate.  With those companies go good paying steady jobs.

California has always been a beautiful place to live, though when I was a kid there were days when it was hard to see thanks to the thick brown blanket that often hung over the L.A. basin on warm days.  I can remember playing at recess and feeling my chest hurt because the smog was so bad.  The push for a cleaner environment has been good ...to a point.  Thanks to efforts by a lot of parties it's rare now to have anything approaching a Stage 1 smog alert.

However, like a lot of those who taste power, the environmental movement has become so emboldened by their power and their influence in Sacramento that we now shut off water to some of the most fertile land in the world in Central California...just to save a 3 inch fish.  Farmers tilling their land can face fines or imprisonment should they accidentally chop up some endangered rat.  People can't build what they want to build or grow what they want to grow without getting the blessing of some environmental action group.  AB32, the punitive global warming legislation passed and signed by the governor will do irreparable harm to this state, but we have a chance to stop it.  More about that in a moment.

Friends, if we put Jerry Brown back in the governor's office and combine him with a liberal legislature, we're through.  Turn out the compact florescent lights, the party's over.  There won't be any tax, fee or regulatory scheme too crazy to be proposed and signed by Brown and the Dems.  You may not be a fan of Meg Whitman, might even hate rich people altogether, but she's the only hope we've got of moderating the mess in Sacramento.  She's far from perfect, but at least she can see perfect from where she is.  Moonbeam isn't even in the same galaxy.

And Barbara "Dumb-as-a-Box-of-Rocks" Boxer?  Give me a break.  That woman's so far left she makes Barack Obama look like a Tea Partier.  She may represent a few liberal islands in California where common sense goes to die, but she certainly doesn't represent the views of most Californians.  She needs to be retired.

Carly Fiorina has a business background and understands how taxation and regulation can choke business and kill jobs.  We need her in Washington.

Finally, there are a few vitally important ballot initiatives that need your attention if we are to have a chance for the future:

Prop 19 - Legalizing Pot.  Seriously?  NO!
Prop 23 - Suspends AB32 until unemployment drops.  Absolutely YES!
Prop 24 - Raises taxes on businesses.  Did you read anything I wrote above?  NO!
Prop 25 - Makes is easier for the legislature to raise your taxes.  Absolutely NO!
Prop 26 - Requires the same standards for raising fees that are required for raising taxes.  YES!

You see, the Democrats will tell you we have a revenue problem in California.  They're wrong.  Our revenue was just fine before out-of-control spending ravaged the state budget.  We're going to have to make cuts and big ones.  Across the board.  Raising taxes or other costs for businesses or individuals in this economy will be the end of California.  We're going to have to make it possible for businesses to operate in this state and make a profit.  That's the only way jobs will come back.

And we're going to have to quit spending tax dollars to support people who aren't even legally allowed to be here.  What's so hard to understand about that?

So, in summary, I'm asking you my fellow Californians not to be morons.  Let Jerry Brown and Barbara Boxer enjoy their retirement, and let's do the right thing on the ballot propositions.  We're not going to get many more opportunities to save our state.

Rick Moore
HolyCoast.com