California -- America's first failed state?

California's not the only state in trouble. Texas is facing an $18 billion deficit.

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/latestnews/stories/051110dntexstrausbudget.15b0a65b.html

The difference is, Texas is constitutionally required to carry a balanced budget, and therefore the whacking WILL happen, no matter how many sacred cows the Ledge says will be spared.

 

California has the same constitutional requirement. It just cooks the books to technically get by.

 

Arnold's budget:

Eliminate welfare

http://www.sacbee.com/2010/05/14/2751461/schwarzenegger-budget-would-eliminate.html

 

We're going off a cliff, Poin...and Steve Poizner's the guy who can save us!
He'll pull that California car right back onto terra firma.

(Sorry...the political ads are running non-stop at my station these days. It's paying our bills, at least.)

 

I won't vote for Meg Whitman, who is trying to buy the election, just because I'm already tired of seeing her smug mug on TV.

 

She has been a disappointment.

As for the rest of us, it's about time for the return of the IOU's...

 

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/05/poizner-meg-whitman-used-to-sell-porn-video.php?ref=fpblg

You know, this state has so many problems...but when I see a big league slimeball contest like this one is fast becoming, I gotta sit back and smile. Poizner should have endorsed this ad from Van Nuys.

It would be all kinds of awesome if Whitman pulled some old Ebay purchase from the 90's that proved Poizner bought some porn from her. Hey, if we can't have a meaningful discussion about the problems in Cali (and judging from my years living here, we can't) we might as well do commercials about porn sales!

 

oh, add another $600 million onto this year's budget, because CALPERs needs it.

http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-calpers-20100520,0,3208737.story

 

Ah, the sanctity of contracts.

 

Not sure if this is the place for this, but Arizona is threatening to shut off the electricity in Los Angeles:

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010/05/19/national/main6498572.shtml

 

Love it. It's nice to remind folks that, once in a while, boycotts can work both ways. I have a feeling if the electric company goes through with it, though, that the feds would step in on some sort of human welfare premise.