California -- America's first failed state?

I keep hearing that Illinois is actually worse off than California. I don't know if that's true or not, but it would not stun me.

 

http://www.sacbee.com/2012/12/12/5050569/capitol-alert-10-million-bay-bridge.html

The state just canceled a $10 million PR contract to promote the Bay Bridge.

Promote? It's a bridge. Over the water. Connecting Oakland and San Francisco. Use it or don't use it.

Sacramento Bee requested info on the contract, which went to a former agency worker who's now a consultant, and Jerry Brown flipped out when he saw what they were spending on the bullshit. One guy was slated to receive $46,196 for his services as the East Span Narrative Writer. Wow, imagine if he had written about the whole 4.5 miles!

 

"More California drivers prefer the Bay Bridge than the Dumbarton and San Mateo bridges by a margin of 3-to-1. It's the quickest way to Emeryville! Ask your neighbor about the Bay Bridge, or call us at 1-BIG ASS SPAN!"

Nice move by the guv. Another reason why all budgets should be scrutinized as closely as possible. Every public body should employ somebody like the Charles Grodin character in "Dave" to ferret out waste.

 

Better yet, imagine how much he would make if he would just be tweeting about it.

 

The California Public Utilities Commission plans on cell phones for the homeless.
http://www.sfgate.com/news/article/PUC-set-to-OK-free-phones-for-homeless-4104121.php

So they can keep in touch with family, potential employers and others crucial to improving their lives.

 

They don't have Obama phone in California?

Everybody in Ohio got Obama phone!

 

Maybe they should live with their family. That way they wouldn't be homeless...

 

Too bad Jerry's not 10 years younger, or he'd be a shoe-in to be the Democratic candidate in 2016.

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-cap-jerry-brown-20121220,0,7008927.column

 

Can we change the thread title yet?

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-state-budget-20130110,0,746142.story

 

Fox News doesn't know what to do with itself about California's recovery. So it's just ignoring it. That $1.9 billion projected deficit (followed by projected surpluses the following year)? Nah, we'll just go with a deficit of $28 billion.

http://blogs.laweekly.com/informer/2012/12/fox_news_california_deficit_error_gil_duran_governor_brown.php

 

Call me less than enthused based on 'projections'. I know the 2012 revenue in CA will be up big because anything involved in investing was taking LTCGs in December based on proposed increases in future tax rates. That's a one-timer.

Did California's unfunded pension liability of several hundred billion dollars just go away? Because I don't see it mentioned in the rosy article.

 

Despite things looking up short-term in California, you can't trust projections more than a year or two out.