State of California is broke

[poindexter]

LOL@small stuff.

Lancey's suppositions are so uninformed they really don't require a response. They stand on their own as an example that he has no clue what he's talking about here.

But the "small stuff" adds up to a $16 billion budget deficit this year, unfunded pension obligations that could add up to half a trillion dollars, and most recently a choo-choo train that will cost $100 billion and take nobody anywhere.

But yeah, it's all about nickel-and-diming the $13 million. BTW the link on that said there is $37 billion under agency control that's on the "honor system."

By what order of magnitude are my assumptions wrong? It is a heck of a long way from 13 million to 16 billion.

And we found out that the State of California has a maze of accounting systems and they don't automatically consolidate but rely on manual reconcilations. And that a group of people need to sit down and attempt to reconcile them. But do you really think there is 16 billion there?

They don't keep track of $37 billion.

http://www.mercurynews.com/news/ci_21150190/state-parks-scandal-honor-system-used-keep-track?source=rss

And this is just the stuff we know about.


You voting yes on Prop 30, Lancey?

 

[LanceyHoward]

LOL@small stuff.

Lancey's suppositions are so uninformed they really don't require a response. They stand on their own as an example that he has no clue what he's talking about here.

But the "small stuff" adds up to a $16 billion budget deficit this year, unfunded pension obligations that could add up to half a trillion dollars, and most recently a choo-choo train that will cost $100 billion and take nobody anywhere.

But yeah, it's all about nickel-and-diming the $13 million. BTW the link on that said there is $37 billion under agency control that's on the "honor system."

By what order of magnitude are my assumptions wrong? It is a heck of a long way from 13 million to 16 billion.

And we found out that the State of California has a maze of accounting systems and they don't automatically consolidate but rely on manual reconcilations. And that a group of people need to sit down and attempt to reconcile them. But do you really think there is 16 billion there?

They don't keep track of $37 billion.

http://www.mercurynews.com/news/ci_21150190/state-parks-scandal-honor-system-used-keep-track?source=rss

And this is just the stuff we know about.


You voting yes on Prop 30, Lancey?

We know the State of California needs a consolidated accounting system. But do really think that those special funds have 16 billion sloshing around? I have not seen the number but what are the total annual revenues for the two park funds? And 54 million is what percent of that?

To use another example do you think we should slash Medicare or the Pentagon (choose according to your idealogical preference) because the Federal government can not successfully consolidate thier books? And they can't.

 

[poindexter]

LOL@small stuff.

Lancey's suppositions are so uninformed they really don't require a response. They stand on their own as an example that he has no clue what he's talking about here.

But the "small stuff" adds up to a $16 billion budget deficit this year, unfunded pension obligations that could add up to half a trillion dollars, and most recently a choo-choo train that will cost $100 billion and take nobody anywhere.

But yeah, it's all about nickel-and-diming the $13 million. BTW the link on that said there is $37 billion under agency control that's on the "honor system."

By what order of magnitude are my assumptions wrong? It is a heck of a long way from 13 million to 16 billion.

And we found out that the State of California has a maze of accounting systems and they don't automatically consolidate but rely on manual reconcilations. And that a group of people need to sit down and attempt to reconcile them. But do you really think there is 16 billion there?

They don't keep track of $37 billion.

http://www.mercurynews.com/news/ci_21150190/state-parks-scandal-honor-system-used-keep-track?source=rss

And this is just the stuff we know about.


You voting yes on Prop 30, Lancey?

We know the State of California needs a consolidated accounting system. But do really think that those special funds have 16 billion sloshing around? I have not seen the number but what are the total annual revenues for the two park funds? And 54 million is what percent of that?

To use another example do you think we should slash Medicare or the Pentagon (choose according to your idealogical preference) because the Federal government can not successfully consolidate thier books? And they can't.

I have no clue whether there is 16 billion sloshing around. Or how many other fiscal malfeasances the state has (there aren't enough newspapers to uncover them all). The state has the second highest income tax rate in the country, and the highest rate starts at around $42,000. Sales tax is the highest in the nation. Gasoline tax among the highest in the nation. I don't want to pay more taxes with these stumblebums at best, crooks at worst, in charge.

The medicare/pentagon subject is for another thread.

 

[LongTimeListener]

Hey, what's $2.3 billion among friends?

http://www.mercurynews.com/california-budget/ci_21168552/up-2-3-billion-california-public-funds-hiding

SACRAMENTO -- A week after uncovering a hidden-funds scandal at the state parks department, finance officials are now trying to piece together why the balance sheets for similar "special funds" are off by $2.3 billion -- money that appeared to be right under their noses amid California's financial meltdown.

And a special bonus: While hiding that $54 million, the state was begging environmental groups and charities for money to keep parks open. Now those groups want their money back.

http://www.mercurynews.com/science/ci_21168426/donors-who-bailed-out-state-parks-want-their?source=pkg

 

[poindexter]

So lets recap for a minute.

In 2010, the citizens were given an initiative, Prop 21. Raise car taxes an additional $18 per car, because, we were told, the state parks were broke. No money. Have to close parks, reduce hours, higher fees per entry.

It didn't pass.

http://www.ballotpedia.org/wiki/index.php/California_Proposition_21,_Vehicle_License_Fee_for_Parks_%282010%29

Now we find out, that the parks have plenty of money. A $54 million surplus they told nobody about.


Yet, incredibly, we have people here, some who live on the other side of the country, who tell me we need MORE taxes.

Just unreal.

 

[Stitch]

How much is the annual state parks budget?

 

[poindexter]

Good luck with that tax increase, Jerry.

 

[poindexter]

Here's who is backing Prop 30, the November tax increase initiative.

http://www.kcet.org/news/ballotbrief/elections2012/propositions/database-whos-funding-prop-30-temporary-tax-to-fund-education.html

Teachers unions, Service employee unions, other various unions.

 

[poindexter]

$2 billion. That we know about.

http://www.mercurynews.com/news/ci_21172870/2b-california-taxpayer-money-special-funds?refresh=no

Small potatoes. Not the poster.

 

[rmanfredi]

I almost drove my car off the side of the road the other day when I heard Governor Moonbeam say at a press conference (to paraphrase): hey, I'd rather that it turns out that we had more money than we thought than less!

 

[poindexter]

You can't make this up:
"State finance officials operate under a longtime honor system."

Prop 13 problem.

 

[TigerVols]

Even I can't defend this BS.

http://www.laobserved.com/biz/2012/08/the_stockton_police.php

Some point soon either all the municipalities will need to file for bankruptcy en masse, or the voters will need to hold accountable the crooks who signed off on pensions like these.