Many parallels make the states of California and New York analogous. Both current governors are sons of governors. Jerry Brown of California was the 34th Governor of California (1975-1983) and is now serving as the 38th Governor. (Since 2011.) Brown has been California Secretary of State, Chairman of the California Democratic Party, Mayor of Oakland, and California Attorney General. His late father, ‘Pat Brown’ was California Governor from 1959 to 1967.
Andrew Cuomo is another political hack having been feeding at the trough of taxpayer financial extractions for most of his life of ‘public service.’ He was Assistant Secretary of Housing and Urban Development from ’93 – ’97, Secretary of HUD ’97 – ’01, State Attorney General ’07 – ’10 and now serves as the 56th Governor of NY. (Since 2011.) Mario Cuomo, his father, was Lt. Gov.’79 – ’82 and Governor from 1983 to 1994. Serving in the same office as your father may be generic, genetic, hereditary or perhaps voters just make an X when they see a familiar name on the ballot.
Other similarities include high populations; California with 38 million (12% of U.S population) and New York with 19.5 million people (about 6% of U.S. population).
Both are coastal states and dominated by Democratic politicians. California and New York have high union membership and abide by union work rules in many government and private sector industries and organizations.
The two states are not aligned with the 24 states with right-to-work laws. It should be no surprise that New York and California are the states with the highest debt, much of it due to healthcare and other entitlements for current and retired workers. California’s debt is more than $407 billion while New York’s amounts to almost $339 billion according to the National Debt Clock. Combined debt of the two states makes up 25% of the total $3 trillion debt of the 50 states.
The states’ debt added to the national debt of nearly $17 trillion raises the question of how to liquidate some or all of the mounting debt. The first reaction is, “Raise taxes!” Another idea is, “Create more regulations!” Reduced spending is not an option. The problem is that Californians and New Yorkers are over-taxed, over-paid, over-regulated, overpowered, overrated and overwhelmed overall.
Voters should come to the realization that campaign promises and performance don’t match. Blacks and Hispanics suffer from higher unemployment than white workers. California is home to 4.2 million food stamp recipients and 1.6 million unemployed. New York sustains 3.2 million on food stamps and over 739,000 unemployed. This is not progress; this is regression even as it elicits votes. Training and opportunities for employment and self-sufficiency should be the tune to dance to, not food stamps and welfare as permanent vocations.
Consider other areas dominated by apathetic politicians. Detroit has become a corruption and crime zone; control has recently been relinquished to the State. The city had corrupt Mayor Kilpatrick (D) whose recent job classification was jailbird, and a city council member, wife of Congressman John Conyers (D), who was incarcerated for 33 months for corruption. John Dingell (D) and his father have held the same congressional seat in the Detroit area since 1933 providing handouts instead of hands up to a shrinking population.
Illinois has state debt amounting to more than $153 billion with a record of four past governors having been jailed; Kerner, Jr. (D), Walker (D), Ryan (R) and Blagojevich (D).
Haphazard spending, fraud, waste and duplication are becoming hallmarks of our government. We are a debtor nation, becoming more deeply mired in the quicksand of unsustainable debt and the political class is oblivious. Politicians have transformed our nation from a land of opportunity into an organized entitlement culture.
Arrogance often ends with a resounding crash.
– Dick Baynton
