California Doing California Things

[Shadowy Man]

A prudent investment, considering the disastrous scale of his plans for the state.

What plans does Trump have for California?

Grand plans! Turn on the Big Faucet!

Nobody has plans like Trump does.

Or at least concepts of plans.

 

[thebeave]

Here's a pretty decent video overview of the HSR project, pros and cons:



California is going to need to come up with a hell of a lot of money to complete the project from LA to SF (and beyond). California can't even create a balanced budget to pay for its basic operating costs, without raising taxes even more (our state already has the highest taxes in the country). And we're somehow going to come up with $100 billion over the next 10 years to pay for this thing? I'm not optimistic that money will be forthcoming. And even if it does get built, will it have enough ridership to sustain itself financially going forward? If there's shortfall in annual operating costs, where is the funding going to come from? Air travel between the major cities is still going to be faster overall, and probably cheaper. This has boondoggle written all over it.

 

[bilby]

will it have enough ridership to sustain itself financially going forward?

Infrastructure isn't supposed to sustain itself financially.

LA's extensive freeway network cost a shitload to build, and costs even more to maintain (probably a big contributor to those high taxes). But those taxes to keep the freeways operational are an unavoidable cost of having the transportation infrastructure that is essential to all of the business done in the state.

You could charge tolls for freeway users instead, but it would be unlikely to be cheaper than the taxes it replaced, and then you will need to start looking at surface roads, which also cost money to build and maintain...

Transportation costs money. But as it benefits the whole state (not just the people who happen to use it), it makes perfect sense to fund at least a part of that cost via general taxation. "Beneficiary pays" is a better model than "User pays" for transportation.

The guy who catches the train to work helps all the drivers who no longer share the freeway with his car; All his coworkers whose colleague isn't late or absent to work; His boss who gets the work of his business done... Why should he directly pay the full cost of providing the infrastructure that benefits all those other people? Particularly as we don't expect road users to do the same.

Taxes are a good thing.

 

[GenesisNemesis]

Things Tswizzle thinks are "Marxism":

- Reducing the budget of the public services paid for by taxes.
- Visiting other countries on business.
- Being on fire.

Jokes aside, I'm glad you're okay buddy. Was worried when I saw the news. Looks fucking apocalyptic down there.

I'm not particularly worried. He can just pull himself up by his bootstraps if he needs to.

 

[Derec]

But don’t worry, Swiz - your boy will get rid of them before they rape your daughter. Cept if he sees the red hats, maybe?

Professionals coming to help with a natural disaster is very different than illegal migrants crossing the border and claiming bogus asylum.

I appreciate Mexican and Canadian fire fighters and hope US returns the favor when there is a similar calamity in Canada or Mexico.

 

[Derec]

Things Tswizzle thinks are "Marxism":

- Reducing the budget of the public services paid for by taxes.
- Visiting other countries on business.
- Being on fire.

Jokes aside, I'm glad you're okay buddy. Was worried when I saw the news. Looks fucking apocalyptic down there.

I think he was calling Bass a Marxist because she has a history of visiting Cuba as part of communist Venceremos Brigades.
When Karen Bass Went to Work in Castro’s Cuba
Also:
Karen Bass eulogized Communist Party USA leader
Karen Bass walks back Castro comment amid VP vetting

 

[Politesse]

Along with Antonia Villaraigosa, another former fellow mayor of LA. There seems to be a bit of a Venceremos a Acalde de Los Angeles pipeline!

So I suppose you would add to the list of things that make one a Marxist:
- Cutting sugar cane
- Visiting Cuba
- Acknowledging someone as having been your friend and mentor at their funeral, but pointedly refusing to acknowledge the political party to which they belonged for most of their life
- Disavowing Fidel Castro
- Saying "I am not a Communist"

 

[Shadowy Man]

Things Tswizzle thinks are "Marxism":

- Reducing the budget of the public services paid for by taxes.
- Visiting other countries on business.
- Being on fire.

Jokes aside, I'm glad you're okay buddy. Was worried when I saw the news. Looks fucking apocalyptic down there.

I think he was calling Bass a Marxist because she has a history of visiting Cuba as part of communist Venceremos Brigades.
When Karen Bass Went to Work in Castro’s Cuba
Also:
Karen Bass eulogized Communist Party USA leader
Karen Bass walks back Castro comment amid VP vetting

Which Marxist policies has she instituted in Los Angeles? If none, then it’s mostly just a smear, right?

I’m not that familiar with Marxism or LA policies so it is a genuine question.

 

[TSwizzle]

Insufferable prick Gavin Newsom calls for looting to be a felony;

California Gov. Gavin Newsom is calling for looting in fire evacuation zones to be a felony after prosecutors in Southern California urged him this week to issue harsher penalties, Fox News Digital has exclusively learned. Newsom said "looting has never been legal here" and that "it will not be tolerated" as the state continues to battle the ravenous inferno that broke out on Jan. 7.

News

This is the same guy that opposed California prop 36 which was designed to roll back much of the pro-criminal prop 47. Newsom did all he could to prevent prop 36 even getting on the ballot. It is going to be a hoot watching this buffoon run for the democratic presidential nomination.

 

[Jimmy Higgins]

Insufferable prick Gavin Newsom calls for looting to be a felony;

California Gov. Gavin Newsom is calling for looting in fire evacuation zones to be a felony after prosecutors in Southern California urged him this week to issue harsher penalties, Fox News Digital has exclusively learned. Newsom said "looting has never been legal here" and that "it will not be tolerated" as the state continues to battle the ravenous inferno that broke out on Jan. 7.

News

Watch in awe as TSwizzle gets angry at Gov. Newsom for doing something he agrees with.

 

[Politesse]

Insufferable prick Gavin Newsom calls for looting to be a felony;

California Gov. Gavin Newsom is calling for looting in fire evacuation zones to be a felony after prosecutors in Southern California urged him this week to issue harsher penalties, Fox News Digital has exclusively learned. Newsom said "looting has never been legal here" and that "it will not be tolerated" as the state continues to battle the ravenous inferno that broke out on Jan. 7.

News

This is the same guy that opposed California prop 36 which was designed to roll back much of the pro-criminal prop 47. Newsom did all he could to prevent prop 36 even getting on the ballot. It is going to be a hoot watching this buffoon run for the democratic presidential nomination.

So you're... mad that he's doing what you said he should be doing?

Funny how often that exact situation occurs in this thread. Almost as though Gavin Newsom is a political centrist doing his best to (albeit usually hamfistedly) manage the needs and concerns of a diverse state population, and you're an ideologically inconsistent right-wing partisan who is constitutionally incapable of happiness no matter what the governor is doing or why.

My question is this: if you're equally pissed off whether Newsom does what you say or the opposite, why should he give a shit what you and yours think about anything? He clearly does, given the amount of bones he throws your way, but I for the life of me do not understand why. Conservatives don't want Democrats to institute Republican style policies, they want Republicans in office, and nothing more or less than that. Compromising with you on anything is pointless, if are no political gains to be had from diplomacy. You should all be simply ignored until you're ready to actually come to the table on something. Anything. If not even "looting is bad" is a simple enough issue for you to agree with the governor about it for half a second, what the hell would be?

 

[TSwizzle]

So you're... mad that he's doing what you said he should be doing?

Not mad, pointing out his hypocrisy.

Funny how often that exact situation occurs in this thread. Almost as though Gavin Newsom is a political centrist doing his best to (albeit usually hamfistedly) manage the needs and concerns of a diverse state population,

Newsom is a buffoon and an authoritarian. Why you defend him, I just don't know.

and you're an ideologically inconsistent right-wing partisan who is constitutionally incapable of happiness no matter what the governor is doing or why.

Why would I be happy with the highest taxes in the nation, highest gas prices, highest energy prices, rising crime, rising homelessness, shitty infrastructure and general incompetence?

 

[Politesse]

Why you defend him, I just don't know.

I mean, I rarely do actually. Not agreeing with your unhinged nonsense is hardly an endorsement of the man himself. I've never been especially fond of him or the poltiically "centrist" lobby he represents so faithfully, but that's neither here nor there. When I criticize the governor, it's usually because of something that he's done or said, not just that he belongs to a different party than me. You're so far off the deep end that your critiscism is meaningless, because it's transparently obvious that it is universal and unconditional.

 

[Politesse]

Why would I be happy with the highest taxes in the nation

New York

highest gas prices

Hawaii

highest energy prices

Also Hawaii

rising crime

Nope.

rising homelessness

True, but less true in California than in most other states.

shitty infrastructure

At least we have infrastructure.

and general incompetence

This is too subjective to assess, but I'd put California's level of "general incompetence" up against Idaho's or New Jersey's any day. I mean, are you kidding? We do at least occasionally get things done without mafia assistance around here, which is more than some states can say.

 

[TSwizzle]

Why you defend him, I just don't know.

I mean, I rarely do actually. Not agreeing with your unhinged nonsense

"highest taxes in the nation, highest gas prices, highest energy prices, rising crime, rising homelessness, shitty infrastructure and general incompetence" is unhinged nonsense? Interesting.

is hardly an endorsement of the man himself.

Then why do you consistently come to his defense?

I've never been especially fond of him or the poltiically "centrist" lobby he represents so faithfully, but that's neither here nor there. When I criticize the governor, it's usually because of something that he's done or said, not just that he belongs to a different party than me.

lol, I'm sure I have told you before, I don't belong to a party. I criticize Newsom et al because they are fucking useless. Are the other lot going to be any better? Unlikely but I don't see why I should have to put up with Newsom and the bonkers democrats and say nothing just because they are not republicans.

You're so far off the deep end that your critiscism is meaningless, because it's transparently obvious that it is universal and unconditional.

"meaningless"? My criticism is either warranted or not but "meaningless" doesn't make sense.

 

[bilby]

My question is this: if you're equally pissed off whether Newsom does what you say or the opposite, why should he give a shit what you and yours think about anything? He clearly does, given the amount of bones he throws your way, but I for the life of me do not understand why. Conservatives don't want Democrats to institute Republican style policies, they want Republicans in office, and nothing more or less than that.

"Power is not a means, it is an end" - George Orwell, 1984.

Policies are goid if they result in power for your team, and bad if they result in power for the other team. There are no objectively good or bad policies; Being hard on crime is good when Republicans do it and bad when Democrats do it, just like any other possible policy position.

It helps to understand this if you pretend that politics is just an inconsequential game. Whether a given call by the referee is correct and just; or is a travesty and likely proof that the ref is corrupt, depends entirely upon which team he just penalised. No amount of study of the facts will change the opinion of the fanatic that his team should benefit, and the other team should be penalised.

One-eyed football fans are tiresome, but mostly harmless. One-eyed politcal party fans are the reason why democracy isn't particularly effective in preventing awful and hugely unpopular things from occurring.

 

[bilby]

lol, I'm sure I have told you before, I don't belong to a party.

You needn't play football in order to be a rabid fan of your favourite team.

 

[GenesisNemesis]

New California law gives tenants more time to respond to eviction notices

Gov. Newsom signed a new law that gives California tenants twice as long to respond to eviction notices.

calmatters.org

OMG, there goes governor Gavin NewSCUM doing something that will... help people not lose their homes.

Also banning evictions of tenants sheltering wildfire survivors:

Newsom issues executive order banning evictions of tenants sheltering wildfire survivors

Gov. Gavin Newsom issued an executive order prohibiting landlords from evicting tenants for sheltering survivors of the Los Angeles-area fires.

www.cbsnews.com

I'm sure the sociopathic conservatives will find a problem with these things though.

 

[Elixir]

I'm sure the sociopathic conservatives will find a problem with these things though.

Of course! After all, housing fire refugees, not evicting people … how is their favorite complaint supposed to thrive when the stupid gubbermint does stuff that keeps people from being homeless and on the streets?

 

[TSwizzle]

OMG, there goes governor Gavin NewSCUM doing something that will... help people not lose their homes.

This isn’t Newsom. This is the California legislature.

Also banning evictions of tenants sheltering wildfire survivors:

Phew, Mel Gibson will be able to bunk up in someone’s studio apartment while his $14m house gets rebuilt.

I feel this is probably a nonexistent problem but if it actually helps people, great.