California, here we come

quote: Examiner Editorial

Quote :

July 1, 2009 While promoting his new cap-and-trade energy tax bill, which passed the U.S. House last week, President Obama revealed in a White House address on Monday his model for the nation's economy - California. "In the late 1970s, the state of California enacted tougher energy-efficiency policies," Obama said, noting that the state and its residents use less energy today per capita than the national average. "Think about that," he said, "California producing jobs, their economy keeping pace with the rest of the country and yet they've been able to maintain their energy usage in a much lower level than the rest of the country."

Obama might want to rethink his choice of a model state because it is easy to understand how California has curbed its energy use. Between 2000 and 2007, before the current recession, the state shed nearly 21 percent of its manufacturing jobs, driving down its industrial electrical consumption by 21 percent. California's industrial users pay electric rates twice as high as their Midwestern counterparts - which helps explain why so much heavy industry has fled the state. In addition to alienating its industry, California has also curbed energy use through exorbitant residential electric rates (50 percent higher than the national average) and massive net out-migration. Between 2005 and 2007, 2.14 million Californians moved to other states, while only 1.44 million people from elsewhere moved to the Golden State, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Don't be surprised when the 2010 Census finds even more people leaving to escape California's 11.5 percent unemployment. And, as jobs and residents fled California, its tax revenues have declined, while its politicians went on a spending binge, creating a severe budget crisis.

If the President wants America to look like California, pushing the Obama-Waxman-Markey cap-and-trade anti-global warming energy bill through Congress is surely the way to do it. Among much else in its 1,200+ pages (none of which were read by the vast majority of House members who voted on it), the measure caps carbon dioxide emissions at levels certain to cause artificial scarcity and higher energy prices. That will convince still more American manufacturers that they can only remain competitive by moving to other countries with no caps (think India and China), lower expenses and cheaper workforces. Manufacturers who can't move or who must rely on electric power will simply go out of business or drastically reduce their workforces. The Heritage Foundation forecasts job losses under Obama-Waxman-Markey of 1.15 million annually beginning in 2012. Welcome to the Hotel California in the age of Obama.

http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/California_-here-we-come_-7906062-49536842.html

California, a prophet on the burning shore
California, I'll be knocking on the golden door
Like an angel, standing in a shaft of light
Rising up to paradise, I know I'm gonna shine -Estimated Prophet

California needs some good old fashioned republicans in charge.

I think they are getting just what they need. A big dose of reality.

but what is the reality? attributing the damage in California to a "greener energy" policy is ludicrous, and yet this article seems to imply just that.

The green agenda did not do it alone, but was representative of the problem. They 'stimulated' the industry with subsidies. Taxpayer funded subsidies. The green agenda caused electric rates to rise to a level 25% higher than the national average.
They throw money at all kinds of perceived problems.

The reality is that they spent themselves into a massive debt.
They raised taxes to offset the losses.
Electricity and others costs of doing business skyrocketed.
The businesses and the affluent citizens moved to a friendlier economic climate.
Fewer taxes paid as a result.
Downward spiral continues.

robert wrote:

but what is the reality? attributing the damage in California to a "greener energy" policy is ludicrous, and yet this article seems to imply just that.

Especially when everything is turning brown due to lack of energy to power their irrigation pumps.

Justoo wrote:

The green agenda did not do it alone, but was representative of the problem. They 'stimulated' the industry with subsidies. Taxpayer funded subsidies. The green agenda caused electric rates to rise to a level 25% higher than the national average.
They throw money at all kinds of perceived problems.

The reality is that they spent themselves into a massive debt.
They raised taxes to offset the losses.
Electricity and others costs of doing business skyrocketed.
The businesses and the affluent citizens moved to a friendlier economic climate.
Fewer taxes paid as a result.
Downward spiral continues.

Pretty much sums it all up. Now they want to do to the rest of the country what they did to California. Unfortunately for us, the results will be the same. The definition of insanity is the repetition of the same irrational behavior and expecting a different result. Why do I think of government every time I hear that?

Did all the Mexicans moved back across the border????