Wonkette
Oh well here is a shocker: Nobody in California had the time, inclination, or detailed budgetary expertise to make a good ruling on the many ballot measures up for approval yesterday, so instead they voted “no” on everything except a legislative salary freeze and then they went to In-n-Out Burger for a double double.
This whole enterprise had FAIL written all over it from the very beginning, because nobody really knew what they were voting on, plus they’d just voted like a month ago on something else, and really what is a state legislature for if not to do all this terrible voting crap all the time?
California is a marvel: a hotbed of technology innovation, home of the entertainment industry, with huge long stretches of just the most gorgeous coastline you have ever seen, but also terrible taxes and third-world infrastructure and an increasingly harried and broke populace who just want to move to Portland, Oregon (if they’re white).
Who’s to blame? Prop 13, the Prison Guards’ Union, and of course the gays, somehow.
California voters kill budget measures [Los Angeles Times]
Pumping Deficits II.
Raising taxes on the richest Californians is so un…ummm…un-American, or some shit, also.
America: -1, Commies: 0
Thanks SKS- now I have to go to Five Guys, close my eyes and imagine I’m at In-n-Out. You’ve affected my day!
And if California slides into the ocean, as the mystics and statistics say it will, I predict they will still be pumping forth incomprehensible ballot measures as they do so.
I blame X-box.
I heard Arnold is going to sell San Quentin for couple billion. I bet if they threw in LA they could break even.
Wait we had an election yesterday? I was too busy being liberal to notice.
BY THE WAY WE ARE LIBERAL HERE. EVIL.
Infrastructure is socialist, also.
Sacrifice?! This ain’t commie Austria, y’know!
Direct democracy, pshaw. What do you expect from a bunch of socialists?
There was also another 4.1 earthquake yesterday in LA County. Make of that what you will.
California is the shiznit.
Uh, I just discovered the urban dictionary.
Perhaps the State Legislature can try to make up for projected shortfalls by selling blowjobs under the overpass.
shortsshortsshorts:
Unless it’s for killing brown people then it’s captiliznit and patriotical.
Mr Blifil: Then someone will introduce a ballot measure requiring blow jobs be given only over underpasses, just to be contrarian.
This was caused by Obama eating spicy mustard on a hamburger.
WATCH YOUR MOUTH SKS! No one in CA wants to move to Portland, unless they are disgusting hippies living in the woods around Santa Cruz. And Portland doesn’t want these Californians! They hate California, and Seattle too. It’s weird.
But yeah, woo! Democracy in action!
shortsshortsshorts: Unless you name a highway after Ronald Reagan. Then it’s OK.
Oh arnold…
for all you bloggers out there, you will appreciate this satire video, newspapers v internet: http://www.governmentalityblog.com/my_weblog/2009/05/newspapers-vs-the-internet.html
This is why there aren’t any direct democracies on the planet — it’s annoying, confusing, and can produce contradictory results. Which reminds me, I haven’t watched any of that damn debate among the three Democrats running for governor in VA yet. How come they splatter nightly programming with 30-second ads, but you don’t hear about something that’ll actually help you decide until after it happens? And don’t you just love questions that answer themselves? I really shouldn’t have gotten out of bed this morning.
How can you run a state like Gully-for-ne-a this way? It doesn’t even work in a quant New England village with about 500 residents.
The worst most rabid right wing zombies I have ever known were some middle aged white dudes from Orange Country. Seriously those guys made Texas Republicans look like little Arlens.
LOOKING FOR A FEW GOOD MEN:
http://www.shortsshortsshorts.com/?p=3229#comments
Michael Patrick Leahy pulled the Complaint against StephanieinCA off of his website because of the obvious stupidity of it— but we have it. Anyone with ideas as to how to get him for his transgressions should speak up. It might turn out to be a totally entertaining experience.
Those are good burgers, Walter.
SayItWithWookies:
The problem is that a large percentage of people abandon reason and vote through emotions. Therefore, they are completely void of compromise.
SayItWithWookies: “The problem is that a large percentage of people abandon reason and vote through emotions. Therefore, they are completely void of compromise.”
Yeah - that’s why we have the Republicans.
California — If you expect the rest of us to lend a nice taxpayer hand so you can continue to behave like children forever (We demand puppies for everyone and that the state fund puppy acquisition at 20,000 percent! But we refuse to pay for it also!) you are in for a surprise.
Grow the hell up already and ditch your ridiculous constitution.
Hey man, XBOX is Seattle, yo.
We are your future, America. This is where all that Reagan/Norquist anti-government anti-tax ideology gets you.
bago:
Redmond is nothing to brag about.
SayItWithWookies: And don’t you just love questions that answer themselves?
Yes. Or no? Maybe. Oh, *rhetorical*. Never mind.
Confession: I only voted so I could get the little red sticker - I wanted the finger-dipped-in-purple-dye action, but it they would have none of that.
Felt bad for the poor, lonely poll workers. At age 75, all they wanted was to escape their one-bedroom apartments for a little human contact. Their translucent hands shook as they gave out the ballots and looked past you to see if anyone else was coming. A rush? Perhaps? In the long intervals between voters they fondly recalled November. Yes, that was an election.
While I said I wasn’t going to vote yesterday, as I was walking to my car some random old lady told me “don’t forget to vote.” Then my liberal guilt was set in motion, and I went to the polls at the last minute–7:15pm–to vote. I voted NO on everything and got my damned sticker. Stupid propositions. Stupid guilt.
They were asking me, do you want your taxes to go UP? And I was all, hell no.
And in brighter democracy news, the citizens of my fair town voted nearly 2-1 in favor of funding our 50-year-old municipal pool, which had to be done by levy because the brainless, spineless, dickless city council spent all our money and then some on an eyesore monstrosity ‘transit center’ (bus station and parking lot) which nobody can use because the concrete is already falling apart. This is how a town of 17,000 spends the $15 million bucks it has burning a hole in its pocket.
Also fun in my town: “Tag! You’re engulfed in flames!“
Californians love to Californicate Oregon.
Just because… its Oregon.
i voted no, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes
We also have a legislature that needs a 2/3 supermajority to pass a budget, and legislative houses with Republicans who have no interest in fixing anything, but just enough numbers to fuck everything up.
Lascauxcaveman: Oh, kids! why can’t they just stick to more wholesome activities, like gasoline fights?
Lascauxcaveman: I think “lighter tag” is an excellent way to thin out the population of those who should not be reproducing anyway.
In-and-Out Burgers — is that a real place? Leave it to Californians to create a burger joint that sounds like a Geocities support group for people who fuck ground beef.
I just followed the Wonkette voting guide across the board, as I have proudly done for the last, what, I dunno, 50 years? Jesus, I don’t even know anymore, I’m so baked.
Lascauxcaveman: Lighter fluid?!
Sissies. Real men use gasoline.
Vewol Mevemont: Yep, it’s a real place and it’s awesome– some of the best fucking burgers in the world. One of the reasons why it’s worth putting up with crumbling infrastructure, an ungovernable political system, and a Governor whose dick can be seen through an image search on Google.
NoWireHangers: I walked by the polling booth, thought about voting, and for like the first time in my life, decided not to vote. I figured that I didn’t need to vote on this stuff now because I’ll just get a chance to vote for them again in another couple of months.
Okay, enough with this voting crap. Anyone else up for a dictatorship? (not run by Ahnold, also)
My goal, in life, is to one day eat an In N Out burger, so California still has all my dreams all nestled up tight (I also want to mine gold, also).
California continues to cement its reputation as the land of fruits and nuts, why have a legislature when the general populace is told to make the decisions.
They are even less qualified then minimally qualified legislature, at least most of them had to run for election
Why did California get all the best coastline.
It’s not fair
Till the big one anyway.
I didn’t vote becaue I was scared that those damn terrorists had escaped gitmo and were gitting Californians by the thousands. Thanks God we have the Republican party to keep the fear factor high!
Also!
Who’s to blame? Prop 13, the Prison Guards’ Union, and of course the gays, somehow.
Ken, don’t forget those bitches in the teachers unions — no offense to the individual hardworking public school teacher. To that single teacher, if they in fact exist, please take no offense.
And things haven’t changed that much. This is still California, therefore everything is always, always, The Mexicans fault.
hpwilliams: Please, as if when we fall into the Pacific, boring-ass Nevada won’t immediately rename Vegas “Hollywood, California.”
Mr Blifil: Only if those being serviced look like Ah-nuhld in his prime.
Colander: In-N-Out burgers are good, but chances are your town has a local cheap burger joint that is better. So when you visit your first In-n-Out, be sure to buy the T-shirt; the food is optional.
If you ever find yourself in the Seattle area, be sure to stop in at one of the several Kidd Valley joints. Now THERE’S a burger.
problemwithcaring: I think you found the solution. Go down to Home Depot pick up enough of the mexicans take them to the capitol and tell them to make laws and save taxes. They can have one dollar for each five they cut in spending.
Not being able to read english could only help.
Hooray For Anything: If the Vegas joints are the same as the Cali one, gimmee Fatburger instead. More truth in advertising also.
Along with the Mexicans, Octomom, and Scientologists, the wannabes like me are to blame for Kalifornia’s problem. We come here without a dime, expecting to live “The Hills” life style, and end up on skid row blowing dudes for a dollar.
Fortunately you only have to blow five dudes to get a double-double combo.
MrPlow: And then there is Illinois… nuf said.
Hmmm, how is voting down taxes bad ?
California tumbles into the sea,
That’ll be the day I go back to Annandale.
Can California please just introduce and pass a ballot initiative to voluntarily self-destruct? Or did you just?
Seriously at this point you guys would be better off as an anarchy. You know it’s what you’ve always wanted.
Vewol Mevemont: Lascauxcaveman: Oh, soooo very wrong - both of you… In-N-Out rawks! Whenever I’m in CA (or Vegas) I consider it for lunch.
Ratt: It isn’t unless you also simultaenously decide to increase spending. Then make it impossible to either raise taxes, increase spending, or cut anything in the budget. Then get angry with anyone who tries to fix the system in place while also constantly bitching about the system in place.
Hooray For Anything: Maybe our schools(I’m in LAUSD area) should start teaching the civics lesson of what a ballot-measure system is and its consequences instead of a civics lesson in protest. Or hey, how about both, that works even better for me. Everyone lately in California is so quick to protest state cuts and layoffs, but the failure to understand how our shared responsibility in spending/taxing policy in said system is further exacerbating the problem. Because of the props being voted down, I think they’re looking at repealing the class size limits which means possible layoffs of 25k more teachers? Fun stuff. I’m a native Californian, but lately I’ve given serious consideration to leaving faced with essential services being cut for funding for programs locked in by ballot initiative. Then I go to In-N-Out and have a double-double and change my mind.
Jukesgrrl: best steely dan song ever.
Maybe the voters thumbsdowned the props because they were genuinely awful. Until someone with stones overturns Prop 13 and gets property owners to pay a fair share, it will be more of the same in California. (Prop 13, pretending to be a taxpayer revolt, was a huge tax freeze for landlords from which the state has never recovered.) My fave was prop 1A — “we’re $45 billion in debt, so I think we should open a savings account.” Slide that one down the Laffer Curve and you could sell the ride to Knott’ Berry Farm.
Medical marijuana. That is all.
Can’t we just take away their water? Finally?
bitchincamaro: Eh we don’t even have that left. We’re going into mandatory rationing soon. It’s coming to the point where if you don’t cut back a certain percentage they’re talking about charging us huge fees on our utility bills.
Origami: Goddamn disgusting hippies in the Santa Cruz mountains, why can’t they all be shipped to Portland in some sort of eco-friendly fair-trade cardboard box?
Arnold has the IQ of an avocado.
“Ken, don’t forget those bitches in the teachers unions ”
Hmm.. did you notice most teachers in CA (SoCal at least) are HOT? I see a pattern here. Must be a Cali thing.
Note our fun lovin hippies in Santa Cruz did vote YES on prop 1B and that it was the only county.
Look, all the measures had backdoors to siphon funds to something else. And the State’s legislature is famous for swapping funds and sticking the bill to the taxpayer. Even the salary freeze prop has loopholes (though it was voted yes).
Considering CA is a good chunk of the US economy, a lot of non-CA folks siphon cash from its industries and labor and the current recession was cause by (tongue-n-cheek) the folks in NYC (Wall Street?), the voters said, “we’re not thinking about it (11% unemployment), and it’s not our problem (it’s the fed’s problem)”.
The conclusion: Democracies work in weird ways when it has weird laws. Barry, you listening?
No more bailouts for states who won’t tax themselves.
I’m actually thinking that this applies more to most red states than California, but Prop 13 is a big part of the states problem. And the Enron scams really accelerated things. It’s been sliding downhill since the anti-tax meme took over and no one pointed out that maybe some services should be scaled-back as soon as revenue is cut.
That would provide the reality of instant feedback on what the taxes are for. Now they are going to be forced to cut and can be expected to do it in a knee-jerk fashion that will do plenty of harm and probably still fail to balance the budget.
If the feds bail CA out, it should come with the condition that the state government be reconfigured to actually work.
Oh, and I’ll take a Double-Double w/Onions protein-style please.
Have you ever asked to have your order “Animal Style” (yes, they call it that!) at In-n-Out Burger?
Mmmmm…
As a California voter, I must say that in the spirit of belt-tightening, I opted not to have the onions on my double-double. Got mustard on my ballot, though, I wonder if it will wind up in the Minnesota Supreme Court being scrutinized for my intent?
DemmeFatale: No, is it the same thing?
When I ask for protein-style they wrap the whole creation in iceberg lettuce leaves and omit the bun….
The match is obvious, California needs money and Schwarzenegger said he would sell San Quentin to raise money. The Feds could buy the California prison and move the gitmo terrorist to San Quentin. Two problems solved.
OzoneTom: They smother everything in a delicious, chunky, thousand-islandy, Big-Macish sauce. (great on fries)
My 21 year-old daughter told me about this. Information she no doubt discovered late at night or early in the morning.
jesus. we on the wonkette ARE all from CA.
weird.