Schwarzenegger feels depressed because he isn’t young

Former California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger seems to be enjoying his lifestyle since leaving office in January. He’s been traveling, and meeting with his old pals in Hollywood and even became a superhero in a new comic book series called “The Governator”.

However, Schwarzenegger has been down as of late, because he feels that he isn’t young anymore. He tells Newsweek that he feels “so shitty when he looks in the mirror.”

As he should.

This former has-been actor left the State of California in a massive economic crisis and did nothing to work with the State Legislature on addressing huge problems, things like illegal aliens flooding the State every year, which tax payers have to pay billions for, or the outrageous pension funds to State employee unions, that again, tax payers can’t afford any longer. As a result, thanks to both Schwarzenegger, his predecessor Gray Davis and our idiots in the State Assembly and Senate, California continues to struggle with a $26 billion budget deficit, more than $200 billion in long term liabilities and state unemployment at about 12%.

Furthermore, CBS last week caught up with Schwarzenegger while he was in Hollywood and was asked once again, about his decision for reducing the prison sentence of Esteban Nunez, the son of former State Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez, for the murder of college student Luis Santos. This was a decision that Schwarzenegger made in his last days in office. His flat out arrogance and ignorance to refuse to offer any explanation was beyond incredible, simply giving CBS the “snore sound”.

Now, all the while, Schwarzenegger runs around the world somehow feeling proud and relaxed about his so-called accomplishments while he was in office, but more importantly, he’s depressed because he isn’t young anymore.

The truth of the matter is he simply accomplished nothing during his reign in California and his decision to reduce Nunez’s prison term was obviously political motivated.

Maybe one of these days that decision will really start to haunt him, instead of whining over his disappearing good looks. This way, the next time he looks into the mirror, he can take a closer look at himself and realize that what he is looking at is a horrible, disgusting and despicable example of humanity.

Calif. Senate approves "safe ski" bill for kids

The California State Senate announced yesterday the approval of legislation to make California's ski slopes the safest in the nation for kids.    

I thought that kids were typically subjected to skiing on the bunny hill?   

The legislation led by Senator Leland Yee (D- San Francisco) would require minors to wear helmets while skiing and snowboarding. Is this really what the State of California needs right now? Legislation can sometimes sound so ridiculous, you almost want to break the laptop you presently writing on...   

The backed up sewage tank which is the Legislature in Sacramento approved SB 105 under Yee's legislation, as if he doesn't have anything more important to do in his time right now, will also require ski resorts to post signs about the law on trail maps, websites and throughout ski resorts' property and impose fines not larger than $25 on parents that fail to provide helmets to their children, while they are skiing.   

Yee believes that SB 105 will "significantly reduce instances of traumantic brain injury or death for such a vulnerable population."   

Of course wearing helmets has shown to reduce traumantic brain injury. According to the National Ski Areas Association, 19 of the 38 people that died on ski slopes in the 2009-2010 winter season were not wearing helmets at the time of their deaths. What Yee doesn't address is what percentage of those individuals that died on ski slopes during this time were minors?  

 It should be the parents responsiblity for teaching their kids how to ski and to provide safety for them on the ski slopes that may be deemed to dangerous. It is simply common sense and it should not be the State's responsibility. Soon, you'll probably hear Senator Yee asking tax payers to pay for helmets to be sent out to ski resorts across the Sierra Nevada mountains.   

Oh and by the way, California still has a $26 billion budget deficit, unemployment around 10% and we're basically bankrupt.

CalPERS holding taxpayers on the hook for pensions?

The California Public Employees Retirement System (CalPERS) is proposing an idea to reduce its estimate about how much money the fund's investments are projected to earn in future years which may drop the discount rate assumption from 7.75% to just 7.5%.

According to an Associated Press article released today, the small reduction in the discount assumption rate would ultimately require the State and other employees that are covered by the CalPERS program to increase the amount of money workers pay into the pension fund, which is estimated to be around $200 million.

And as usual any change to public pension reform will put the tax payers on the hook. In this particular situation, it looks as though tax payers will have to front more money allocated to public workers. Why you may ask? The CalPERS program admits that by reducing the assumed rate of investment, it has the effect of "increasing contributions to employers."

In other words, government agencies use tax money to pay themselves and cover their benefits. No surprise, business as usual.

Meanwhile, the State is faced with a $25 billion budget deficit. Governor Jerry Brown's current budget proposal that is waiting in the wings of the State Legislature, included specifics on CalPERS lowering the discount rate. Instead of actually doing something meaningful, like they are in Wisconsin or New Jersey, our State has to remain committed and loyal to the public workers.

Tomorrow, the Board of Directors for CalPERS will consider the change. As it stands now, the pension fund deficit is estimated to be $75 billion.

You think it is high time for California to get serious about pension fund reform?

Short answer: Yes!

California redevelopment agencies misuse tax money

Money was apparently misused last year by 18 redevelopment agencies, according to a California State Audit that was released on Monday.

Redevelopment agencies in California receive roughly $5.5 billion a year to beautify areas and build low to moderate income housing, and several of these so-called agencies claim that they produced jobs last year.

$5.5. billion of tax payer money, has nothing to do with actually creating jobs. Far from it.

According to an article released by Southern California Public Radio, the State Controller's office found that 10 out of the 18 agencies failed to verify their claims that they "created" jobs; failed to provide transparency and keep proper accounting records and misused money that was supposed to be spent on building housing. Instead, this money went to cover administrative salaries, in some cases more than 20% alone. 

The head of the California Redevelopment Association, John Shirey, calls the audit "politically motivated". What's motivated about this Mr. Shirey is that many public workers simply used millions of dollars on themselves, without any consideration to the people that are actually paying their salary and to create work in a state agency, designed to build public housing.

As for the creation of jobs, Shirey insists California Redevelopment has created hundreds of thousands jobs. Yes, to be sure. Hundreds of thousands of jobs to pay the salaries to redevelopment freeloaders. Yet, nothing has been said about the creation of private sector jobs in the State of California.

Maybe Mr. Shirey doesn't realize that California is fundamentally bankrupt and has a $25 billion budget deficit and our unemployment is 12.4%. Governor Brown has called for cuts in discretionary spending. I wonder if that would have included this outrageous junket by redevelopment workers of misusing tax money to pay themselves.

I'd be curious to know why Mr. Shirey believes these entitlements are okay for public workers to misuse tax money while the State continues to suffer everyday from budget and unemployment problems.

Jerry Brown should take a lesson from Scott Walker

California Governor Jerry Brown is continuing to push for more taxes, something that would most likely become nothing more than a burden for just about everyone in the State.

The Los Angeles Times reported on Friday that Governor Brown is insisting on pushing for a $25 billion cut in State services, if voters do not approve more taxes. Of course there is already more bickering up in Sacramento, as Democrats act like a bunch of rubber stamps anyway and a majority of Republicans signed a tax pledge last year vowing to vote against any tax hike period. However there are some Republican State Senators that Governor Brown says he can win over.

I guess some Republicans are able to show their true colors as a bunch of back stabbing worms.

But perhaps Governor Brown should take a lesson from Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker. Last week, the Wisconsin Assembly approved a bill to take away union rights. You know, the same unions that receive largely inflated pension funds and huge pay checks? And the same unions that are part of the problem as to why States across the nation continue to suffer financially because the tax payers are on the hook to pay for all of their crap?

It was amazing to finally see politicians do something which usually only receives talk and no walk. 

Only if Governor Brown would take note of Wisconsin's unprecedented steps at real union reform, but the problem with Governor Brown is that he protects State unions, not to mention illegal aliens. The two huge factors that play a part in California's escalating financial crisis and yet he refuses to even acknowledge this. To him, it is all about raising taxes on Californians. No other alternative exists.

I wonder if Governor Brown has any conscious at all to the families in California? Thanks to the protests in the Middle East, gasoline prices have begun to skyrocket and if it continues, people will have to start spending less and California already suffers from 12% unemployment. I'd really like to know why Governor Brown thinks it is so necessary to add more fuel to the fire, instead of looking at alternative solutions to solve the problems that have cost this State an arm and a leg for decades now.

Take a lesson from Wisconsin, Governor Brown. At least they're actually doing something.