More than 30,000 California prisoners to be released?

Here in California, we already have enough problems. A crippled State economy, unemployment over 12%, a budget deficit of $9.6 billion and more than $100 billion in long term financial obligations.

As if things couldn’t be any worse, on Monday the Supreme Court upheld a decision from a State Court that California prisons are increasingly becoming overcrowded and over 30,000 prisoners’ Eighth Amendment rights are being violated.

As far as I’m concerned they shouldn’t have any rights.

The court order is forcing California to address this problem within two years by either releasing prisoners onto the streets or to build new prison systems. Both of those bright ideas have problems though.

If inmates are released out onto the streets, more than likely they will do the same thing they were incarcerated for and crime will skyrocket. According to the Department of Justice, in 2010 the homicide rate alone in California fell to its lowest level since 1996. It declined 9.6% from 2009. This should be some kind of evidence that keeping these dirt-bags incarcerated shows that crime in California has declined.

And build new prison systems? Where will this money going to come from? California is fundamentally bankrupt.

While the State is currently looking into alternatives such as transferring some of these tens of thousands of prisoners to other States and perhaps even countries, there is a very real possibility that a good percentage of them will indeed be released onto the streets again. As usual, there will be some press release that these are prisoners with “good reputations” and “non-violent”. Yeah right.

I’m not sure exactly why our legislators and our courts are committed to supporting criminals and endorsing crime in general when they should be on the side of the innocent American.

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.

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.

Governor Jerry Brown's election a good idea?

California Governor Jerry Brown continues with his wrath of bringing nothing new to California, and wants everyone in the State to vote in a special election to approve his budget deficit plan. Sounds like a coy. Governor Brown also is apparently semi-delusional on this issue since Governor Schwarzenegger asked for basically the same special election last year, which was overwhelming defeated by the people of California.

Yet when you consider that all of the politicians in Sacramento were elected to solve these problems, none of them will admit that they are all part of the problem as to why this State continues to suffer financially.

Since the politicians in Sacramento have no interest in solving real problems, lets give Governor Jerry Brown the benefit of the doubt on his budget deficit plan he wants Californians to vote on later this year.

In this special election, lets throw in the following as a rational solution to solve the $25 billion deficit:

- Vote for a part-time State Legislature that congresses every other year and reduces perks for all of them.

- Vote for an amendment to the California Constitution, which specifies that deficits will not be allowed.

- Eliminate the State Employment by 30%.

- No raises to State employee salaries and benefits, until the budget deficit is reduced to workable levels.

- Eliminate public employee unions.

- Eliminate worthless Governor appointed State boards and commissions that collect hundreds of thousands of dollars, for doing absolutely nothing.

- Eliminate programs that provide benefits to illegal aliens;

- And finally, lets sell or auction off all of that unused property which is owned by the State and is just accumulating depreciation.

What do you think Governor Brown? If this is all on the ballot, we may very well eliminate California's budget deficit entirely!

Crime wave in 2011?

It has been two years since the stock market crash and a world economic crisis spread. Millions and millions of people not just in America, but all over the world, continue to suffer from unemployment, struggling with no source of income to support themselves and their families and debt. Due to these factors, it brings upon a great deal of stress for many people, and when stress is a problem in a continued economic crisis, people begin to loose it.

In the last few months, there has been an escalation of violence throughout the United States. In September, there was an attempted assassination on Governor Jay Nixon of Missouri but the perpetrator mistakenly attacked the dean of a college, were the Governor was speaking. In Florida, about a month ago, a man opened fire on a school board meeting because his wife had been laid off by the school district. At the beginning of this month, we had the shooting in Tucson on Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords.  In this last week alone, there have been a number of shootings at schools in Los Angeles and eleven shootings on police officers across the country. Also last week in Santa Ana, California, police uncovered graffiti on two separate occasions which had scathing words for a proposed plot to kill California Governor Jerry Brown.

This is disturbing news. Many people may just say that some of this is nothing new or that some people are just 'venting their frustrations'. But if you look at what is happening across the world, people are revolting everywhere from Tunisia to Egypt, and to England and Greece. People are fed up with government and living in terrible times.

Back here in the United States, a new AP survey involving some of the leading economists in the world, say that in 2011, the outlook for economic recovery should be more optimistic. So if this is the case, then in 2011, we should see a decline in crime and more employment, right?

But this is not entirely optimistic. As States across this country continue to suffer from skyrocketing deficits, they'll have to find some way to either raise taxes and push more people to the brink of despair, or implement severe cuts, which will also put people out of work. Some of them of course, can afford not to work, like the ones that have gigantic pension funds.

Across the world, every country seems to be having the same problem, financially and people suffer.

So, due to the continuing severe economic factors, will we start to see a crime wave in 2011?

I'm predicting we will... unfortunately.

Schwarzenegger issues letter on reducing Nunez prison term

It must be very tough to loose a family member, especially if that family member is your child. But it must be even more tougher, when your child is murdered by the son of a former California State Assembly Speaker and then to later discover that the Governor himself, decides to commute the prison term of that murderer, just because of politics and power. That's the case here, as discussed in one of last week's blogs. 

Literally just hours before his term expired last week, now-former Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger reduced the prison term of Estaban Nunez for the murder of Luis Santos, a student at the University of California San Diego. Nunez is the son of former California Assembly Speaker, Fabian Nunez. 

Well after all of this generated a great deal of controversy and anger from the Santos family, Governor Schwarzenegger finally decided to issue an apology letter to the victim's family. In his apology letter to the father of Luis Santos, Mr. Schwarzenegger, trying to literally BS his way around the fact that this is all about politics, stated that "I understand why you may never comprehend or agree with my decision."

While it is totally understandable to issue an apology after a week of dodging questions, Mr. Schwarzenegger was reluctant to even answer any questions about why he chose Esteban Nunez, over the thousands of prisoners in the State of California that could have received a reduction in their prison sentence for lesser crimes, nor any elaboration on the fact that he just so happened to be the former Speaker's son.

Its a complete disgrace.

While a family continues to grieve due to the loss of this young man who was murdered for no apparent reason, Schwarzenegger just added more hurt and fuel to an already burning fire, and instead of just coming forward at the very beginning to make his decision, Schwarzenegger hid out like a little child for over a week before finally deciding to send a letter to the family about his decision, but still refused to answer any explanation about why Nunez was chosen out of thousands of prisoners.

What a despicable and disgusting person Schwarzenegger is....

And its worth repeating, he is a despicable and disgusting person.

Ignorance in California Part 3: Governor Brown's plan

Sometimes I think the people in California are honestly re-enacting the movie The Producers. The things that go on in this State are unintentionally hilarious. Or maybe to Governor Brown, they are intentionally hilarious.

Who the hell knows?

Governor Brown has a so-called new plan to solve California's $25 billion deficit crisis. His plan is to ask tax payers to "dig deeper" into their wallets to solve its escalating financial problems. First of all, I need to apologize to any reader of this commentary blog, because I said about a month ago that Governor Brown would propose something like this sometime in his first year as Governor. Well, I had no idea he would do it just days after he was sworn in.

His grim plan includes slashing the state's welfare program, health care to the poor, about a $1 billion cut from both the University of California and California State University institutions and eliminating home health services to elderly citizens.

You may recall during the election, that Governor Brown vowed to only raise taxes if tax payers approved it. So come this June, Governor Brown will be asking tax payers to most likely vote on a measure that would approve these cuts and raise taxes.

Now I had thought that Governor Brown said last month "We've been living in fantasy land..." 

I guess he too is living in fantasy land because he seems to forget that just last year, Governor Schwarzenegger had a special election to raise taxes and cut pretty much the same programs. The measure was defeated overwhelmingly by most of California.

Does Governor Brown honestly believe that this will be any different?

Well it might, if you consider that the same ignorant voters in this State that chose to elect him as Governor, will probably continue to be ignorant and go with the flow. Why? Because he is a Democrat.

I'd really like to see the look on every voter's face if and when there is an election and the measure is passed, taxes raised and programs cut. Then you're going to hear all of this whining and complaining from people who can't figure out why they're taxes are so high or why they cannot apply for welfare programs.

Give me a break.

Republicans State lawmakers are vowing against this citing that people cannot afford any higher taxes. Seems quite obvious that Governor Brown is already failing to address the two critical issues that have destroyed this State for many years: The cost of illegal immigration and pension funds and salaries to state employees.

But probably the most hilarious comment that came after Governor Brown announced his plan was from Democratic Senate President Pro-Tem Darrell Steinberg, who is quoted as saying in the Los Angeles Times: "I hate the cuts, but I'm not going to reject the cuts."

This is the same Senator Steinberg that opposed Governor Schwarzenegger's similar budget reductions last year, yet all of a sudden, he is now for them?

Schwarzenegger reduces prison term for Calif. Speaker's son

With his horrible reign of destruction in California already over, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger made one last ditch effort before he left office to make himself look even more ridiculous than he already was, by reducing a prison sentence for Estaban Nunez, the son of former disgraced Speaker of the California State Assembly, Fabian Nunez.

Estaban Nunez had been given a sixteen year prison sentence for fatally stabbing a student at California State University San Diego fraternity party, and Governor Schwarzenegger decided that a sentence like that was too harsh, so he'll only get a seven year sentence instead.

Simply unbelievable.

But maybe outgoing Governor Schwarzenegger is reducing his prison sentence simply to reduce tax payer money for incarcerating prisoners in the State, which already cost an arm and a leg? Your guess is as good as mine that this is just another game of politics. The former Speaker of the Assembly comes begging to Schwarzenegger to please reduce his criminal son's incarceration and maybe offer some forgiveness as well, which under Fabian Nunez's tenure as Speaker, the State continued to spend money rapidly and the blame of course is also put on Schwarzenegger.

Speaker Nunez, by the way, was also investigated for apparently misusing tax payer money on a lavish trip to Europe many years ago. He was never formally convicted as he should have been, and now his son gets a partial pardon, because of political connections.

Its disgusting, just disgusting.

California's budget crisis much worse... says Jerry Brown

Don't you love it when you run for public office and you campaign on "reforms" and manipulate everyone into thinking that's what you're going to do...? Well, Arnold Schwarzenegger did, and nothing was reformed...

What about re-running for the public office that you held some twenty five years before, and campaign on "living within our means"... well Jerry Brown did, and it looks like "living within our means" might become "live in total poverty" soon enough.

It turns out that California Governor-elect Jerry Brown came clean yesterday, adding: "We've been living in fantasy land, it is much worse than I thought. I'm shocked..."

Oh my, I'm so shocked too!


But don't worry Governor Brown, the California Legislative Analyst Office said that the State will not go bankrupt and the Government will not collapse.

Yeah right.

You would think that something like this would at least force people to wake up to the grim reality that California is in. In a more common comparison, California's deepening financial crisis is of the magnitude that Greece is currently going through.

Last year, Governor Schwarzenegger and the State Legislature made significant cutbacks to State programs, yet, it still faced a $20 billion budget gap, which in turn just last month, actually amounted to $25 billion because the Legislature under estimated some of those cuts. Of course that does not include the $200 billion California has in loans and other debts.

Business Insider had an interesting look at some of the other ridiculous spending in Sacramento that has gone on over the last several years:

- In the past 23 years, California has established 23 prisons (one per year) each costing roughly $100 million a year to operate; yet it only established one University, being UC Merced.

- To prove that we spend more money on illegal aliens, than we spend on improving our educational system, 23,000 teachers received pink slips in the last year, yet we spend $859 million a year on imprisoning illegal aliens.

- Seven of the most unemployed cities in the United States, are right in California.

- $500 million is spent each year on fire control

The situation is incredible. Now California is already having to rely on the Federal Government for some kind of bailout. Last month, Sacramento announced it would receive $40 million a day from Washington just to cover its unemployment benefits. 

Already, Governor Brown says California's deficit could rise to $28 billion over the next year and a half, and face $20 billion in State deficits through fiscal year 2015-2016. He and the State Treasurer are looking into cutting spending by 25% across the board, and even potential problems in California raising over $3 billion in costs associated to meet the mandates in President Obama's Health Care Bill. At the same time, he is exploring the option of raising taxes into his first year, which is the last thing he should even think about. That would rise the unemployment levels in California and perhaps force people into the brink of poverty. 

It is clear that the California State Legislature is the problem. They bow down to the unions and want spending for all their radical programs and other things that this State simply cannot afford any more. I'm sure that nearly 95% of them probably don't even read any of the bills they implement in Sacramento, and of course, they're supposed to be the ones that approve the budget each year, and probably that same 95% don't even have a clear conscious as to what they're doing.

The central spending problem in California is obvious: The cost of illegal immigration and funding to pension plans and benefits. Reform those two issues, and California's crisis can be reduced.

Whether or not Jerry Brown will actually see the writing on the wall and realize that this has to stop, is still unclear.

California’s Law supersedes Federal Immigration Statute, but Arizona cannot enforce Federal Immigration Law?

The California Supreme Court ruled on Monday that illegal aliens are allowed to pay cheaper in-state tuition rates at California universities including the UC systems. The UC systems in particular, charge about $12,000 per year for in-state fees, and $35,000 for out of state.

Some critics are arguing that California’s decision on this matter is a violation of the 1996 Federal Statute, the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigration Responsibility Act, which prohibits education benefits to illegal aliens, versus those immigrants that are actually here legally. But the California Supreme Court says that the State Law is not conflicting with the Federal Law because in California, any immigrant can automatically apply for in-state tuition as long as that immigrant attended high school within the State for three years.

This is a rather frustrating matter especially if you look at this somewhat in comparison to Arizona’s decision earlier this year to enforce its border security and deport persons that were in the State illegally, after the Federal Government stood firm on doing nothing, as it has done for many years. No surprise there.

But one might argue that Arizona enforcing the Federal Immigration Law is not the same situation as granting educational benefits to illegal aliens in California. Well, in fact there are some similarities when it comes to Federal Law. Under Aliens and Nationality 8 USC Section 1304, Provision E (and yes the Federal Law does address immigrants as aliens, not undocumented persons, but I digress) clearly spells out that any alien 18 years of age or older must possess a certificate of alien registration receipt card. Failure to do so, results in a misdemeanor, fined $100 and/or a 30 day imprisonment.

What happens if this illegal alien does not hold this paperwork after he or she is accepted to attend college in California? Does the Federal Immigration Law become enforceable, or are they just allowed to continue to attend college?

So California is allowed to grant educational benefits to illegal aliens if they’ve attended high school for at least three years, even after the California Supreme Court says State Law is not conflicting with the 1996 Federal Statute prohibiting such educational benefits, but Arizona, enforcing Federal Immigration Law within its State boundaries, has an injunction filed by the Arizona Supreme Court, blocking the enforcement? There seems to be a huge conflict between State Law and the Federal Law and what a State can and cannot do when it comes to illegal aliens.

I have to say that California seems to be holding a higher degree of amnesty for those illegal aliens attending high school for three years, versus others coming to California seeking an education from out of state. Why does that not sound somewhat discriminatory in a way? If you’re a permanent United States citizen, a student from Arizona or Colorado and you move to California, do you still have to end up paying more for education than the illegal alien now?

At the height when California public universities, both the UC and CSU systems are raising the tuition fees, this seems more like a pandering of making education “less expensive” for illegal aliens.

I will go ahead and note that the United States is the most welcoming country in the world, and encourage my generation from all over the world to come to this country, get an education and apply for a visa or citizenship. I even have friends from college that are from countries like Brazil, Germany, Sweden and Canada who all have to pay the certain out of state fees, some are seeking U.S. citizenship. Yet, they all have to wait, while other illegal aliens cut to the front of the line, and do not speak a word of English, and are able to apply for this low cost tuition for their education.  

It is truly remarkable that when it comes to our Federal Immigration Laws, Arizona mirrored that law, yet the similar Federal Immigration Statutes when it comes to certain education benefits of illegal aliens is not enforced upon California’s State Law.

When are we going to draw the line, and resolve the conflict?

California is going to get ugly real fast… Part II

As many people already know, California has been experiencing severe financial problems for several years, and they continue to escalate. In the past year, California has struggled to find ways to solve the $20 billion deficit.

Now there is more grim news on the horizon. Seven days after the election in which the same ignorant voters in this State decided to re-elect the same morons responsible for destroying the economy of California and choosing not to vote for the propositions which may have helped prevent further damage financially, the California Legislative Analyst Office (LAO), announced that there will most likely be another $19 billion gap between revenues and spending in the State in the coming fiscal year.

Based on their non-partisan analysis, the LAO indicates that $6 billion will result in a shortfall in the $86 billion general fund spending plan that was signed by Governor Schwarzenegger on October 8^th. So what was already a $20 billion budget deficit has actually grown to the tune of $25.4 billion. In addition, $400 million in Medi-Cal savings is more than likely not going to happen because the California Legislature took too long to implement the plan and the savings ended up being too high than what was projected.

I’m sure incoming/returning Governor Jerry Brown is going to love to have to deal with this crisis when he takes the helm in January.

Mac Taylor, a legislative analyst with the LAO, says that California will most likely have to face budgets problems of $20 billion each year from now, all the way through fiscal year, 2015-16.

Incredibly, the LAO report believes that California “will not go bankrupt, and that debt payments will not go into default and the State government is not on the verge of collapse.”

Where have these clowns been in the course of the last several years? Do they (the Legislature and the LAO) not fully comprehend the seriousness of this matter? Do they not realize that there needs to be emergency cuts to severe problems in California like government worker programs, union and pension fund plans and the cost of illegal immigration, which are all major factors to California’s financial woes?

The officials in the California State Legislature have been beyond reckless with policies on spending, completely lazy when it comes to focusing on solutions, and it has gone far beyond the point to where the entire State has been unable to remain as a place to carry out its business, as they continue to leave in droves, and now, the State is having to borrow $40 million a day in payments, just to cover its 12.4% unemployment.

But this joke of a LAO report sincerely believes that everything is going to be fine, we’re not going to become bankrupt, despite the fact that the deficit has grown to $6 billion because the solutions to try and close those gaps will simply not pan out.

The truth of the matter is that Governor Schwarzenegger and the Democratic Controlled State Legislature has had ample opportunities over the last several years to enact measures and address the State’s problems to help cut spending, and save tax payer money. They all vowed not to do so, and continued to support the programs that have since destroyed the State, and then they all stand around and wonder why the State is suffering horribly. It is hypocritical, and it is disgusting.

Once Governor Brown takes over in January and the new Assembly resumes, it will probably be the same business as usual. Ignore all the real problems and threats to California and come to the tax payers to bail out the problems that will be forthcoming. One of the problems in this State are the ignorant hypocritical voters that always whine and complain about how serious the situation really is here in California, but yet they continue to vote for the same idiots that have committed themselves to destroy it. Incredible and insane!

California should be added to the Guinness Book of World Records for having the largest population of hypocrites!