Inclusion Is The Only Way to Rebuild California’s Economy

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I am reading endless stories about how California has the worst climate to do business in for the eighth year in a row. and many of our businesses are fleeing California such as Claim Jumper moving to Texas and personalization business Café Press fleeing to Kentucky for brighter economic prospects.

We are scaring off the people who pay the taxes that make California work. Fairy dust is not going to fund our state government.  Over 100 major  businesses left California or declined to expand in our state due to our regulatory climate. We need to stem the bleeding of business looking to leave for Texas. Onerous regulations drive job creators and tax revenue generators away. We charge a 800 dollar fee a year to start up a corporation in our state, for a small business that is a killer. We have one of the highest income taxes in the nation, perhaps we should have the payroll of employees as a tax deduction. If you help employ people you would get a tax deduction. Business owners complain that the income taxes they pay could have been use to employ another person, perhaps we should have an allowance for small business owners to help create opportunities. Perhaps if we simplified the regulatory climate  we would finally get our unemployment rate below ten percent.

California Democrats are worried that our public services are not being funded, but maybe if they ended up thinking about the consequences of regulation the tax base and jobs would return to our state. California Republicans such as Senator Bob Huff and Assemblyman Tim Donnelly may have the ideas to bring back job creation, but they have something inherent in them that scares off voters from supporting Republicans. Wedge issues such as fighting against Latinos even though we are fighting the issue of illegal immigration drives many of the legal Latino Californians away from the party. Issues such as fighting against anything beneficial against lesbian, bisexual, transgendered and gay male Californians does not drive young people and independents to vote for the Republican Party either. Perhaps if Andrew Pugno, the author of Proposition 8 was not the Republican nominee for State Assembly we would not have statist Richard Pan elected instead.

I hear the anecdotes of California regularly voted Republican from 1968-1988, why not now?  It is the demographics that changed the political dynamics. Republicans in California campaign like they are from Utah or Oklahoma and fail to realize they are in California. I know California can not be painted in one broad brush, California has its segments that lean just as conservative as the heartland of America, but even in our liberal parts of the state they do not stand up against the conservative establishment that many voters in our state run away from.

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Just Because The Idea Sounds Good, Does Not Mean It Should Be a Law.

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Recently State Assemblywoman Norma Torres of Pomona introduced a bill AB 2552 that inflamed many people in her district, the state and the nation as a whole. Norma thought it would be a good idea to give people who have ingested marijuana in their system even if they are sober a DUI because she thought that it would make our streets safer. Due to outcry she tabled her bill to refine it.

Then, Assemblyman Richard Pan of Citrus Heights introduced a bill AB 2109 that would require parents to be aware of the benefits of vaccinations before getting a waiver. However parents are worried that doctors will refuse to sign the waiver, thus denying the parental rights and doctors would likely fire their patients if they wanted the waiver. Parents who want these waivers recognize that there are some inherent risks of being vaccinated and some of the vaccines actually are prescribed too early or not tested well such as hepatitis b vaccine for newborns and  the complications of Gardasil for teenagers.

Pan’s legislation sounds like a good idea, but opponents do say that it is going to add a costly mandate for parents. I would recommend that nurse practitioners should also be allowed to provide the guidance at a slightly lower cost. I would also suggest that doctors and medical aides should be required to provide these waivers and they should be waived from ALL lawsuits for allowing their children not to be vaccinated. If doctors fire their patient after providing the waiver, then the office fee would be refunded immediately. AB 2109 passed the appropriations committee, but it does need to be amended or pulled.

Personally I even thought of playing SIM Statist where I thought it would be a good idea to seize the homes and vehicles of hoarders of animals to help cover the costs of impounding the animals and giving them the health care they needed. However we should ask, “How much government is enough government?”.

I know we all would like to solve the world’s problems, but we should think about the implications of our ideas.

Tired of Endless Health Insurance Rate Increases?

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Tired of the endless rate increases that insurance companies force on Californian consumers? They complain that they want more people in the pot to get in the insurance pool, but when rates become unaffordable we will get more uninsured. It feels just as bad as the tax increases in California. The more they raise taxes, the more people drop out from the job creation in our state.

 

 

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The Road To WGU

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I am pondering going thru and signing up for Western Governor’s University for a teaching credential. It is noble to try and better ones place in life. Only thing good about it is I will be saving money in having to commute to a campus until my final semester.

I was pondering Cal Poly Pomona for the credential, but they were asking for prior experience with youth and most of the organizations ask for prior experience before getting in. It feels like trying to break in with the electricians union. WGU instead asks for 12 classes in addition to the BA and I completed most of them.
At best my program begins in 2012. I hope to blog more about these experiences.

The state budget crisis makes me uneasy about the increased fees at the CSU and UC systems. At least I would be secured a space to finish my course work and do student teaching at the end.

I have written an essay that was for the Chaffey College scholarship contest about my re-entry back to Chaffey College due to not quite meeting the pre-requisites of WGU. I only had 7 out of the 12 classes passed when I was looking to what schools I would need to further my career and aspirations, now I am finishing my last class needed to pass.

I hope to start in July. If I progress thru in 18 months it will cost me $11,105. At least this will be better than the infamous stories of people borrowing the cost of a house for their college education to get their MA in Underwater Basket weaving.

 

 

 

Good News from the Mercy’s Animal Rescue Situation

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From the Mercy’s K9 Page:

Ruby’s son-in Law took Josie to the Ramona shelter today and Kita, Mary and Becky have all been adopted into families. Little Bailey, Pee-Wee and Baby were the only ones left and they went home with Josie tonight.

Just as in any charitable organization there are good people and misguided people, ask questions before you invest money into an organization.

Basically the situation has a decent ending. I encouraged one of their biggest volunteers to consider supporting one of the best rescue group’s in San Bernardino County Tanya’s.

Win Three Votes In Congressional District 35 AND More! [updated]

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There is an opportunity for the two leading candidates for the office of Congress member of California’s 35th District to win the votes of my family and perhaps my readers of my blog in November. I earlier mentioned that Anthony Vieyra is running and is going to be my vote for June since Gloria Mcleod’s campaign manager failing to return my emails and postal letters.

Due to Proposition 14, we are not having partisan nominations for the primary and the top 2 get selected for the November election. Problem is both Democratic Party candidates are virtually identical.

I am not expecting these politicians to behave like Republicans, but I expect a reasonable standard in a Democratic Party leading district. Will these legislators advocate for civil rights including the rights of LGBT people, will these legislators stand up for civil liberties such as reforming the Transportation Safety Administration?

Republicans and Libertarians should fight hard to make sure we elect the best candidate. We can determine the fate of a political career of two Democratic Party Latino stalwarts.

What issues would Republican voters want to see from Gloria Mcleod and Joe Baca realistically address that would be sensible yet progressive like retiring congressman Dennis Kucinich.

1. What would your position be on prohibition on marijuana? Would you agree to reschedule Marijuana to Schedule III?

2. How would you protect travelers while respecting the civil liberties of the traveling public due to the overreach of the Transportation Safety Administration?

3. Would you support bills such as SOPA, which places restrictions on the Internet to protect content owners or would your support bills such as OPEN which tries to protect innovation on the Internet while trying to protect intellectual property creators?

4. Would you support the bill to call for  auditing of the Federal Reserve? Which is currently HR 459 and this bill has received around 100 sponsors from the Democratic Party.

5. Would you support a compromise on the DREAM ACT to allow for young people who have been assimilated into our society to get a green card, but not instant citizenship in order to get bipartisan support?

6. The NDAA did receive negative attention due to the provisions for indefinite detention, would you support a bill to modify these provisions either to have a minimum period one could be held by the government or total repeal of the said provisions?

If anyone has any other questions, I will have them ready to send to their campaign addresses.I would like to see a maximum of ten questions overall for them to be answered.

Romney Could Care Less About LGBT People

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I thought it was a great sign for former Governor Romney to invite someone of LGBT status to be a spokesman and advisor on foreign policy, but after a firestorm from the far left and far right Richard Grenell decided that it was not worth taking the opportunity.

Richard Grenell does have ties to the local area, he severed as spokesman for one of the developers from the Colonies Partners during the investigation and likely trial of the 102 million dollar settlement that was reached thru questionable means. Grenell did work for the state department in the Bush administration, but right now he was working for a communications firm in Los Angeles.

Richard had tweeted snarky comments about Democratic Party figures that caused him to be in the news recently, but Romney and his campaign leadership did not mind. However it shows that the main cause of him being let go is due to the rancor of the Paleo-Conservative sect from people of the American Family Association. Because they were telling Romney if you hire Grenell it’s the endorsement of the homo agenda because he personally does not feel comfortable with President Obama’s reluctance to support marriage equality and he attacked the Bush administration’s position where they were against the resolution speaking up on the issue of human rights abuses of LGBT people. Groups such as the American Family Association and the Family Research Council believe that religious liberty means we should discriminate against people based on their content on their character and behavior, but should we just beat up people and treat them as pariahs for who they are?

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Decline to State Voters should come home to the Republican Party

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Recently there has been debate on allowing Decline to State Voters to vote on our delegates for the California Presidential Primary. Moderates and liberals in the Republican party may think this may be a better way for us to elect a pragmatic nominee for president. However the system has changed in 2008 where our delegates are awarded by congressional district. This solution seems to be the best way to make sure the Republicans who are running for president could choose the right amount of congressional districts that best fit their campaign strategies. Moderates and conservatives both benefit by having the delegates awarded by congressional districts.

However the party establishment decided to close the primary off to the Decline to State voters as where the Democratic Party welcomes them with open arms. Unfortunately voters will have to jump through more hoops if they want to vote for Ron Paul in next month’s primary election.

The Republican Party has gone a bit far beyond the mainstream of California. Voters in California identify with our governor more than the Republican leaders in the State Assembly and State Senate. If we want to control the state legislature we have to understand we have to be a bit pragmatic to help restore the California dream.

The Democratic Party knows what they need to do to be the legislative party, but the Republicans fail to understand what they need to control the legislature. If you want to bring some sunshine back into the Republican Party, re-register today and get active in the party.

I understand that the establishment does not want insurgent candidates to win the delegates in future contests, but people born in Generation X and beyond do not like partisan affiliations and would rather vote for the person not the party.

Individuals have until May 21st to get their ballots postmarked to become temporary Republicans so they can vote for Ron Paul in California’s primary election. And due to Proposition 14 you can still vote for your favorite Democratic Party candidates such as the two Democrats running for Congressional District 35 Joe Baca and Gloria Mcleod.

Unless you have a burning interest to vote for who will serve in the executive board of the county Democratic Party of where you are living, there is nothing to lose by becoming a Blue Republican. Who knows you might make the Republican Party better by staying.

Feel free to grab a second registration form so you can change back a month later.

Sales Taxes on Amazon

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Many of us are bemoaning the idea of having to pay sales taxes for out of state purchases. We forget that there is a thing called the use tax. The use tax is basically the same as the sales tax.

Texas is expected to start paying sales taxes for Amazon purchases and Californians will begin this process in September. I will likely make one big purchase in August before this happens.

Stores like Target and Barnes and Noble resent the competitive disadvantage they have with Amazon, but that is the nature of economics in a dog eat dog world. However, in certain parts of our state they have sales tax rates 2% higher than most of the cities in our state such as Pico Rivera and South Gate. If I lived in that city I would march with my feet if I wanted to buy a laptop, a mobile phone or car because it would leave the city in a competitive disadvantage. Paying an extra 10 bucks for the laptop I recently purchased just because if I lived in Pico Rivera or South Gate is punitive for the low income communities. Seems like the only legal maneuver would be is to hop to Orange County or San Bernardino County and buy your high end devices or vehicles there.

Oddly we can evade sales taxes between cities in our state, but the state wants us to make it where we can not evade the taxing hands of the state. We should make a compromise where if you buy out of state you would be taxed at the base rate without the extra money for the city and county at the rate of 7.25%. This would be the best idea because the state can still fund the public services and we still can make sure our brick and mortar merchants do not get handicapped as well.

I understand we need to fund our public services, but when you tax too high people will tell the government how much is enough? We are not Sweden.

I think the best idea for the use tax is to state that micro transactions would be waived from the use tax. I do not think we should have to record the 46 cents for a 6 dollar book, but any use tax over five bucks from a transaction should be liable. Or if you owe more than twenty bucks from a particular merchant then you are liable.

I did ask mint.com to have a section where it would help people keep track of their use tax, but they never bothered to look at my suggestion.

I guess the best idea in the future is to think hard in what I would like to own so I would not have to worry about paying much in taxes.

Chaffey College Needs More Distance Learning

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One thing I noticed for the last two years is that we have no online classes during the Summer sessions. With the state budget crisis impacting the public schools from K-12 to the UC System we have to make do with the money we have and use it well.

With online classes we can pack a dozen more students in most sections compared to the sections that are held in traditional methods. I understand the faculty senate wants quality not quantity, but the more students we can get to graduate and leave Chaffey this would give more opportunities for the students looking to get in due to impacted classes.

I wanted to take History 18 online because it is a subject that I could do very well even without lectures and due to being a reentry student I have been doing very well in the last four classes I have taken. I wanted to take my classes either early in the morning or late at night so I could allow for my work schedule to have priority and I could have more hours at my part time job. However they had only History 17, so I had to make do this semester.

I have a co-worker who also attends Chaffey College, but due to not having a drivers license and having a full time job she can not take a summer session class easily. CIS 1 would have been doable online to help her get the credits to complete her degree program. Many students today have computers functional  to do CIS 1 at home. At worse it might cost a hundred bucks extra to buy a copy of Microsoft Office 2010, but at least you can save time.

If we want to save taxpayer money and get more students educated we need to reformulate how we offer classes at Chaffey. If Mt.San Antonio College and Riverside College can offer online classes in the summer, then Chaffey should consider it in the future.