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2016 Postmortem

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BlueCaliDem

(15,438 posts)
Sat Aug 30, 2014, 09:57 AM Aug 2014

Liberal, not Conservative policies turned CA's $42 BILLION dollar deficit into $850 million surplus [View all]

And it only took five (5) simple steps and less than four (4) years to do it, requiring zero Republican input. Every State can emulate these steps and Democrats should campaign on them as a reason why Americans should vote straight Democratic Party come November 4th.

The five steps are:

1: Independent Redistricting, that made districts look more like the electorate (unlike Ohio, for example);

2: Reinstating Majority Rule on the Budget, thanks to Prop 25, we no longer needed a 2/3rd majority in order to pass a budget, eliminating the Republicans' obstructionism. A simple majority was all that was needed, and if no budget passes, lawmakers' salaries would be held up until one was;

3: Online Voter Registration, resulted in 800,000 more people registering to vote. Online voter registration helps poorer and incapacitated voters to register;

4: Asked Voters to Raise Taxes, Gov. Brown couldn't get Republicans to pass a tax hike on those making $250K +, so he went straight to the voters for an increase on State income tax. But Progressives curtailed Mr. Austerity's plan, pushing for an increase on those who make $500k + while cutting the increase in sales tax (which everyone pays) that the Governor had planned by a quarter percent ;

5: Massive Turnout Effort, which resulted in 72% turnout during the 2012 presidential elections - the largest turnout in CA history.


Although the State of California still has it problems, California (and one other State, I forget which one) had begun its painful comeback when California voters didn't fall for the Koch-funded Republican "Jobs! Jobs! Jobs!" scam in 2010.

Instead of electing more Republicans, we added more Democrats to our legislature. We dismissed corporate-backed Republican Meg Whitman, preferring a much older and former-Gov of this State, Jerry Brown (although he shouldn't be credited with our current surplus - not by a long shot!) and Liberals and Progressives in our State began wielding their new-found power, guiding our State to fiscal solvency in the least painful way for lower incomes and the poor, and doing it all in less than four years after the 2010 midterm elections.

The result?

Liberal policies and actions closed our whopping $42 billion dollar deficit (left to us, courtesy of Aaahnold Schwarzenegger and a recalcitrant Republican Party in our legislature) and gave us our $850 million surplus since January 2014.

Liberal policies are what work. California has proven it. Conservative policies continue to fail the American people and this country.

So it surprises me to read that California's success story isn't more widely known.

Every progressive talking-head should be crowing about this astounding success in California, and use it as an example why the American people should vote Democratic come November 4th.

Every Democrat in every State should point to California's amazing rebound under a Democratic legislature and a Democratic governor as the reason why we should all turn our backs on Republicans and vote Democratic Party come November 4, 2014.
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k&r for the truth and for good government. n/t Laelth Aug 2014 #1
Thank you, Laelth. I hope it will help invigorate people to GOTV in 2014. BlueCaliDem Aug 2014 #3
My pleasure. Bonus kick. n/t Laelth Aug 2014 #6
I think it is also important to point out that Brown is mostly a very **progressive** newthinking Aug 2014 #50
Reinstating Majority Rule DontTreadOnMe Aug 2014 #2
This! Bigredhunk Aug 2014 #43
And that's why that Draper jerk wants to break it. valerief Aug 2014 #4
Just as conservatives would rather tear appart the country SleeplessinSoCal Aug 2014 #16
But our "liberal media" will not cover the facts and will continue to push the .. Botany Aug 2014 #5
We have the solutions. Listen to your left. grahamhgreen Aug 2014 #7
Left. Indeed! You could also say - "listen to your heart." calimary Aug 2014 #23
Absolutely! But it can only be done when we have Democratic majorities. BlueCaliDem Aug 2014 #36
It sounds better than it is. JayhawkSD Aug 2014 #8
As I've clearly stated in my OP, California still has its problems. BlueCaliDem Aug 2014 #11
Do you think we'd be better off under the koch/GOP? This Californian says ABSOLUTELY NO! calimary Aug 2014 #24
Link to proof of fiction please SleeplessinSoCal Aug 2014 #28
CA faces 340 billion in debt. former9thward Aug 2014 #45
The point is that without D control we would still have that $340-b in debt AND MORE. stopbush Aug 2014 #48
I understand the point. former9thward Aug 2014 #57
Well, if all you want to do is rant against Republicans, rant on. JayhawkSD Sep 2014 #65
Absolutely. We also expanded access to healthcare, including access to abortion. SunSeeker Aug 2014 #9
Yep! And added a wide range of dental services under CA's Medi-Cal (ObamaCare medicaid expansion) BlueCaliDem Aug 2014 #12
Districts are still a little crazy. oldandhappy Aug 2014 #10
Does this mean magical thinking about the economy tea and oranges Aug 2014 #13
So THAT'S why Alabama doesn't look like Beverly Hills. Spitfire of ATJ Aug 2014 #14
Yep. And even with higher taxes and the rich paying more of their share, Beverly Hills STILL looks calimary Aug 2014 #25
They should ALSO not have the extra to bribe politicians. Spitfire of ATJ Aug 2014 #31
Well, they have gorgeous Huntsville. BlueCaliDem Aug 2014 #38
Guess what color their servants are. Spitfire of ATJ Aug 2014 #52
We must be doing something right procon Aug 2014 #15
Bbbut everyone is fleeing California... nxylas Aug 2014 #17
LOL YoungDemCA Aug 2014 #19
Absolutely! SoapBox Aug 2014 #18
Hey, look at it this way - we could have had darrell issa. calimary Aug 2014 #26
remembered that issa cried Iliyah Aug 2014 #41
K&R ReRe Aug 2014 #20
It's only a surplus based on the accounting used and expenses not funded. OnlinePoker Aug 2014 #21
You're telling me Cartoonist Aug 2014 #22
Which is why it's up to US to shout it from the rooftops. calimary Aug 2014 #27
Neither have I. That's what's so astounding to me. BlueCaliDem Aug 2014 #33
The Vehicle Registration fees hike was not Progressive or Regressive, it's Retroactive Tax itsrobert Aug 2014 #29
The fee wasn't raised $6,000 Cartoonist Aug 2014 #32
That mythical HUGE vehicle tax increase was used by Republicans to boot Gray Davis out. BlueCaliDem Aug 2014 #34
Actually only a small portion of the annual vehicle registration fee is tax deductible. itsrobert Aug 2014 #37
Not true. BlueCaliDem Aug 2014 #39
Yes, did you read what you just posted? itsrobert Aug 2014 #40
Yes, I did read it. Did you? BlueCaliDem Aug 2014 #47
Congrats To CA!!! benld74 Aug 2014 #30
Thanks, benld74. We're not there yet, but we're on the correct path! eom BlueCaliDem Aug 2014 #35
California's progressing while GOPer run states are regressing Iliyah Aug 2014 #42
Conservative, Not Liberal Policies erpowers Aug 2014 #44
I have a girlfriend in SoCal who sent me an email saying just this. raven mad Aug 2014 #46
Absolutely, raven mad. BlueCaliDem Aug 2014 #49
Favorite line (among *many*) in the article: pablo_marmol Aug 2014 #51
You're very welcome, pablo_marmol. BlueCaliDem Aug 2014 #61
I can hire one half of the working class to kill the other half. - Jay Gould EEO Aug 2014 #53
Liberal policies are good for creating wealth samsingh Aug 2014 #54
".....and shit them to the few at the top." pablo_marmol Aug 2014 #56
its the truth samsingh Aug 2014 #60
Yes, it is. Every liberal policy that's benefited this country throughout history BlueCaliDem Aug 2014 #62
Thought you laid down a typo ---- pablo_marmol Sep 2014 #64
I think vote by mail should be available in all states passiveporcupine Aug 2014 #55
"... we should all turn our backs on Republicans ..." DrBulldog Aug 2014 #58
"I'm not sure I could turn my back on a thug ... who would be watching MY back? " BlueCaliDem Aug 2014 #63
Interesting. To talk to many economic developers, you'd think that PatrickforO Aug 2014 #59
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