On Tuesday, California voters sent a resounding and complete rejection of new and confiscatory taxes on a whole range of Propositions. Too bad all states couldn’t do the same thing through this process of voting on specific proposed increases in spending and taxes. California has been a very “blue” state voting for liberal and democratic politicians, particularly over the past 15 years. Tax increases on income, sales, property, etc were all defeated on Tuesday. These were not squeaker votes; they were all landslides with 60%+ plurality. So Hurray for California, hurray for limited government and hurray for the individual … FINALLY!
California has sent the strongest message yet that REAL PEOPLE, though they may still like the style of President Obama, when it comes down to our daily lives and the reality of bigger government, controlling government, the country is really CONSERVATIVE on the ground.
Have no doubt about this: Obama, Reid, Pelosi and their ideology will be proven to be wrong, dangerous and detrimental to the country. Many who voted for Obama thought he was bringing to us a new day of change. However, it will become clearer and clearer, as the facts on the ground become evident, that raising taxes whether it is through income taxes, cap and trade, nationalizing health care, dictating to private industry and assuming more and more control of the individual are not in the interest of the country and the individual himself.
It was interesting and ironic that Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger wasn’t even in California on the day of decision by its citizens. He was in Washington DC, with President Obama, taking accolades for policies, initiatives and actions that do nothing but seek to control our lives. Specifically, Obama was praising the “governator” for California’s Auto Standards, environmental initiatives, etc. This is what Obama seeks for the entire country, despite the fact that these kinds of standards, initiatives and plain command and control of everything that they can get their hands on, has created one of the greatest financial crises in history. California is in deep deep trouble. President Obama is following California’s lead. All Americans are witness to this and are certainly beginning to see the cause and effect. The fact is, those that have been successful in California are leaving the state in droves. The same is also happening in all of the high tax states like New York, New Jersey, Michigan, etc. States like Texas, Nevada, Florida are gaining new citizens as a result … they DON’T TAX INCOME and their property taxes are very low, at least by comparison.
While high tax states are the losers so will the United States be the loser as we drive CAPITAL, the lifeblood of free markets and commerce, away from our shores. This is happening and will continue to happen as long as government continues to treat capital badly. When you tax investment gains, corporate profits, etc, private capital seeks a better place. The better places include Singapore, China et al that do not tax capital or corporate profits. As capital leaves to other countries that welcome capital and just plain treat it better, each and every one of us will suffer.
However, the citizens in California have sent the first real message of rejection to policies that can only lead to failure and hardship. This same state voted overwhelmingly for Obama just 6+ months ago. What has changed? One word … REALITY. The same is destined to happen across the nation as the realities of what President Obama’s changes will mean to the lives of individuals. When your utility bills whether it is oil, gas, electric, and hot water all skyrocket through Cap and Trade … all in the name of global warming … you will see what this all means to you. This carbon-based tax will significantly increase the price everyone pays for everything from gasoline to food and anything that uses carbon-based energy sources in the manufacturing and distribution process.
Likewise, when you see your personal choices are limited or removed by the government in virtually every aspect of your lives including health care, automobile purchases, financial services including credit cards and loans, etc, you too will ultimately reject these assaults on your personal freedom and liberty. Rather than change, you will come to realize that this is only the reemergence and acceleration of the long term trend of government to command and control over every aspect of your life in subservience to the state.
So, Hurray for California. We, the People, need to take back our country and reassert our natural rights and severely limit the power, authority and control of government as was the vision and the genius of the framers of our Constitution.
Arthur Cooper
