I say yes, you say no, OR People are Strange

Politics in California - Yeah Governor Moonbeam!!

New Rule: Conservatives who love to brag about American exceptionalism must come here to California, and see it in person. And then they should be afraid -- very afraid. Because while the rest of the country is beset by stories of right-wing takeovers in places like North Carolina, Texas and Wisconsin, California is going in the opposite direction and creating the kind of modern, liberal nation the country as a whole can only dream about. And not only can't the rest of the country stop us -- we're going to drag you along with us.

It wasn't that long ago that pundits were calling California a failed state and saying it was ungovernable. But in 2010, when other states were busy electing whatever Tea Partier claimed to hate government the most, we elected a guy who actually liked it, Jerry Brown.

Since then, everything Republicans say can't or won't work -- gun control, immigration reform, high-speed rail -- California is making work. And everything conservatives claim will unravel the fabric of our society -- universal healthcare, higher taxes on the rich, gay marriage, medical marijuana -- has only made California stronger. And all we had to do to accomplish that was vote out every single Republican. Without a Republican governor and without a legislature being cock-blocked by Republicans, a $27 billion deficit was turned into a surplus, continuing the proud American tradition of Republicans blowing a huge hole in the budget and then Democrats coming in and cleaning it up.

How was Governor Moonbeam able to do this? It's amazing, really. We did something economists call cutting spending AND raising taxes. I know, it sounds like some crazy science fiction story, but you see, here in California, we're not just gluten-free and soy-free and peanut-free, we're Tea Party free! Virginia could do it, too, but they're too busy forcing ultrasounds on women who want abortions. Texas could, but they don't because they're too busy putting Jesus in the science textbooks. Meanwhile their state is so broke they want to replace paved roads with gravel. I thought we had this road-paving thing licked in the 1930s, but not in Texas. But hey, in Dallas you can carry a rifle into a Chuck E. Cheese, cause that's freedom. Which is great, but it wasn't so great when that unregulated fertilizer plant in Waco blew up. In California, when things blow up, it's because we're making a Jason Statham movie.

California isn't perfect, but it is in our nature from being on the new coast to be up for trying new things -- and maybe that's why the right wingers are always hoping we fail. On the campaign trail last year, Mitt Romney warned that if we didn't follow his conservative path, "America is going to become like Greece, or... Spain, or Italy, or... California." And that was a big laugh line with Mormons, because Greece, Spain and Italy have some art and poetry and theatre, but nothing like Salt Lake City. Yes, Mitt sure hates California, which is why he moved to San Diego. To the house with the car elevator.

What conservatives fear about California being a petri dish for the liberal agenda is well-founded. For example, as Obamacare gets implemented here much more successfully than predicted, the movement to just go all the way to a single payer system is gathering steam. It actually passed the legislature twice, but was vetoed by Schwarzenegger, who argued it didn't go far enough to cover the children of that natural, beautiful love between a man and a cleaning lady.

In lots of areas, California seems to have decided not to wait around for the knuckle-draggers and the selfish libertarian states to get on board. They can mock "European style democracies" all they want, we are building one here, and people like it -- the same way when Americans come back from a vacation in Europe they all say the same thing: "Wow, you can see titties on the beach!" But they also remark on the clean air, the modern, first world infrastructure, the functioning social safety net, and bread that doesn't taste like powdered glue. And they wonder, "Why can't we get that here?" Unless they're Republicans, in which case they wonder, "How can people live like that?"

Well, swallow hard, guys, because California is eventually going to make all Americans live like that. Why? Because we're huge. The 12th largest economy in the world, the fifth largest agricultural exporter in the world, and of course number one in laser vaginal rejuvenation. There's 40 million of us -- so, for example, when California set a high mileage standard for any car sold in this state, Detroit had to make more fuel-efficient cars; we're just too big a slice of the market, and it would be too expensive to make one car for us, and another for shit-kickers who want something that runs on coal.

It's so ironic -- the two things conservatives love the most, the free market and states rights -- are the two things that are going to bend this country into California's image as a socialist fagtopia. Maybe our constipated Congress can't pass gun control laws, but we just did. Lots of 'em. Because we don't give a shit about the NRA. Out here that stands for "Nuts, Racists, and Assholes." So while the rest of America is debating whether it's a good idea to allow guns in bars or a great idea to allow guns in bars, California is about to ban lead bullets. Which is a no-brainer, because bullets don't need lead, and lead kills birds and gets into the food supply of people who hunt their own food. Which explains why Ted Nugent is such a raving lunatic.

While other state governments are working with Jesus to make abortion more miserable -- because otherwise women would use it for weight loss -- California is making it easier. We actually have a guy dancing on the street corner dressed as the Statue of Liberty spinning a big arrow that says, "Abortions!" And a new law will even let nurse practitioners perform abortions. And dog groomers can aid assisted suicides by Skype.

California was the first state to legalize medical marijuana, our minimum wage is almost three dollars higher than the national rate, and in 10 years a third of our electricity will come from renewable energy and 15 percent of our cars will be electric.

And while Republicans in the rest of the country are threatening to deport every immigrant not named Ted Cruz, California just OK'd driver's licenses for undocumented aliens. That's right, we're letting them drive cars -- just like white people! You Red Staters may ask, "How come they're lettin' Meskins drive?" Well, it's because they have to get to their jobs. You see, here in California we're embracing the modern world -- we can't be worrying about all the nonsense that keeps Fox News viewers up at night when they should be in bed adjusting their sleep apnea mask. Our state motto is, "We're Too Busy for Your Bullshit."

The bottom line is that we are moving the country's largest economy into a place where we can all be health-insured, clean air-breathin', gay-married, immigrant-friendly citizens who don't get shot all the time. And my message to the rest of America is: do not resist. Kneel before Zod! California has been setting the trends in America for decades, from Silicon Valley to silicone tits, and it's not going to stop now. We say jump -- you say, "Please sell me new exercise clothes for jumping." We said put cilantro in food, and dammit, you did, you put cilantro in food, even though neither one of us knows what it is. Almond milk? We just had some extra almonds and thought we'd fuck with you. The enormous earlobe hole? You're welcome. We also invented the genius bar, where the kid with the enormous earlobe hole takes your MacBook in the back and fills it with animal pornography.

- Bill Maher, host of HBO's Real Time with Bill Maher

Mary...I am sorry to hear about your former co-worker....51 is to young to die from anything.  Feels worse I know that it was UC. 

Kam.....the Moyer piece was great.  I expressed the thought myself many times when I was a long-time resident of the state that Californians were always the FIRST at everything or so it seemed.  Almost always cutting edge.

RL - you as well had a fantastic piece  to read.  I had read an article or two, but yours had very salient points. 

We have I-heaters here too Kam.  They are tricky to use and I think most of our success is due to a well-insulated house, but we are sometimes not as warm as we would like.   We have a fairly open concept to our house....lg. foyer with a rt. turn into the living room, and from the living room, a turn to the left and you are in the kitchen...........so all three rooms  in something of an L shape are a part of each other.  It's a lot of space to warm.  Fuel costs were either down or maybe the new company in town is fostering competition....our budget gas ( propane ) bill went from $95.00 per month last season to $70.00 this coming season.  We pay for 9 months and get 3 months off.  That by the way had nothing to do with our being seniors, it is just the way it is done here.

Jackie

Jackie - what is an I-heater?  My heater, called a Monitor, is a rectangular box and kerosene is piped in from a tank outside. I set the temp, put on a timer, or just turn it off and on.  Nothing to light.   I know propane is much more expensive here than kerosene, but currently, electricity is cheaper than any fossil fuel.  We do not have natural gas, though, in this mountainous part of the state, and that would be the one exception.

Hundreds of US miles without a wall. I can't ever see them walling Big Bend. El Paso has a sad chain link fence. Of course Texas is strongly Hispanic as well. Since the economic turn down in construction the immigrant population has almost disappeared....well into the shadows I'm sure, but there hasn't been any work.



However our first venture into Texas took us to San Antonio and we stayed for a couple months in our RV. We really enjoyed the impact of diversity. We traveled for several years but when it comes to retiring we can afford it here and Austin is cool.



We traveled all the way from San Diego to the Oregon coastline and other than the beautiful national parks there was little that appealed to us in Calif. Hardly a fair review just trusting our guts for what we like.......I wouldn't go too far from Austin though because I need to believe someone in this state isnt flat out stupid.

I wish someone could teach people on the right wing the meanings of socialism and communism.  Simply having the privilege of venting on a web forum about the President, using rude names for him and not going to jail for that, is proof that the US is not communist. Allowing the health insurance companies to make even 1 cent of profit from your health issues is proof that the health care system is not at all socialist.

I am not sure what is is where my one liner on the other side ("Hi, how are you?") got deleted and now my posting and reporting privileges are limited. It certainly is not the beginning of respectful, possibly helpful discussion. My Canadian friends IRL were astounded and had me repeat what I said when they heard that discussion here is limited to talking to like minded people.

Hope this link will print out.  There is a hand basket and all these people's names are on it.http://prospect.org/article/memo-republicans-you-lost-now-deal-it#

Jackie

I'm hoping that there are not enough selfish congresscritters to force a government shutdown over the idea that a few can just defund Obamacare and thus thwart a law that has been passed in accordance with our constitution.  But I will not be surprised if it happens.

I believe that people will like Obamacare and the exchanges once they are operational.  We have already seen state after state come in with rates much more reasonable than what is available in the private market now.  And there are all those who can't buy anything in the private market at any cost who will benefit greatly.  Politicians and talking heads who have been spreading misinformation and lies about the entire thing are desperate now and are capable of doing despicable things and causing great harm to many to protect their own backsides.  Unfortunately. 

While on the discussion of drivebys, as if that word isn't already a loaded word, the characterization of those driveby contents was beyond civility.  Hiding behind the fact that they were no longer there to speak for themselves.  I except no less, alas.

One of the real problems with the ability of our current government to function well, i.e. having true bipartisanship, is the GOP Hastert Rule.  We would not have this small group of TP GOPers holding the rest of government hostage without it:

The Hastert Rule, also known as the "majority of the majority" rule, is an informal governing principle used by RepublicanSpeakers of the House of Representatives since the mid-1990s to maintain their speakerships^[1] and limit the power of the minority party to bring bills up for a vote on the floor of the House.^[2] Under the doctrine, the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives will not allow a vote on a bill unless a majority of the majority party supports the bill.^[3] Its introduction is widely credited to former Speaker Dennis Hastert (1999-2007); However, Newt Gingrich, who directly preceded Hastert as Speaker (1995-1999), followed the same rule.^[4] Hastert was vocal in his support of the rule stating that his job was "to please the majority of the majority."^[5]

In practical terms, adherence to the rule keeps the minority party from passing bills with the assistance of a small number of members of the majority party. It takes 218 votes to pass a bill. Even when there are 218 votes to pass a bill, the rule prevents votes from taking place when those 218 votes do not include a majority of the majority party. If the Democrats are the minority party and the Republicans are the majority party, under the majority of the majority rule it would not be possible for 170 Democrats and 50 Republicans together to pass a bill, because 50 Republicans votes is far short of a majority of the majority party, so the Speaker would not allow a vote to take place.^[6] As an example, if the Republican Party is the majority party and has 234 seats in Congress, it would have to be known that there were 118 (117+1) Republican votes in support of legislation before a vote on the legislation would be scheduled. With less than 118 Republican votes, the legislation would be blocked even if 218 or more votes could be found between the two parties.

A discharge petition signed by 218 members (or more) from any party is the only way to force consideration of a bill that does not have the support of the Speaker. However, discharge petitions are rarely successful, as a member of the majority party defying their party's leadership by signing a discharge petition can expect retribution from the leadership.

No where in the TP arguments should I see "they have the marjority" and that's a justification for holding up Obamacare, etc.   They have a stupid rule that allows them to hold even the sane Republicans hostage.  Ofcourse, they do that in their gerrymandered district's primaries too.  

House Republicans are meeting, currently, devising another method to shut down the government - or another way to say that, holding the government hostage in order to delay, or repeal, or dilute Obamacare,  a law passed by both houses, signed by the POTUS and upheld by the SCOTUS.

My friend hopes to get a hip replacement in January.  She is hobbling around now, cleaning houses for a living, waiting for Obamacare to start so she can afford to buy insurance and get the help she needs.  She is in constant pain, but continues to work, sometimes crawling from room to room because that is easier than walking and/or she can't get up off the floor.  She has been waiting for Obamacare for a year now so she can get this surgery.  

http://dish.andrewsullivan.com/2013/09/27/how-to-think-about-obamacare/ (more at link, also, from Gruber, Romneycare creator) 


The thing that staggers me about the Republican hatred of this law is its abstract quality. They never address the real problem of our massively inefficient private healthcare market, which is a huge burden on the economy. They never address how to help the millions of uninsured adults get the care all human beings need. They appear to regard a Heritage Foundation, free-market-designed, private healthcare exchange system as some kind of communist plot. They do not seem to believe there is any pressing problem at all. And they have nothing constructive to offer. 

This is not about Obamacare. It is not even about politics. It is about a form of revolt against the very country they live in. - Andrew Sullivan 

Scuttlers - I love that!  Do you manage that feral colony??

During my remodel, my Emma, who has a lousy immune system, got an extreme case of herpes.  The Vet said "MEMO" her.   Multimodal Environmental Modification.  He wanted me to put them in dark closet while the hammers were going.  Instead I moved my 2 chairs up to the far end of the backyard and put blankets over them.  They were very happy to hang there (with their food).

Pip - imagine people like my friend who needs Obamacare to get her hip replaced and get out of constant pain!  

I have good healthcare insurance, but I can still feel for others who don't.  Apparently, empathy, is not an attribute of the GOP.

semi-irrrestible:

Great courage.....but it is the ight thing and someone has to open the door.