AIP Column: Obama’s Utopia
posted at 2:15 pm on July 2, 2009 by Ed Morrissey
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This week’s AIP column riffs off of yesterday’s Obamateurism, which I think deserves wider dissemination as a look into the poor judgment of President Obama. If anyone wanted to pick a worse example of a state managing its economy, California would be hard to beat. And yet Obama held up the Golden State as an example of what can happen when government imposes heavy-handed energy policies:
Does anyone at the White House ever brief the President on the economic crisis? California’s unemployment has been higher than the national average for years, thanks to a flight of capital from the state’s onerous taxes and workers-comp regulations. This year, though, the problem has been particularly bad. The state has had double-digit unemployment since the beginning of the year, which means less energy needed for economic production, and the economy of the state teeters on depression.
As for its energy usage, the Washington Examiner explains how the state has reduced its need, and it wasn’t through smart planning. California has lost 21% of its manufacturing base since 2000, which produced a sharp drop in energy usage – as well as a big drop in revenues for the state and higher unemployment. Energy costs in California are much higher than in the rest of the nation, as much as 50% higher for residential rates than the average. That amounts to a big tax on California residents, which is one reason more people are fleeing California than entering it.
This brings us back to the cap-and-trade bill that just passed the House. Eventually, the costs of such a system will place the same kind of tax on everyone in the nation for energy consumption, and not just on electricity. The cost of refining gasoline will increase as refiners have to buy carbon credits. The same will happen to heating oil in parts of the country.
Bottom line: if you liked the inflation and eroded buying power of last year’s gas-price spike, you’ll love cap-and-trade’s taxation on all Americans. California should serve as a warning to others, not as an example of public-policy success. One would think that obvious when the state in question is issuing IOUs instead of paying its bills, but Obama apparently can’t buy a clue.
Don’t forget to check out the rest of the AIP crew, too. Lorie Byrd looks at the lack of urgency to treat patients that comes with single-payer health care. Nick DeLeeuw needs a Presidential hug, too. John Hanlon discusses what it will take to make the US Post Office profitable. Be sure to read it all!
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Obama: California, here we come.
Loxodonta on July 2, 2009 at 2:17 PM
Don’t worry. The MSM will be sure to tell us that all ongoing (& new) problems were “inherited from Bush.”
perroviejo on July 2, 2009 at 2:18 PM
For years the press and other liberal elites have been telling the Republican Party to go to the center, to be more like, well Arnold Schwarzenegger.
That’s turned out well, hasn’t it?
Well, Ahnold, it is a tumor and it’s eating your political viability.
Not that there’s much left.
SteveMG on July 2, 2009 at 2:19 PM
CA is a complete disaster. It’s funny watching them try to pretend otherwise.
AnninCA on July 2, 2009 at 2:20 PM
Play “The Grapes of Wrath” backwards. That will give you an idea of what’s in store.
Vashta.Nerada on July 2, 2009 at 2:21 PM
JUST for today, I like him. He did get the message on our last proposition vote. 70% voted…no more taxes.
He has promised to veto the Dems on this. They had a very curt 30-minute meeting. I am convinced he’s telling the truth.
He will veto. He will shut down the state. And the Dems will have to knock this off and cut spending.
AnninCA on July 2, 2009 at 2:22 PM
This is SO FREAKING SIMPLE: You either get mail on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday; or you get you mail Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday.
Delivery staff cut nearly in half instantly. I cannot think of ONE important thing I get in the US postal service that I cannot wait until tomorrow. It is hard enough to think of something I receive from the US postal service that I need at all.
WashJeff on July 2, 2009 at 2:23 PM
Whoops: Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday.
WashJeff on July 2, 2009 at 2:23 PM
It’s even easier than that – just stop Saturday delivery, and save $3-4M a year.
Vashta.Nerada on July 2, 2009 at 2:24 PM
Why has mathematics taken a back seat to
foolish concepts of failure. Are we playing “Let’s Pretend” with reality?
Did I miss a memo?
elderberry on July 2, 2009 at 2:24 PM
Ann, hasn’t he done this? Made a threat, thrown down the gauntlet and then retreated?
Granted, he had a weak hand. The unions and left have a stranglehold over the legislature. But he never seemed to really push the envelope on matters.
SteveMG on July 2, 2009 at 2:25 PM
When Arnold went to Sacramento, he said “I am going to clean up this place.” And he was serious.
The Democrats, unions, lawyers, environmentalists, etc. said “Oh no, you’re not.” And they were serious. And they were right.
Patrick S on July 2, 2009 at 2:26 PM
Steve Schmidt was Arnie’s campaign advisor and urged him to stab his supporters in the back by reversing his position of illegal immigration.
California was a decent state until the democrats took control.
Blake on July 2, 2009 at 2:26 PM
You still have a nearly the same staff even if you get rid of Saturday delivery. Alternating delivery days allows the postmaster to get rid of nearly half the delivery staff. that’s a BIG savings.
WashJeff on July 2, 2009 at 2:27 PM
Someone, anyone–please give this item its own post:
The perfect illustration of what’s really going on.
tsj017 on July 2, 2009 at 2:27 PM
LOL!!! – I remember watching “The Grapes of Wrath” in a college film class.
I wonder what RTF majors are watching now??
Welcome to the Obamanation hellhole,
Such a crappy place
Such a ugly face
Plenty of room at the Obamanation hellhole,
Any time of year, you can find nothing here
Last thing I remember, I was
Running for the door
I had to find the passage back
To the place I was before
relax, said Obama,
We are programmed to receive.
You can checkout any time you like,
But you can never leave!
izoneguy on July 2, 2009 at 2:27 PM
The crap and trade bill wants to makes us live like california lives. Between california and it’s issues and spain and it’s 20% unemployment, why doesn’t obama have an open mind and consider copying winners?
Housing high in california? Yeppers because you can’t afford to build one to meet expensive standards. Baja Norte is going down.
seven on July 2, 2009 at 2:28 PM
California state taxes are also the highest. And so are our sales tax which is not 9.75-10.75%. Why buy any big ticket item in California??
Blake on July 2, 2009 at 2:29 PM
My neighbor dropped in yesterday for coffee. He works on the Burlington Northen railroad hauling coal locally within Nebraska for power plant use. He said the train he works has dropped from hauling 50-60 carloads to western Nebraska twice weekly down to about 30. Layoffs are pending and rolling stock is sitting idle in switchyards. Electricity usage is down considerably. Railroad workers with seniority are flooding in from CA to bump workers here.
a capella on July 2, 2009 at 2:29 PM
I saw that earlier today, ts. Fricken appalling.
Patrick S on July 2, 2009 at 2:29 PM
I could get by with once a week.
Why not charge people for how frequent deliveries are?
Count to 10 on July 2, 2009 at 2:31 PM
Holy s**t. I’d bet they’ll lose even more before this is over and never recover most due to the tax policies and anti-business climate in California.
Keyser-Soze on July 2, 2009 at 2:31 PM
We’re actually one of the few states that will be better off under Cap and Trade.
The bill makes the rest of you as bad off as we are. In turn, we’re more competetive!
Chuck Schick on July 2, 2009 at 2:33 PM
Once a week, I could live with that too. The Postal union would probably demand a “Job’s Bank” like Government Motors\UAW.
Second idea just creates a Bureaucracy. Stick with the postage stamp as method of payment.
WashJeff on July 2, 2009 at 2:35 PM
why doesn’t obama have an open mind and consider copying winners?
Because he was raised with the idea that the “winners” got what they did by ripping off the poor folk. If you listen to any of Obama’s theories on redistribution then you understand where we are at. I understood this after researching Obama the minute I heard he might run for president. MOST Obama voters did not do ANY research and bought into the cult of personality. The left is pushing Obama to do even more damage and here we are. If Obama even uttered the words “TAX CUT” you could bet that his support would dry up faster than a California Grape on it’s way to the raisin factory. Obama will not turn his ship of liberal fools around. So we will just have to say “Ramming Speed” and sink the son of a bitch.
izoneguy on July 2, 2009 at 2:35 PM
Brilliantly simple.
Thunderstorm129 on July 2, 2009 at 2:35 PM
Ahhh socialism, spreading the misery equally.
WashJeff on July 2, 2009 at 2:36 PM
As California goes, so goes the nation.
SouthernGent on July 2, 2009 at 2:36 PM
why doesn’t obama have an open mind and consider copying winners?
Because he was raised with the idea that the “winners” got what they did by ripping off the poor folk. If you listen to any of Obama’s theories on redistribution then you understand where we are at. I understood this after researching Obama the minute I heard he might run for president. MOST Obama voters did not do ANY research and bought into the cult of personality. The left is pushing Obama to do even more damage and here we are. If Obama even uttered the words “TAX CUT” you could bet that his support would dry up faster than a California Grape on it’s way to the raisin factory. Obama will not turn his ship of liberal fools around. So we will just have to say “Ramming Speed” and sink the SOB.
izoneguy on July 2, 2009 at 2:36 PM
Compassionate Liberalism. Everyone getting cash is in the liberal elite power structure.
Loxodonta on July 2, 2009 at 2:36 PM
War is Peace; Freedom is Slavery; Ignorance is Strength.
- George Orwell
MB4 on July 2, 2009 at 2:39 PM
Not quite — its just that you don’t have as far to fall.
Now, if they had done this as a simple tax on burnable fuels, you might actually come out ahead, but cap-’n-trade is set up specifically to provide maximum opportunity for favoritism and outright corruption. A carbon tax would be like trying to tune an engine by clogging the fuel line: cap-’n-trade is like trying to do it by having the whole town take turns smashing it with a sledgehammer.
Count to 10 on July 2, 2009 at 2:40 PM
I am not a lawyer but with it’s “IOU’s” Kalifornia seems to be in violation of the U.S. Constsitution, not that politicinas pay much attention to that any more.
U.S. Constitution – Article 1 Section 10 -
No State shall enter into any Treaty, Alliance, or Confederation; grant Letters of Marque and Reprisal; coin Money; emit Bills of Credit [ bill of credit is some sort of paper medium by which value is exchanged between the government and individuals]; make any Thing but gold and silver Coin a Tender in Payment of Debts; pass any Bill of Attainder, ex post facto Law, or Law impairing the Obligation of Contracts, or grant any Title of Nobility.
MB4 on July 2, 2009 at 2:40 PM
CA is a complete trainwreck. What’s really awful? We are going to really have to fail to recoup.
That is, obviously, the only solution.
AnninCA on July 2, 2009 at 2:41 PM
Californians should look on the bright side. At least they’re not Michigan. Or Minnesota.
Percy_Peabody on July 2, 2009 at 2:42 PM
\
Yes, he did. And I’ll be the first to say mea culpa….but I really do think he got the message from the proposition votes. He actually went out there and pitched hard.
He was thumped. Even SF, liberal bastion, voted NO!
He got the message, and I think he will veto.
AnninCA on July 2, 2009 at 2:43 PM
I didn’t mean instead of stamps. Let everyone have free once-a-week pick-up and delivery, and then charge them if they want it more frequently. I don’t see much bureaucracy in that, though there may be some complications for big apartment complexes.
Count to 10 on July 2, 2009 at 2:45 PM
Totally OT, but is it just me who now gets ads geared to my geographical area nowadays? Up pops a pitch for Luray Caverns and ad ad for Bob McDonnel. You guys turning into Googlebots?
scalleywag on July 2, 2009 at 2:45 PM
*: Some are more equal than others.
Count to 10 on July 2, 2009 at 2:47 PM
What ads?
Count to 10 on July 2, 2009 at 2:47 PM
On top right near HA logo is the ad for Bob McDonnel. On the right sidebar was one for Luray Caverns.
scalleywag on July 2, 2009 at 2:48 PM
Last week I was surprised to see an ad hawking merchandise from a local college.
scalleywag on July 2, 2009 at 2:49 PM
Kalifornia Dreamin’-I can’t wait to dodge bullets, shot by an illegal alien gang member in the middle of the street and then find out that he was released from custody and was not booted out of the country. And, my home depot will have to build a day laborer comfort station, paid by my tax dollars, and watch illegal aliens piss all over the place anyway, while cat calling at me as I walk in to buy nail gun, so when I walk back to my car, I can unleash hell on the cat calling workers and feel better about the world. I also want a queer little mayor for my city, that cheats on his wife and nothing happens to him, gay pride parades, representation by Nan…..
Yeah, Kalifornia is going to be GREAT for the country!
HornetSting on July 2, 2009 at 2:50 PM
All your children will become Californians.
FontanaConservative on July 2, 2009 at 2:54 PM
Half joking.
I have adblock, and don’t see any ads on hot air. Or RPC.
Though I have seen them elsewhere.
Count to 10 on July 2, 2009 at 2:54 PM
Barry should look at my latest gas and electric bill. $18.23 for natural gas for the month. $203.33 FOR ELECTRICTY! Baseline ALLOWANCE is .01 per Kw/Hr. You go over baseline and its .11 per Kw/Hr. Yeah, Barry, we’re doing GREAT in Kalifornia. Can’t wait for the wife to retire because we’ll be LEAVING! Oh, and thanks for the ‘tax cut’ on my Federal Deduction (that you’ll want back come 4/15/10). That ‘cut’ was just enough to offset the TAX INCREASE here. How about some more money? They also DOUBLED the vehicle registration fees. And that money isn’t going to road maintenance and repair! Sorry, Barry, but you’re a FUCKING IDIOT!
GarandFan on July 2, 2009 at 2:56 PM
Honestly, why do y’all keep voting for these people?
jimmy2shoes on July 2, 2009 at 2:59 PM
A nail gun!! Jesus, someone call Citizens for Hangun Control…how the hell did that one slip by ‘em?
Oh, and by the way, when the gangbangers start slinging lead in California, my AR-15 is limited to a 10-round magazine with a little “bullet button” thingy that requires me to use a screwdrive to re-load. Just to make things a little more even-Steven between me and our undocumented guests.
guntotinglibertarian on July 2, 2009 at 3:00 PM
I can see Utopia from my house!
infidel4life on July 2, 2009 at 3:03 PM
I believe that would be O-topia.
NellE on July 2, 2009 at 3:04 PM
I just pick the least ridiculous, frankly. I didn’t vote for Grey Davis to be ousted. I thought the entire recall deal was pretty stupid.
Still do.
AnninCA on July 2, 2009 at 3:05 PM
Oh it started long ago. They even practice at the local shooting ranges, right alongside us right-wing extremists. Talk about a dicey atmosphere…
infidel4life on July 2, 2009 at 3:15 PM
I could get by with once a week.
Why not charge people for how frequent deliveries are?
Count to 10 on July 2, 2009 at 2:31 PM
=====
The problem with the post office is that e-mail has replaced 80% of what used to be first-class, and first-class is the stuff that, back in the day, approached profitable.
Bulk mail, whether called direct mail, junk mail, or happy fun mail, doesn’t pay for itself.
I like the idea of a once-a-week delivery option. I like the idea of paying for more than once-a-week.
I like the idea of paying to be on a bulk-mail “do not bother me” list even better.
Mew
acat on July 2, 2009 at 3:15 PM
Over the past two years I’ve noticed a lot of Californians landing in small town west Kentucky. When one bought a house down the road from me I asked him why he sunny southern California for Kentucky. I also told him that I had run into several other people from Cali in recent months.
I kind of knew his answer. He explained to me that property values are astronomical, taxes even more so, and there are so many regulations that business people and homeowner can hardly do anything to or with their property. Then, he said something that really struck me: “I value liberty more than weather.” After the ice storm this winter (one largely ignored by the MSM) I asked him if that was still the case. He said that it was.
Last night, I was in a local retail store purchasing a rifle (no, I’m not one of the very many freaking out and buying guns out of fear. I got a lump sum check for some work I did this winter). The gunsmith helping me was from…California.
I feel like we’re being invaded. What scares me is that liberals often flee their own messes and then start trying to change things in the location to which they moved.
By the way, nothing ensures liberty like a Henry Big Boy .44 magnum rifle. I think it was Benjamin Franklin who said, “Democracy is two lions and a lamb deciding on what to eat. Liberty is a well armed lamb.” I might have that inscribed on my new Henry. Forgive me it is not the exact quote. I’m going on memory.
Ampleforth on July 2, 2009 at 3:16 PM
Good point. If I remember that maybe I’ll be at the top of my class in the re-education camp.
infidel4life on July 2, 2009 at 3:18 PM
What’s the point of keeping California anymore. It’s full of illegal Mexicans. I say just give it back to Mexico.
Jeff from WI on July 2, 2009 at 3:25 PM
Could it be finally time to split CA into 4 or 5 smaller states?
Can counties secede from a state?
:)
Sapwolf on July 2, 2009 at 3:29 PM
My husband is a machinist. Less than two years ago the company he works for employed 250 employees, ran three shifts, 5 – ten hour days with 1/2 day on Saturday. The company is now down to 40 employees and they are working a 4 day week…no overtime, insurance benefits for employees only. If things don’t pick up the only option left for the company is to close, they’ve cut to the bone already.
ProudPatriot on July 2, 2009 at 3:29 PM
I’m all for it. Instantly dump it and make the demographics look much better for conservatives.
Mexico can have it.
Sapwolf on July 2, 2009 at 3:30 PM
Brilliant!
As soon as my son graduates from high school, we are out of California. I agree with you about blue-county liberals moving elsewhere only to utterly ruin once beautiful places – see Nantucket, the Hamptons, Aspen, Seattle, Vermont, and so on. Don’t be worried, though. For most of us, it’s the increasingly oppressive liberal atmosphere, as well as the economic mess brought on by CA’s liberal state legislature that we are fleeing.
PoodleSkirt on July 2, 2009 at 3:40 PM
If I were to rent Lord of the Flies, would that pretty much tell me what’s going on in California these days?
BuckeyeSam on July 2, 2009 at 3:44 PM
Move out of California now if you can. It won’t be long till that ship sinks… into Mexico.
RalphyBoy on July 2, 2009 at 3:56 PM
I’ve been saying it for years….in the liberal mind only chaos makes sense. Up is down, down is up. They are psychologically damaged from birth.
csdeven on July 2, 2009 at 4:01 PM
Minnesotans, welcome Kalifornians to your group of the stupidest voters in the USA.
csdeven on July 2, 2009 at 4:10 PM
WInston, under the right conditions, 2+2=5.
GunRunner on July 2, 2009 at 4:35 PM
Well thought out. So true. People are leaving, people I know. They are headed to Arizona, Wyoming and the Carolina’s.
I can tell you too that these are the folks you want as your neighbors. Family people that love America.
The problem here is everywhere you turn there is a tax, everywhere and on everything. No incentive exists to open a manufacturing plant.
My reason for leaving, after the youngest is out of H.S. are numerous but the last straw was this EPA Obama/Schwarzenneger gas mileage boondoggle.
I’m all for clean air but you can’t force me to buy a tiny car………….ever!
Have at is Karen Bass, she is all yours. You win.
FireBlogger on July 2, 2009 at 4:47 PM
Wait for us California…we are on the way…
right2bright on July 2, 2009 at 4:53 PM
Of course those of us too stupid or poor to move out of California will get a double whammy, not to mention the multiple whammies our state legislature is preparing for us.
evergreen on July 2, 2009 at 5:00 PM
That’s understandable but on the other side, moving to California from “bitter clinger” country, I’ve been reconverted to conservatism. I was always a conservative, but was a lazy conservative, apathetic about politics, whereas Obamerica and SchwarzenTaxifornia have scared me into activism. I moved here for my husband, who’s a native, and he’s a true conservative too. He jokes that he had to import me because there weren’t any conservative heterosexual women locals.
We’ve stayed, thus far, mainly because we’re too poor to relocate. But we are looking around. We are investing a lot of money into taking some trips to other states to see where we might end up. It is rapidly becoming such that we’re too poor to leave, but too poor to stay, and if we don’t get out now, we’ll never get out. His family is here, but we’ll start over from zero if we have to.
Be kind to your California refugees. :(
evergreen on July 2, 2009 at 5:10 PM
Even the rich Hollywood limousine liberals are finding that doing their location shoots here in CA is too expensive and bogged down in red tape, thanks to the socialist politicians they’ve faithfully supported, so they’re going elsewhere. But do you think they would learn from that?………*crickets*
infidel4life on July 2, 2009 at 5:32 PM
What I find worse than this is the fact that we are sending our wealth, accumulated over centuries, overseas. There can be no new development of our resources or industry without capital. We were once the biggest creditor nation; now we are the biggest debtor nation. There is time to reverse this tend but only if we act soon. Unfortunately, the Democrat Party seems insistent on destroying our economy.
Laurence on July 2, 2009 at 6:33 PM
The lions at the gate (media) are silent. You are little more than a laryngitic terrier, Ed, trying vainly to be heard. Your words are true and well written, but who’s paying attention?
SKYFOX on July 2, 2009 at 7:21 PM
On behalf of the people of the state of illinois,I would like to apologize to the citizens of the US for Barry Odinga and his merry band of Chicago thugs.If California is the major league of sinkhole states,Illinois is at least on the triple-A level.
pistolpetestoys on July 2, 2009 at 9:41 PM
That is exceptionally funny. Maybe there is a secret message like “free market is dead”. Maybe someone can come up with a better one try.
Ed Laskie on July 3, 2009 at 4:56 AM
Al Gore with his- “every thing that is up is down and every thing that is down is up” made me want to smack Gore up side down his head.
Ed Laskie on July 3, 2009 at 5:00 AM
Ampleforth said, on 2 July: “After the ice storm this winter (one largely ignored by the MSM)…”
It was ignored by the news outlets because
a) You weren’t rioting
b) You weren’t screaming about lack of help from FEMA
c) You weren’t blaming George Bush
You have to know how the system works before you can push it to your advantage! /sarc
friendlygrizzly on July 3, 2009 at 6:24 AM
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