A State in Denial California

A State of Denial California

Time and time again Governor Gray Davis and the peoples of California were warned that California’s electrical grid in its present condition would not sustain prolonged periods of heavy use especially during extreme heat. Californians were further warned that if the electrical grid was not modernized any prolonged heat wave (common to California) would cause rolling black-outs (large areas throughout the state with no electricity). And as predicted when the temperature rose to triple digit numbers ranging from 102 to 115 degrees there occurred numerous rolling blackouts up and down the state of California sometimes lasting for a day, sometimes days on end into even weeks. During a rolling blackout approximately 550 megawatts is taken offline. Since one megawatt provides electricity to a thousand homes; more or less, half a million homes had no electricity during a single blackout.
     In these prolonged periods of extreme heat accompanied by rolling blackouts; or worse yet when an electrical grid went off line, livestock of all types died by the hundreds from heat exhaustion. At least six Central Valley counties declared local states of emergency allowing farmers to bury livestock killed by the heat in public landfills or on their own properties -- disposal methods not normally allowed by state water laws. Even more tragic elderly men and women died.

      During the heat advisories, when air conditioners or water coolers couldn’t cool the house peoples went to the air conditioned shopping malls in search of relief from the heat. On some occasions and overwhelmed by the hot weather not even the shopping malls provided relief from the heat. There were days when the shopping malls’ back up generators beset by demand went into emergency mode, shut down momentarily, rebooted and restarted. On rare occasions fearing damage to the cooling systems and cost overrun stores and shopping malls closed early.

     After suffering rolling blackouts, the loss of human life estimated at 123, an estimated 2 percent of the state's dairy herd dead, crop loss, and a 6 billion dollar deficit Californians had had enough and Governor Gray Davis was removed from office in a special election. In November 17, 2003 Arnold Schwarzenegger became the newly elected governor of California. But not much has changed under this gubernatorial administration. Many argue that things have become worse. 

       In years past Mexicans from Mexico were crossing the borders in large numbers but more so today. Many are concerned by the present administration’s inability to secure and complete the border fence. Especially now that the National Guard, who not only improved the border fence but as well built 37 miles of border fence, 87 miles of vehicle barriers, patrolled roads, installed new surveillance cameras, stopped 166,000 illegal immigrants and seized 300,000 pounds of drugs is pulling out. Now the prevailing attitude is…who’s going to protect the border!

     These migrating Mexicans moved into the cities and towns throughout California’s borders; north, south, east, and west. As they settled into various towns and cities their children who did not in any way shape or form understand English filled the schools. When sick they filled the emergency room in the local hospital. Mexican women gave birth in the hospitals, received medical attention, medicines, and rarely paid a dollar for services rendered. To the contrary, in need of food they receive food stamps. When in need of milk and food for their babies, for their children, their family, they went to and received from WIC not only food stuff such as cereal, juices, eggs, peanut butter, jelly, cheese, and bread but as well boxes of pampers, medicines and more.
     Throughout California’s San Joaquin Valley many small town hospital clinics are closing their doors permanently because they can no longer absorb the financial cost of caring for the Mexican people who can’t pay for received medical assistance. Many illegal immigrants have acquired not only a California driver license they have likewise purchased, licensed, and insured their cars in California.

       So predominant is their presence, Spanish is now a prominent and at times a required language in schools beginning with kindergarten up to college. School text books are often bilingual. Homework assignments are accepted in both English and Spanish. Some classes are even bilingual. As a matter of fact many youngsters graduating from high school can’t even speak nor write a coherent thought in English. Numerous schools from pre-school to college are over burdened with many more students in a classroom than that allowed by law. Many schools have daycare centers for unwed teenage mothers attending classes. And an increasing perquisite for many jobs is not merely the ability to read, write, and speak English but as well Spanish.

      In some of the cities in California for example Los Angeles and even in Fresno there were large marches protesting the lack of rights for the Mexican peoples illegally here in the United States. There are even those who claim that the land taken from Mexico during the Mexican American War of 1864 now known as Texas, California, Nevada, Utah, parts of Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico, and Wyoming ought to be returned to Mexico. There is even a book titled Mexafornia by Victor David Hansen.

Many fear that there is occurring a mass migration of peoples from both Mexico and South America into the United States. But the mass immigration of peoples into the United States is nothing neither new nor unfamiliar to the citizens of the United States of America. Ellis Island if not a symbol is the symbol of America’s immigrant heritage. From 1892 to 1954, Ellis Island processed the greatest tide of incoming peoples in United States history. Nearly twelve million peoples passed through Ellis Island and legally entered into the United States in their search of the American dream starting with; life, liberty, the pursuit of happiness, along with freedom of speech, religion, to vote, and economic opportunities.

     While an overwhelming number of these immigrant peoples moved into various cities and towns up and down the East Coast many traveled west through the parries or plains of the Midwest, others settled or pushed onward to the west coast. The only difference from then and now is that in the past the immigrant peoples were required to learn the English language, the language of the land. Moreover, rather than requiring the United States to accommodate them, these immigrants wanting to make the United States their homeland, wanted to and did learn how to speak, read and write in English. They were proud and considered it an honor to be called and American.
     The California State Supreme Court in a split decision of 5 to 4 made homosexual marriage a legal right was contested in the court leaving both parties awaiting a final decision. What’s most egregious here is how the California State Supreme Court judges rewrote the law: an act of judicial legislation clearly contrary to the separation of powers as written in the California State Constitution. Whereas only the legislative branch can create laws, the role proper to the courts is to interpret and explain the law as written. Worse yet many same sex couples from other states came to California, got married civilly, and then return to their legal place of residence. Because of the American legal system, in whatever state they dwell that state will have to recognize their same sex marriage (now the politically correct nomenclature for homosexual marriage) as valid and thus in turn have accomplished a forced social change/revolution.

      California has been for some time now and is presently beleaguered by a series of political, social and economic ills. But the worst of all is how elected or appointed California officials who, either lack the will to enforce the laws, to rectify the problems, use these problems for their own political agenda/gain and as a means to force political, economic, and social change in California. As for it’s finances California is the largest borrower in the municipal bond market. 

      California's credit rating on $64 billion dollar debt on general obligation bonds was cut by Standard & Poor’s. California, the most populous state in the Union, is reeling from a $20 billion budget shortfall, and has the lowest credit rating of any state in the Union. California has no law limiting the amount of public debt the state can accumulate. On the up side California will receive about $1 billion from a gasoline tax once allocated to local governments. Governor Schwarzenegger’s $82.9 billion proposed budget will cut spending by $8.5 billion, hopes that the state will receive $7 billion reimbursement from the Federal Government/President Obama for unpaid expense incurred from illegal immigrants and their extra cost to education, health care, and time in jail.
     On Jan 19 2010 the Fresno Bee in it's Opinion Section "Fresno County's  Expensive Pension" plan noted how the Fresno County must pay more than $140 million into its pension systems, an increase of 13% from this year, with that obligation increasing in the following 4 years at a time when the government is cutting programs and laying off employees because of the economic downturn.

If that’s not a state in denial nor out of control…than what is? 

Welcome to the Banana Republic of California! 

Say It Aint So!