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CA Senate Illustrates Ongoing Egregious Cluelessness - No More Free Parking

By
Real Estate Agent with 1st Action Real Estate

Just when you think our Legislature might get a clue as to what's going on in the world they are quick to remind us - they are so far out of touch it's almost comical. Two items from today's news:

#1 - Our illustrious State Senate passed a bill yesterday cracking down on... FREE PARKING. Yeah, you read that right, FREE PARKING. They don't have enough to do figuring out how to make up a $20+ Billion budget deficit or how to get water to 70% of the state - they've got to stick their nose into yet another local issue.

Sen. Alan Lowenthal, a Democrat (there's a shocker for ya), says there's just too darn much free parking. It encourages people to drive instead of walking, riding a bike or taking a bus. All that driving caused by free parking is contributing to traffic jams, pollution and, of course, the ever-present bogeyman of global warming. "Free parking has significant social, economic and environmental costs," according to Lowenthal. "It increases congestion and greenhouse gas emissions."

Want to decrease greenhouse gas emissions Al? Try shutting your pie-hole. Meanwhile I'll try to explain to people living in Southwest California why they should be riding their bikes or walking 70 miles to work in your city. (We've got no buses.) And why you feel their employers should eliminate free parking if the lazy schmucks do feel the continued need to drive their car to work. When free parking is outlawed, only outlaws will have free parking. 

Dumb Ass. And all your Democrat colleagues who voted for this too. Dumb asses.

#2 - Even Obama figured this one out but it'll apparently take a 2X4 to the side of the head to get the attention of the jack asses in our state senate. One headline in todays paper - datelined Washington DC - 'Healthcare Bill is on Life Support'. You know it, everybody else in the country knows it... BUT, in an adjacent article datelined Sacramento - 'California Senate OK's single payer healthcare plan'. They don't know it. 

Sen Christine Kehoe, a Democrat (there's another shocker for ya), says "If it's not to be done at the national level, let's take the lead in California." The proposal by Sen. Mark Leno, a Democrat (yet another shocker), establishes a commission (ooooh, we need more of them) and will give them $1 million to decide how to pay for this 'plan'. Well, what's another million against the $20+ billion we're already in the dumper, eh Mark?

Let me put on my 'Carnac the Magnificent' hat for a minute a see if I can predict the future. After burning through the initial million, and needing several more before the end of the year, the commission will determine we need to a) increase taxes on the wealthy, and b) increase 'fees' on everybody else. The commission will still be draining money from our state budget in 2099. 

Republican Sen. George Runner says "This plan is to the left and more radical of what wouldn't get out of Washington," A spokeshole for the Gov. sums it up "... they are clearly out of touch with what the voters need and deserve." 

Yeah but I'll bet they all get re-elected in November. Who's the dumb asses now?


Comments(4)

Lenn Harley
Lenn Harley, Homefinders.com, MD & VA Homes and Real Estate - Leesburg, VA
Real Estate Broker - Virginia & Maryland

"it'll apparently take a 2X4 to the side of the head to get the attention of the jack asses in our state senate."

Sorry Gene.  You're wrong.  The 2 X 4 is used to smack them across their behind  - - it's closer to their brain.

Jan 29, 2010 05:08 AM
Mike Saunders
Retired - Athens, GA

Gene - let's start with charging the Cal. legislators for their free, covered parking in the capitol building garage (I am assuming that they are still not paying for it, but parking at the taxpayers expense). Now there's an idea, try out these proposed laws on the lawmakers themselves before foisting them upon every body else.

Jan 29, 2010 05:38 AM
Gene Wunderlich
1st Action Real Estate - Murrieta, CA
Realtor & Legislative Liaison

Lenn - good point. The old miners up in CO where I'm from used to pack a 2X4 if a recalcitrant mule got out of line. But you are correct about the location of the brains in our current legislators.

Mike - they are loaded with freebies up there. Free parking is the least of it. Free drivers, free postage, lots of free meals, free 'fact finding' vacations, and the list goes on. Just like the federal level, if a program is good enough for the people it should be good enough for the legislators - i.e. healthcare, retirement plan, etc. If they had to take their own medicine, there'd be a lot less medicine coming out of there.

Jan 29, 2010 05:50 AM
Mike Saunders
Retired - Athens, GA

Gene-I spend a couple of years doing technology consulting to the Cal legislature in the late 80's. What an amazing pile of perks they gave themselves. And what a bunch of inbred corruption.

Jan 29, 2010 05:56 AM