Ron Hart: California's dubious distinction

If you want to see how the Obama big-government agenda will play out for us in the future, look no further than California, his dream high-tax state which votes overwhelmingly Democrat.

If you follow the Democratic agenda, you end up with financially-strapped states from which businesses and taxpayers are leaving in droves. Even with the highest tax rates in the USA (10 percent plus, not counting city taxes), these states run the biggest deficits. Compare that to the zero income tax state of Texas, which balances its budget and created more jobs in 2008 than all 49 other states combined.

Let's look back to Arnold Schwarzenegger's election as the "Governator" of California, a state so shallow that it takes only celebrity status to get elected. Concerned that the state was spending too much and businesses were leaving, Californians chose The Terminator over their other choices: child actor-turned-mall-cop Gary Coleman, watermelon-smashing comedian Gallagher, and porn star Mary Carey. Torn between porn starlet Carey and actor Schwarzenegger, California went with Arnold.He had slightly more political experience, although Carey had proven she can take uncomfortable positions. Somehow, Californians managed to chose the least financially responsible candidate.

So how did liberal California get itself in such a budget mess, given that it has one of the highest marginal tax rates in the country? As I pointed out in a column in 2007, "Some states are high on taxes — and themselves." California actually funded a sex-change operation for a male prisoner. But hang on, here is where it gets silly. He now is asking to have the sex-change reversed. This is why I never throw out old clothes.

As a Constitutional scholar, Obama clearly knows that convicted murderers are entitled to sex change (and reverse sex-change) operations should they not be 100 percent satisfied. It is right there in the Constitution, along with the right to free prescription drugs, free health care, and dominion over the automobile industry. Look long enough and you will find it.

If you wonder how "soak the rich" liberalism will play out with the New Left regime in D.C., just look at California. As Ronald Reagan said, "People vote with their feet." The reason Texas, Tennessee and Florida (all zero-income-tax-states) grow is because entrepreneurs flee high-tax states, and bring their businesses and jobs with them. I joke that my home state, Tennessee, is called "The Volunteer State" because they can't make you live there. Yet few leave.

And if you think these high tax/regulation/union friendly states are lower on other taxes, think again. Taxing and spending are like alcoholism: once started, they never end. At least drunks are funny; imprudent politicians are not. California lawmakers are working on another $1.50 per pack tax on cigarettes, on top of Obama's contemplated tax of $3 per pack, marking the first time a president placed such a tax while having a pack of Newport menthols in his pocket. With Obama having to print so many dollars to fund his deficit, cigarettes both inside and outside of the prison system might become our main currency - either that, or something else we can trust, like a Wal-Mart gift card.

Hollywood is still in bed smoking a cigarette, celebrating the afterglow of its love affair with Obama. The "environmental president" recently flew his crew out to California ($265,000 in Air Force One costs) for two Democratic fundraisers in L.A. Because Hollywood is always a model of equality and fairness, there were two-tiered donor events.One hosted by Stephen Spielberg and Jeffrey Katzenberg cost $15,000 a head to attend, the other was $1,000 per person, presumably hosted by Carrot Top and Kathy Griffin. Even as they celebrate diversity, egalitarianism and affirmative action, our Hollywood elite feel it important for the nation to not to lose sight of a fundamental truth: there should always be an A-list and a B-list.

I am not saying Schwarzenegger's political career is over but, lacking the muscle to stop the spending in California, he is just one more bad decision away from signing up to be the next spokesman for Viagra.

Ron Hart is a southern libertarian columnist whose weekly column about politics and life appears Saturdays. Contact him at RevRon10@aol.com.