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California clouds spending data

April 2, 2013

follow moneyTransparency of its public spending practices by this state’s government is sadly lacking, according to the California Public Interest Research Group (CPIRG).

In an annual report, “Following the Money 2013: How States Rank on Providing Online Access to Government Spending Data,” the group gave California an “F” grade.

According to CPRIG, which lobbies for open government, California’s failure is due to a “shallow” online portal to spending data; lack of a link to tax expenditure reports; and the inability to make vendor-specific Web searches.

The state’s transparency ranks 49th on this list. Only Texas got an A.


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After the fiasco at State Parks, and reports like these, how can anyone in his right mind vote for a tax increase? By the way the state is broke but there are still hundreds of state jobs listed on the State Personnel Board to be filled. Go figure!


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The problem is government jobs. On average, they make more than 20% than their private sector equivalents, with unrealistic pension and benefits to boot. And they are INCREASING the payroll and benefits. I suppose they’ll keep going until it is physically impossible to continue. Hello, Stockton!


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I’m from the Gobbermint and I’m here to help you, NOT.

About the only way to cure this is to quit paying taxes and fees, when this corrupt state can’t pass a tax then they throw it at us as a fee, with the State board of Equilization as the collector, that boar dis just like the IRS, this state is set up so crooked you couldn’t map it out if you wanted to.


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but…but…but, I swear it will be different with Obamacare, with high-speed rail, with Common Core State Standards… with… I swear it will be different this time!


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The SLO Property Owners tried this a few years ago in San Luis Obispo – they proposed a charter amendment that no fees, fines, surcharges or rates could be raised that would exceed the rate of inflation without a vote of the people. No new fees, fines, surcharges or other taxes-by-any-other-name could be imposed without a vote of the people. The idea was to stop the blank check mentality. Unfortunately, according to the then-city clerk, who left shortly afterwards, the group did not have enough valid signatures.; so the measure never went to the ballot. But city officials were terrified and were already in fight mode to defeat this.


Just remember this when Measure Y comes up for renewal. They can’t manage what they have so why give them more? They are running a $29 million VARIANCE (call it anything but a deficit) this year – quite a bit for a city of 45,000 people.


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Not to hijack the topic, but when I read articles like this is very clear why Americans are hesitant to force increased Gun Registration. It has nothing to do with not wanting to keep guns out of the hands of unstable crazies. There is a underlying suspicion that armed resurrection will be needed some day to take our Govt back. The Govt already “registers” people and their income so they can take it to suit their needs. It is not a stretch to image that Govt would someday want to take guns – to suit their interest.


It is not like that has never happened on this continent. Oh wait – that is how our country was born!


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Taxifornia here I come,

Right back where I started from,

Where lobbyists and liberals bloom in the sun,

Each morning at dawning spending and regulations on most everything.

A sun kissed legislator said “Don’t be late.”

That’s why businesses can hardly wait,

So open up those Golden gate Taxiifornia here I come.


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States are not able to print money like the federal government so they try to think outside the box regarding revenue issues. California however has it’s own plan to stay financially sound. Hide money from the people then cry poor mouth and scare the citizens into tax increases they can not afford. The Mafia would be in awe of our politicians today. When Governor Moonbeam says to his constituents that the prisons are too full and costly so we need to let some inmates out. And at the same time he informs us that police and fire will need to be cut unless we accept higher taxes…well… Someone tell me how that scenario is not a protection racket.


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I don’t know but it sounds like a fairly honest evaluation of the situation to me. We don’t have the money to keep our overflowing prisons operating as they should. We don’t have enough money to keep the same levels of public safety officials. We don’t have the money to keep the courts operating efficiently and provide timely justice. They are all part of the same problem.


One solution could be in the form of increased taxes but I think that others should be tried first. We could start with legalizing pot so that only the feds deal with the costs of legislating personal behavior. We could try to cut costs elsewhere — beginning with the bureaucrats and politicians in Sacto. Or we could just accept that their are limits to what we can afford to have government do for us.


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Texas also does not have a state income tax. Property taxes are set by each county. There are far fewer regulations on land use and the like. It is mostly a rural state with a handful of large cities (a bit like Ohio). People in office are visible and therefore accountable. There was a time when we were like that if you think about it, a mostly rural state (still is to some degree), we had a part time legislature, and much more was decided locally rather than handed down from the state for compliance. I think we blew it!


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It’s funny how this all works. One would think that somebody up in Sac doesn’t want us to know where the money is going.


Can’t imagine why. Can’t we all just get along?


It’s almost as if CA government were so complex and of such great magnitude that nobody, at least no citizen watchdogs, can keep track of it well enough to catch anybody who might be cheating and stealing.


Some watchdogs are hot on their trail, though. That’s good.


But if you think that the CA state gov is bad, consider this:


“Trillions of dollars are missing from the US government. What’s going on? Where is the money? How could this happen? Where are the checks and balances? How much more has gone missing? What would happen if a corporation failed to pass an audit like this? Or a taxpayer? Who is responsible for this? Would your banks continue to handle your bank account if you behaved like this? Would your investors continue to buy your securities if you behaved like this? Learn more in the articles below.”


http://solari.com/archive/missing_money/


One thing is for sure. Government, ANY government, is a VERY complex operation. In the nooks and crannies of such complexities temptations fester and plots are hatched to fleece the taxpayers of their dough.


Why not? Who can keep track of it all? Who will notice? Who will care?


It is only the Internet Renaissance which has magnified and spread the news to so many more people than ever before which has put the spotlight on these thieves.


Let’s hope and pray that this new information pipeline stays open and free.


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Well said!


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The state has a dog to feed.


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The Federal Government does not have to worry about money, as they can just LEASE more from the Federal Reserve (ironically, neither federal, nor a reserve). California, like all the other 50, must become dependent on the Federal Government, thus the destruction of the States as independent governing entities continues (i.e. think of the seventeenth amendment and then commerce clause crap, etc.).


Looking at all of it, is it no wonder States are forced into bankruptcy, only to come begging to the Fed? Half of Obama care is designed to bankrupt states, forcing them into the arms of the fed. Why do you think Common Core crap was in the “stimulus” fund? Here, poor states, here’s some cash dangling in front of your starving noses… ah, but if you take it, you must comply with X, Y and Z….


Bah, who wants to think of this stuff, when we have Gun Control and/or Global Cooling…er Warming…er Climate change to think about!


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The constitutional design of the legislative branch and the political history of Texas have combined to make “the lege,” as insiders and observers call it, a peculiar institution. The Texas Constitution creates a part-time legislature that meets for a relatively brief 140 days every other year. The members, so-called citizen legislators, work within a political culture with a strong suspicion of government and a long history of accepting the involvement of wealthy business interests in politics.


Could be the secret to success, a part time legislature that actually respects the voters that brought them to office. We here in California should be so lucky


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