The fact that some of the far left is completely deranged is beginning to penetrate through to those on the left not quite as barking mad. A case in point is a letter sent out by the Democrats in the California State Assembly. Democrats in the California State Senate bill passed a bill calling for a state single payer health care system. However, the bill did not provide any mechanism to fund it. Estimates are that it would cost at least 200 billion a year, assuming that other state and federal health care funding in California could be tapped for the new system. This would require doubling California’s state taxes. Unsurprisingly the powers that be among the Democrats in the Assembly quietly tabled this lunatic proposal. However, this did not well with the denizens of the fever swamp left, who started to make threats, usually reserved for Republican targets, including death threats. This so unnerved the Democrats in the Assembly that they jointly sent out the following letter:
In recent days, we have become alarmed and disheartened by bullying tactics, threats of violence, and death threats by a few who disagree with the decision of Speaker Anthony Rendon to postpone the advancement of SB 562. While it is appropriate for persons of varying views to express concern, disapproval or disfavor about the delay, it is never acceptable to engage in those tactics. That is not how we make decisions in the Assembly. In a civil society, this behavior can neither be condoned nor tolerated.
We have seen the impact of bullying in schools and now in the political arena. We have written numerous bills to prevent persons in school and the workplace from being harassed and bullied. That is not the type of culture we believe allows for open discourse and good decision making. The political campaign of 2016 was filled with verbal attacks and even calls for violence. These are tactics that we all abhor. Let us not become the persons that we detest.
For the past few years, California has embraced the Affordable Care Act with the intent of providing healthcare for all Californians. While we have not reached our goal, we are moving in that direction. There are many ways of achieving the goal of healthcare for all. Included in that list is a single-payer option, an idea that is embraced by many in the Assembly.
As we move forward and continue our commitment to work toward improved healthcare for all Californians, we welcome ideas and discussion from those who want to find a solution.
None of this is surprising to students of leftist politics. Inevitably the left begins to eat its own once it achieves power. California is to all intents and purposes a one party state now, and we see the beginning of a civil war on the left that will be amusing to watch from a distant. As for non-leftists luckless enough to live in the tarnished Golden State, my sincere condolences.
And my condolences to you who live in the equally leftist Illinois. At least the weather and the scenery is better here in CA. Nothing else is, but at least we have that going for us.
We have a sort of Republican governor Greg and we actually gained seats in the state legislature in the last election. But for the gerrymandering of the Democrats after the 2010 census, the worst in the nation, the state legislature would be in play in 2018. However my advice to sane people in both states is the same: flee if you can.
We had a sort of republican governor in Ahnuld. But after he lost on parental consent law ballot measure, he hid under his desk for the rest of his tenure. Remember, CA passed Prop. 8 in 2008, that wrote into the state constitution that marriage was between a man and a woman. And it passed a ballot measure on the same sex issue that merely made traditional marriage state law not long before that.
Just last November, Prop. 62, the moratorium on the death penalty failed and Prop. 66, the measure that called for streamlining the appeals process in capital cases passed.
I keep saying CA is not as leftist as the people it elects, but it’s still pretty leftist. Part of the problem is the GOP runs squishy unelectable “moderate” republicans to run for state office.
I didn’t vote for Rauner because he is a pro-abort but I have been pleasantly surprised by at how he is standing up on the budgetary quagmire in the State. We will see if he continues to do so this week. Good points on the referendums in California.
“Single payer” is not in and of itself disagreeable. It’s the insistence on maintaining 1st dollar coverage that’s the problem. If you keep insisting on that, you’re left with dog-chasing-its-tail subsidies (which someone will have to repair when our domestic Chavezistas run out of other people’s money) or with administrative rationing (those ‘death panels’ that Sarah Palin was ‘lying’ about).
An absence of reason provides for many unforeseen consequences.
http://www.cnbc.com/2017/06/25/illinois-debt-is-about-to-be-rated-junk-what-that-means.html
Worst political class ever.
You can say that again Art!
It’s interesting that when Democrats can’t find someone else who can forced to pay for their profligacy they look to themselves and a few discover the irrationality of their proposals. The others turn into mad dogs.
“or the right of the people to peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.” The First Amendment. Bullying, death threats are a violation of peaceable assembly and a violation of the First Amendment. It is time to prosecute the violators.