If you don't already know, California is drowning in debt....$42 billion to be exact (but hey, who's counting?!) Wait, I am!!! This is my freaking home state and crippling its citizens who are literally scaping by to make ends meet.
Everyone goes through rough spot now and then but considering California once had the 5th largest GDP in the world and is now completely broke broke broke, makes me wonder, what the hell happened?
Now, many economists have speculations about what went wrong, but screw them for not bringing up these issues sooner, so I will put forth my own hypothesis as crazy as it might seem I think it could work.
Many many actors (including but not limited to Nicolas Cage, Ving Rhames, Arnold Swartzenagger, Wesley Snipes, Burt Reynolds, the list goes on.....) although considered politically liberal find themselves above tax law, even though they have millions.
Many of these celebrities who reside in sunny California (the weather is the only thing that states has going for it right now) are so behind on their back taxes that if they actually paid up, California would be sitting pretty on a nice pile of money. And what they SHOULD do with that money is redistribute it into the economy especially into the school system which they have neglected (32% increase in UC tuition ring a bell?)
If you look at this awesome list this tax blogger put together of California’s top tax scofflaws (aka bandits), you will see how this money in back taxes is desperately needed in order to save California and its citizens.
Call me whatever you want but by taking this money restributing into the education system in order to make school more affordable to students, then you will have a stronger, more educated workforce that will fare far better in the global economy. Take the chump change left over and revamp the medical system so that this newly educated workforce doesn't work themself into an early grave and gets the medical attention they need (which would in the end create a stronger, HEALTHIER workforce).
So in summary, here are the steps that need to be taken:
1) Get all those celebrities to pay their freaking back taxes (and that includes you governator!)
2) Take that money and put it in to the education and healthcare system (assuming we provide some kind of public option for the masses - which in turn creates jobs FYI).
California is suffering because its citizens are suffering. If we are truly "United we stand" then we are only as strong as our weakest link.
By providing subsized education and healthcare to Californians (and all Americans) then in turn we will have a smarter, healthier working class that will be able to sustain themselves through hard economic woes without any other support from the government. Providing for these people in order for them to provide for themselves is sustainable capitalism and if this current economic crisis doesn't convince you that this is the only sustainable option, then i'm not sure what will, Armagedden?
P.S. to celebrities: Imagine all the great press you would get for just paying your taxes like a normal person! You would not only get great PR for saving the state, but you wouldn't have to fake it with all those charities you pretend to support. Plus, i'm sure you will get millions to go see your next craptastic film which in turn will make you money. It's a win-win situation if you ask me.
No comments:
Post a Comment