Myths/liberal policies will ruin California
| Myth: Liberal policies will ruin California. |
| seedling article |
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| This article is incomplete. It might be useful as a reference, but avoid offering it as a definitive presentation. The counterarguments could use some more shoring up. |
The Myth
Even though liberal policies have worked well in California, right-wingers are still convinced that those policies will eventually ruin it.
Examples
- "You people defending California crack me up. For many years California had the largest economy in the country. It was the 9th largest economy in the world. Now? North Dakota, Colorado and Texas all have larger economies. It's not a good trend and many expect it will get worse. Does anyone in that state understand economics? Unions aren't an issue since the makes up less than 5 percent of the workforce. Why is the current trend for businesses to leave California or not go there in the first place? Your governor is...to say the least...not business friendly. Your state government is very corrupt, you have high taxes and stifling regulations. You pay too much for social programs you can't afford. Wages are artificially high. And the best anyone can do is act like spoiled children and say "Well let them go I don't want them here anyway." Year to year the California economy gets worse. It's a trend that is not going to change any time soon.Texas is happy to take all the businesses that leave California and has really benefited from it."[1]
- 2013-03-23 California is in for a World of Hurt: "Demographic trends themselves are creating a crisis brought about by a population that is simultaneously losing its children and getting older, and to a frightening extent poorer."
Reality
All of the accusations made by JMK[1] apply just as easily to accusations that liberal policies ruined California, which is a myth.
Re "California is in for a World of Hurt":
- Although this link was used[1] as evidence against liberal policies, it actually does not provide any criticism at all (direct or implicit) of those policies.
- To the extent that it is seen as a criticism of liberal economics, the logic seems to be based on the myth that helping people makes them dependent.
If anything is likely to ruin California, it's Jerry Brown being all too willing to help polluters get past environmental rules.
Nugget of Truth
California's liberal policies have made it one of a handful of states, all liberal-leaning, which have been net suppliers of federal funds – most of which are then sent to rural states, which tend to be "conservative", in order to aid with the greater expenses involved in maintaining infrastructure in a rural environment.[2] One could certainly argue that California would be in better shape if it were less liberal about allowing that money to be taken by the federal government. The fact that it is able to continue supplying those funds, however, suggests strongly that it cannot be reasonably accused of being "ruined".