Are We Paying Attention Yet?

It is interesting that the news media is beginning to report in very minor detail the economic indicators and the news is not good.
There used to be a political saying that, “How California goes so goes the rest of the nation” and if that is so then we are in for some dire days.
California is bankrupt from a failed policy of entitlements to unions and other social programs that have so impacted its ability to gain clear air that the 7th largest economy in the world may be forced into bankruptcy. No kidding…bankruptcy is the only hope that I see to allow California to peel itself away from the past indebtedness and forge a path to financial solvency.
California for to long has been held in check by unions and the welfare state and that needs to change. That is a harsh statement because it is devoid of all of the compassion that liberals are looking for but you have to be able to pay for what you have and when you no longer have it then you need to make adjustments.
It is less compassionate to build a welfare state so large and complex that is makes the rest of the state’s economy sag and that is where we are at this moment. It is also wrong to give to the entitled masses the hope that they are taken care of for as long as they wish.
One area of attention is the development, once again, of a clear delineation of state’s rights versus federal rights. We have lost one of the basic anchors of our political process…that a state has a right to mandate its laws to its citizens. By not doing this it creates a void that the federal government is more than happy to fill.
A case in point, I think that all states have the right to choose whether marriage is between a man and a woman or allow gay couples to wed and have those marriages recognized as law. If the states were allowed to decide then the federal government does not need to meddle in this discussion. States would set their boundaries and the citizens of those states would hash it out until it was decided. The same is true of the death penalty.
Those unhappy with the decision have two choices, continue to live in the state or move to a state that supports their position.
I can hear the cries of “but I have a job here and I would have to move” and I say that every decision in our life has a price to be paid, some big, some small. If marriage is that important to a gay couple then I would think that they would jump at the chance to move to a state that fully supports their views.
The same applies to the death penalty, environmental issues and any other societal issue of public import.
I, for one, am looking at moving to a state when I am retired that more closely aligns to my political views and why not? By doing so, I have an opportunity to surround myself with people I agree with on issues I agree on and paying my taxes will support the things I support. That sounds like a win-win to me and hopefully to the community that I join.
So “state shopping” should become the new buzz term for Americans and let’s start researching to find the right area to live because the alternative is a continuation of the insanity that is now called our nation.
While public debate continues to be a good thing it has moved from the “let’s solve our problems arena” to the “you are dead to me arena” because of the polarization on most public issues.
So happy shopping and I hope you find that piece of paradise, I sure hope I do.