Simple math again folks: As one of those business owners in healthcare who has generously avoided layoffs during the downturn,I say enough is enough. For every extra dollar either I or my company pays under this new tax plan, I will layoff and/or cut the benefits of my employees by an equal dollar amount. Most likely this will send former employees (and taxpayers) to the unemployment office to collect their 99 weeks of unemployment insurance. Hopefully this example will point clearly to the error of taxing those who create the jobs in order to subsidize the Nurses and other public employee unions. In this simple example there is demonstrated no increased personal or corporate taxes, more unemployment, fewer services provided to patients and an eventual ten-fold increase in costs to the State. Like I said folks, its simple math. Lesson: Control your budget, spend within your means and do not expect those already paying the highest taxes to keep bailing you out. It won't happen here.

My WS JOURNAL Letter to editor (abridged)

March 14, 2012
Pushing Those Golden Geese Away

The California Facebook capital gains tax windfall is largely illusionary ("Facebook to the Non-Rescue," Review & Outlook, March 8). If the recipients get any tax advice at all, they will consider relocating outside the state to make the sale. Indeed, they only have to live outside California for over half a calendar year to establish residency somewhere else.

If a shareholder takes such a one-time $10 million capital gain in California, he will pay about $1 million extra in state income tax. If Gov. Jerry Brown's retroactive tax increase passes in November, he would pay about $1.2 million. If the union-backed tax increase passes, he would pay about $1.5 million in tax. If such a recipient moves to income tax-free Nevada for only six months, he'll save anywhere from $165,000 to $200,000 for each month residing there just on capital gains, not counting the California income tax he'd save

"Oh Nevada here I come, right back where I started from..." Hmmm, sorta has a nice ring to it.

Further momentum to an entitlement culture with class war fare vs. one of meritology. Clue=most people with excellent incomes have paid a high price to obtain it, both in sacrafice to family (long educational times) and high loan debt. Why strive for excellence when entitlement without contribution (unlike Medicare, social security) is our likely destination. Need to learn to speak Greek. Calif. will now be first in everything, including exodus of the upper middle class-- . Reform of government was never considered and we all know major inefficiencies in our infrastructure.
The data and demographic trends speak for themselves. Pure lunacy. I mourn a once great state. It is no longer.

And this from yesterday:
"Yesterday, a CalPERS board voted to lower its estimated rate of investment return from 7.75% to 7.5%. The change means the state will have to pay $303 million more to cover promised public employee pensions" Anyone paying for your lost IRA and 401K investments? Does it benefit the greater good if private employees pay more money to maintain public employee pensions that are overly generous?

It is important to keep in mind when reading this that the 2012-13 Budget is an increase of $7 BILLION over current year. No pay and pension reform for state, county, city public employees, teachers, firefighters?