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By Jon Coupal
Thanksgiving has always been a time of reflection, both on the good and bad.
As taxpayer advocates, those of us at Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association have a lot to criticize. California has the highest income tax rate, highest state sales tax rate and highest gas tax in America. And despite claims that Proposition 13 has decimated property tax revenue, California ranks 14th out of 50 states in per capita property tax collections.
On top of these burdensome taxes, California consistently ranks at the bottom among states as a place to do business.
Heavy-handed bureaucracies issuing mindless regulations distinguish our state from those that foster and encourage free enterprise and entrepreneurship.
Few can argue that California has not declined in many ways in the last 40 years.
Demographers have measured the loss of the middle class, increasingly making the state home only to the very wealthy and those just struggling to get by.
Crime, homelessness, illegal immigration and drug addiction are all out of control and our political leadership is either unwilling or unable to address these serious problems. It is especially disheartening to see more and more of our friends and family members leave the state even though many would prefer to stay if they could afford to.
Those of us who arrived in California a few decades ago continue to work to restore what we remember about this state. However, in the spirit of giving thanks, and despite all our complaints about the politics of this state, we must not lose our perspective. The Golden State is, unquestionably, very tarnished, but underneath it is still golden (or at least can be again).
From the most expansive view, the average Californian is still fortunate. First, as citizens of the United States, we are far more free than the vast majority of humanity. We are protected by a vibrant Bill of Rights guaranteeing us freedom to worship, speak and assemble. And our elections, while contentious, are mostly free of the sort of violence that is found in other countries experiencing regime changes.
To read the entire column, please click here.
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