It occurred to me today that the American vision breaks into 2 distinct camps, as manifested in our beachiest, sunniest states:
California Uber Alles, and
The Free State of Florida
California as the quintessential managerial nanny state, full to the brim with illegals, regulations, tax burdens, and a dying economy. Oh, and it burns down regularly with little to no leadership from its leaders.
Florida just today is considering a revocation of the property tax, has no income tax, regularly interdicts illegals on boats, encourages new businesses to open. Oh, and it's regularly decimated by hurricanes, with leadership that stages disaster relief in advance.
The story of water mismanagement—both politically and physically—highlights the sad contradiction: California raises taxes, yet can’t handle basic infrastructure. Doesn’t this just highlight the need for at least a basic bag packed, some idea of evacuation routes—so you’re not just waiting around for inept local government.
Tons of excellent advice here. Big picture: when disaster strikes, as best you can, get yourself prepared to be a helper (at the very least to yourself, and hopefully others), and not to be in need of it. Not necessarily easy to do, but at least keep that idea in the back of your mind at all times.
As I read this, I'm watching Tucker Carlson's interview with Michael Shellenberger. I commend it to everyone. One of them, I forget which, ventured, and the other agreed, that southern California is so dysfunctional that after the conflagration ends, it will in time become evident to people that a Californian version of Bukele will be required to save it.
I think this is true, and I think if it happened, it would stretch the boundaries of constitutional government close to the snapping point. Still, our system is tensile enough to accommodate it.
I’m struck from this incident, the New Orleans incident and others that leftists seem to have decided that no white male will ascend to a high position in the civil service.
I’m sure that causes recruitment and morale problems in these forces. What ambitious white male will want to join an organization where they are ineligible for the top job and likely to have to feign respect for some diversity hire? Better to join some suburban or rural department.
I also find it striking that the home insurance situation is so bad. Some have speculated that California will get a full or partial bailout and I suspect they’re right. With student loans, municipal pensions, self inflicted disasters, the expectation is that blue states will always be bailed out by Republicans but not vice versa. This disaster is probably good news for the Appalachian flood victims as the proximity is so close and obvious.
Mike Johnson did say federal aid to California will have strings attached, but that's such colossally bad politics. Red States do receive quite a bit of aid from Washington and even in a failing system, you need to be careful about saying the quiet part aloud.
It occurred to me today that the American vision breaks into 2 distinct camps, as manifested in our beachiest, sunniest states:
California Uber Alles, and
The Free State of Florida
California as the quintessential managerial nanny state, full to the brim with illegals, regulations, tax burdens, and a dying economy. Oh, and it burns down regularly with little to no leadership from its leaders.
Florida just today is considering a revocation of the property tax, has no income tax, regularly interdicts illegals on boats, encourages new businesses to open. Oh, and it's regularly decimated by hurricanes, with leadership that stages disaster relief in advance.
So which is it, America?
The story of water mismanagement—both politically and physically—highlights the sad contradiction: California raises taxes, yet can’t handle basic infrastructure. Doesn’t this just highlight the need for at least a basic bag packed, some idea of evacuation routes—so you’re not just waiting around for inept local government.
Tons of excellent advice here. Big picture: when disaster strikes, as best you can, get yourself prepared to be a helper (at the very least to yourself, and hopefully others), and not to be in need of it. Not necessarily easy to do, but at least keep that idea in the back of your mind at all times.
As I read this, I'm watching Tucker Carlson's interview with Michael Shellenberger. I commend it to everyone. One of them, I forget which, ventured, and the other agreed, that southern California is so dysfunctional that after the conflagration ends, it will in time become evident to people that a Californian version of Bukele will be required to save it.
I think this is true, and I think if it happened, it would stretch the boundaries of constitutional government close to the snapping point. Still, our system is tensile enough to accommodate it.
I’m struck from this incident, the New Orleans incident and others that leftists seem to have decided that no white male will ascend to a high position in the civil service.
I’m sure that causes recruitment and morale problems in these forces. What ambitious white male will want to join an organization where they are ineligible for the top job and likely to have to feign respect for some diversity hire? Better to join some suburban or rural department.
I also find it striking that the home insurance situation is so bad. Some have speculated that California will get a full or partial bailout and I suspect they’re right. With student loans, municipal pensions, self inflicted disasters, the expectation is that blue states will always be bailed out by Republicans but not vice versa. This disaster is probably good news for the Appalachian flood victims as the proximity is so close and obvious.
Mike Johnson did say federal aid to California will have strings attached, but that's such colossally bad politics. Red States do receive quite a bit of aid from Washington and even in a failing system, you need to be careful about saying the quiet part aloud.