As I’ve noted before, the progressives have latched on the fact that California is the 7th (or 8th) largest economy in the world. It’s a “so there” rebuttal, intended to prove that all the bad economic policies in our Golden State have had little or no negative effect. But of course, this grand assertion is accompanied by zero analysis.
I’ve ripped this this misleading fact apart before — adjusting our state’s GDP for population and COL in other states. But now we have new, updated GDP state figures (mid-2014) to consider:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_U.S._states_by_GDP
Let’s just look at California vs. Texas for now:
Latest GDP: California — $2,287 trillion
Texas — $1.503 trillion.
But, of course, this ignores the difference in population. California has about 44% more people than Texas.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_U.S._states_and_territories_by_population
So — adjusting for that factor, the PER CAPITA GDP is roughly equal. Okay, okay, I’m “rounding” off — not fair. The actual per capita GDP:
- California $58,939 per capita GDP
- Texas $59,465!
But wait, there’s more! Consider the COL by state. If you factor that in, California’s per capita GDP, adjusting for COL, is worse than all but 13 states — based on a previous analysis I did.
http://riderrants.blogspot.com/2014/09/the-true-ranking-of-californias-gdp-vs.html
BTW, that COL factor is why the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics now ranks California as the worst poverty state in the nation:
California’s real poverty rate (the new census bureau standard adjusted for COL) is easily the worst in the nation at 23.4%. We are 57.3% higher than the average for the other 49 states (up from 48.8% higher last year). Indeed, the CA poverty rate is 17.0% higher than 2nd place Nevada.
http://www.census.gov/content/dam/Census/library/publications/2014/demo/p60-251.pdf page 9
Comments 15
Have you considered moving there, Richard?
Bill, please do better than that for a name; a last name would help differentiate you from others. Thanks.
Richard,
But in another rant, I mean post, you wrote:
“(California) is seeing record revenues, has a budget surplus, is able to pay down our wall of debt, fund our rainy day savings account and was able to give $14 billion more to schools this year.”
Bill, funny how often that “move” suggestion comes up. Not much of a retort, but common. I’ve answered this before.
Yes, I always thank about my options. Being retired and of reasonably modest means, obligation and wants, I don’t sweat the taxes too much, or the lack of economic opportunities. When I came to CA in 1969, it was a the land of opportunity. No mas.
I WOULD perhaps move, but it would make too damn many people happy — people I don’t WANT to make happy. So I stay and fight — for now, anyway. Besides, it’s FUN tweaking liberals’ noses!
Oh MY! HQ, that’s not something I WROTE, it’s something I QUOTED. It’s the taxpayer group writing such nonsense — cleverly regurgitating the Jerry Brown propaganda back at liberals — to negate the progressives’ drive for ever-higher taxes. Did you truly believe I WROTE that??
I say again: Their point was that, IF one believes that this quote is all true (it ain’t), then WHY oh WHY would one propose a ton of new, higher taxes? I guess it was too subtle a point. A bit TOO clever.
My apologies.
Fox Butterfield, is that you?
Thanks Richard for more reasons to either stay and fight, or pick up and move. I’ll fight, till I move. 😉
Richard, your supervisor campaign still holds the record for greatest yard signs…ever!
D. Morton — Agreed. My “Dick Rider” signs made me something of a cult figure in the UC system, with my signs magically popping up on campuses across the state.
Sadly, that entertainment value didn’t win me the election, and cost me a lot of money. When I ran for governor two years later, my name had changed. Yeah, THAT went well!
BTW, in that Supervisor campaign I finished with about 19% of the vote in a six-way race — finishing third (missing the runoff). I was heavily outspent by my two top opponents — I was (and still am) a political amateur.
Once a Dick, always a Dick.
Thorette, certainly I’m a Dick to my opponents. My friends call me “sir.”
Yes sir.
If you haven’t seen the Team America soliloquy on why the world needs Dicks, please do! Best monologue ever!
Why does Red Ryder ring like a bell in my head? Who knows and who cares. I have always felt an embarasment for my buddies that carried that name.
Now Richard may be one but I would never call him that as I have never met the man. He may be a wimp but he knows his tax law.
I have just read some Prop 13 articles from the LA Times. I would like to see Ryder post some info on the possibility of a ballot issue pushed by the Unions.
Erl, WTH are you even talking about?