This is unbelievable! California (my home state) is going to issue I.O.U.'s to seniors, disabled and welfare recipients starting tomorrow because our State Legislature cannot agree on a budget. This is outrageous beyond belief!Next time someone refers to California as the "Golden State" the laughter from all corners of the nation will be deafening. They say that California Bonds and Schools will not be affected.
What I want to know is whether the politicians will be getting paid in I.O.U.'s. There are many people in the land of the petition and ballot initiative that would be in favor of a law that says the politicians do not get paid for twice the time it takes to settle the budget beyond yesterdays (June 30) deadline.
Can you imagine a senior depending on the few bucks that arrives from the State getting an I.O.U.? Is the State going to require that grocery stores and pharmacies accept the I.O.U.'s? Can anyone be forced to accept them? Maybe they should issue them on edible paper because folks could starve before the Legislature resolves the budget.
One of the sad ironies here is that the issues being debated involve funding for those at the low end of the economic strata, and while some do not want to make draconian cuts -- albeit required in many cases -- the people that are at risk, will be at risk anyway because they are going to receive nothing of use tomorrow.
Another irony is that our currency is one form of a "promise to pay" from the Federal government which now the State government is supplanting with another "promise to pay". I wonder whether this is even legal? If the State forces the notes to be accepted, then they would be a form of currency; and technically speaking only the Federal government can issue currency.
The Supreme Court of Minnesota certified that Al Franken was the winner of the 2008 race for Senator. Franken, a comedian, and formerly a cast member of Saturday Night Live will now be making laws in Washington. This should not be deemed unusual any more because we in California have an actor as governor, while we have a bunch of clowns running the State legislature.
What a disgusting mess!
If you're in California forward this to your friends...and your State representatives!
Sheldon Liber is the CEO of a small private investment company and the principal for design and research at an architecture & planning firm. He writes the columns Chasing Value and Serious Money.











Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
7-01-2009 @ 5:21PM
Iridium said...
Well social security and most of medicare are paid for by the Federal Government so the California budget won't affect seniors as much as people are making it out to be.
The biggest losers will be the people who least deserve the money, those on welfare. Maybe this will be a wake up call that our country can not exist while welfare programs are running.
Myabe if California cut out the billions of dollars per year that gets paid out to illegal aliens and deadbeats there wouldn't be a budget deficit. I cheer the fact that people on welfare won't be getting thier check this month. I doubt the taxpayers will get an IOU for the money that wasn't spent that should go back into thier pockets.
If you want to live in America you should have to work for your money. Right now many people are better off on the program. I'd probably be able to pull in enough money to pay my mortgage, get free health care, and get over $700 a month to use at the grocery store. Wait, why am I working again?
7-01-2009 @ 5:33PM
Lawrence Phoenix said...
Try an keep up with current events Iridium...Welfare hasn't been an issue since the Clinton administration...and with the economy in the tank when you really do lose your job we'll see how well off you feel on the dole...
7-01-2009 @ 5:50PM
Don said...
When are these people going to wake up and see that our open borders are destroying our country... We are losing our treasury and soon our sovereignty...
The problem is that the politicians have no problem spending other peoples money...
WHY IS NO ONE REPORTING ON THE
IMPACT OF ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION...
A nation with their head in the sand...
7-01-2009 @ 6:10PM
hellenfran said...
An actor as Gov. You mean Reagen - He was also an actor as president
7-01-2009 @ 6:34PM
Scott said...
Maybe people should begin to realize the inherent conflict of interest with the Democrats. They gain the majority of their support from the poor and when people begin to get ahead they often become Republicans in order to actually keep what they have worked so hard for. What this means is that it's to the Democrats' benefit to KEEP the people poor and dependent upon the government. Just like a drug dealer if they can get their buyers to a place where they are dependent on their services they are assured of money and return customers. How many times must we repeat history and give the Democrats power when every time they have had it they have throttled the economy and unemployment has skyrocketed? California is seeing yet another repeat of that history.
7-01-2009 @ 6:48PM
sgentilejr said...
I do not see this as a problem. No problem at all.. When my real estate taxes and my income taxes are due I will also just write an IOU to the county and to the State of California. Sounds fair to me.
7-01-2009 @ 6:50PM
Wendell said...
California has been on the Obama plan for decades before Obama even took office. California is a preview of America generally by about 2012. California car standards, California construction standards, California illegal immigration status, California health care entitlements. California is a financial black hole, and it is spreading to the rest of the nation.
7-01-2009 @ 6:55PM
sgentilejr said...
Face reality. Our nation went bankrupt back in Sept. 2008 when Bush and Congress had to hold an emergency financial summit in DC. Since then our government has been printing Funny Money and borrowing from themselves by selling US Treasury notes to the US Federal Reserve Banking System, who in turn just prints more Funny Money to pay for the Treasury Notes they purchase. AIG, Chrysler and GM are not alone in total chaos___ the entire nation is in chaos and there is NO WAY OUT of the mess we created for ourselves.
As a nation we went Bankrupt back in Sept 2008 and we are just not ready to admit it yet to ourselves. The Emperor has no Clothes and no one is ready to say it yet.
7-01-2009 @ 6:58PM
clikdawg said...
Old Rule of Thumb: When you're gonna screw a group of somebodies in favor of another group of somebodies, make goddam sure you screw the group least likely (and least able!) to come knockin' down your door in the middle of the night to take it outta your ass.
Seniors easily qualify -- and, hey! How many more elections they got in 'em, anyhow?
No brainer, really: We can't afford Italian marble foyers for The Right People AND a little dignity for our elderly -- so let's starve the ancient old %$#@&%#, already!
Ah. well -- "Logan's Run", anyone?
7-01-2009 @ 7:44PM
chris dugger said...
For all you dumbasses who think that Bush is the cause of every thing, remember that illegal immigration became the vacume that's sucking this country dry when Clinton was in office. welfare as we know it today was created by Democrats.Giving home loans to low income and welfare recipients was the work of the fat %$# Barney Frank and his buddy Chris Dodd. Now we see the failed policies of the most liberal state in the nation. No wonder that all the republicans in Cali are heading out of state.
7-01-2009 @ 8:43PM
clikdawg said...
Mr. Liber --
While I understand your desire to expunge that very unpleasant word near the end of my third paragraph, you must surely understand that the kind of people we're talking about -- the kind of people who blithely send IOU's to the elderly and handicapped -- would definitely NOT use the word "folks" in place of the very unpleasant sound-alike I used.
That's the kind of people they are, and I was attempting to portray that reality -- and the US Supreme Court, unless I have mis-remembered, has ruled that a writer must not be made to cause his characters to speak falsely: if the character would reasonably and truly have behaved or spoken the way the writer has portrayed him, hands off the copy.
Your column, of course, sir -- but censoring effective speech (particularly when it supports your own point of view) seem somehow counterproductive: You really want people outraged, you must show the outrage in all its ugliness.
Which is all I was trying to do.
I have no objection to your deleting this entire second post; it is strictly between the two of us, and if you listed an e-mail address I would not have posted it publicly.
Somethin' to think about, anyways, amigo ...
7-01-2009 @ 9:05PM
Sheldon L said...
clikdawg,
I truly appreciate your position. I hide nothing; including your follow-up to me. I always appreciate your often thoughtful and cutting perspective.
Anyone on Bloggingstocks has access to, and the opportunity to delete any comments, to any blog. We are a team. That said I changed that word, because anyone could delete your comment and I did not want someone more sensitive than I to exclude your message which still gets through. Sometimes it is just a coin toss.
What we write is edited but not censored. If you use your imagination you can envision the kind of racist or sick comments we get periodically, as well as people trying to promote products or websites.
I always try to allow the broadest tolerance on my posts and while I think "folks" should be able to express their opinions, rage and more...You will find I do try and keep some minimum amount of civility on my posts, which are broadly read, including in classrooms and by my kids.
7-01-2009 @ 9:17PM
william lindblad said...
Hmm! You do like to turn up the heat. Yea, I think you sound pretty ticked.
You live there - so.
You must know that it is the Liberal State and not the Golden State. The State administrations of California have overspent and overspent for many years and it is now catching up to them. Most of the State is arid and water supply issues have cost, along with power. They like taking care of everyone, it's the closest in the U.S. to socialism. The tax structure - cheap on R.E. and high on all else is screwy at best. Reagan did a lot as governor to cut cost and that is why he was popular, not because he was an actor. Arnold is a conservative businessman and I doubt that he is happy with what he basically inherited and there is not a lot he can do without the legislative backing. It would be like Obama having a House and Senate majority of Republicans. As it stands the entire U.S. is having problems, mostly from being on the spend freely side. Cal. is hardly alone, just the biggest and worst.
Do you know that there is ONE country that is not in any economic trouble? Yup, there really is one - Norway.
They were poor until oil was discovered and that may be why they were fiscally conservative and did not participate in any of the mortgage backed securities gold rush. Besides, they took the oil revenue and pumped it back into their economy which is a pretty rare move. They are in good shape and not even part of the EU.
You did say something about saving being a decent idea?
7-01-2009 @ 9:19PM
clikdawg said...
Understood -- and thank you for your gracious and thoughtful reply.
7-01-2009 @ 10:56PM
PETER said...
Know one really cares about seniors because thier to busy paying 30 billion dollars a year for schooling and housing ,feeding the illegals, BOTTOM LINE FOLKS THE ILLEGALS HAVE IT BETTER THAN AMERICANS.
7-01-2009 @ 11:29PM
Kent said...
Those who are and will be receiving IOU checks are not sure nor am I on how they will be honored by FI's. I suspect for the inconvenience of handling them, the FI's might impose a discount rate. If CA does not allow that and requires them to honor the entire face value of the IOU, then how does that affect the balance sheets and minimum capital requirements the FEDS now are imposing on the banks? It's getting messier by the day as state and the FED are working at cross-purposes. I understand Barney Franks is working on a bail-out package for CA but doubt that it will pass.
7-02-2009 @ 2:03AM
Wendell said...
I.O.U's stands for In Obama's U.S.
7-02-2009 @ 7:17AM
robrt lipton said...
the same political mindset "you can have everything, if you vote for me" which has ruined california is now national policy
7-02-2009 @ 7:52AM
P McBride said...
And I suppose the illegal aliens they support are still gettting their checks while seniors starve? Just wondered as this seems to be the current trend.............taking care of the folks who aren't even supposed to be here seems all important just now.
7-02-2009 @ 1:15PM
Jesse Torres said...
As the oldest California bank owned by, operated by and serving the Latino communities of Los Angeles and Santa Ana, Pan American Bank decided yesterday to fully honor its customer's presentation of warrants (IOUs). Pan American Bank for over 40 years has supported the working class Latino. We have a duty to meet the needs of our communities which have given us the opportunity to thrive for four decades.
Jesse Torres
President and CEO
Pan American Bank
3625 East First Street
Los Angeles, CA 90063
(323) 264-3310
http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/los-angeles-bank-to-honor-california-ious,880116.shtml