Ok, this will set off a storm probably, but doesn’t this show that funding things in government (and not going the austerity route) is a good thing? You cut funding, there is more criminal activity, we all end up paying more (claims, insurance costs going up etc)?
I think one needs to dig a little deeper into the causes of the increase in auto theft. Periods of economic depression also increase the number of give ups and vehicle submersions reported as thefts. Higher unemployment numbers, shift in cultural values (or lack of), mismanagement of police budgets – bloated administrative/supervisory salaries untouched, cuts made on lower paid patrol officers. Not all rises in crime can be attributed budget cuts in government spending. A robust economy will solve many of these problems.
Bob, how is the state going to have a robust economy given what we know about how California operates. By the way, they have lost a lot of good taxpayers due to their taxation and regulation so their tax base has shrunk and will continue to decline in this atmosphere.
DS, you are not looking at the underlying reason why there are the cuts and no police. California leads the nation in bankrupt cities or near bankrupt cities. The state is technically bankrupt with a $20 Billion deficit and no way to pay. The reason for all this is the union contracts negotiated in yesteryear which guarantees all those benefits for current and retired city/county employees. I saw an article recently that a retired woman in one of the cities was drawing a $400,000 annual pension. How do you think the citizens can support that even with one of the highest tax rates in the country? Their state income tax tops 13% over and above the Federal Income Tax and literally thousands have moved to other more friendly tax states to escape. If I lived there, I would really be concerned for my safety. They don’t call them the land of fruits and nuts for nothing.
I am probably not like most of my left leaning friends in thinking that some sort of pension reform for public employees needs to occur. We struggle with the same issue here in Oregon. There has to be some sort of changes to it – it doesn’t seem right that we have retired public employees/teachers/etc earning much more in retirement than when they were actually working…but I don’t know what the specific solution is.
My main point was simply that we all lose when vital community services are cut.
Yes gent I agree. The public employees in the state of California have been draining all revenue from the people. This is what the Democratic party has given us. The Democratic party has run the state into the ground. California is a bankrupt state, but Sacramento does not want to admit. The county Administrator for Alameda will be drawing a $400k retirement for the rest of her life, and the real question is how is Alameda county going to pay fo it? Cities and Counties have cut the police force to try and stay within their budgets, but the union contracts are the biggest drain on government budgets. I say get rid of unions.
I think you hit the nail on the head Fanucci. There is a reason why people from other states call them La La Land. They are in total denial of reality. Public sector unions are very bad for the country because they are so greedy and think the citizens will support them no matter how onerous the contract is.
A dirty little secret in all of this is that a hefty number of the thefts involves the use of transnatinal gangs like the Mexican Mafia or MS-13 to deal in drugs, or guns, human trafficking or even the mundane crimes like car theft.
Securing our borders will help a lot, not just with illegal aliens, but also the other crimes mentioned above.
“Car Thefts Up for First Time Since 2013”
Editor! I think that should be “2003”.
Perhaps you should read it again. I saw 2012 and 2011 mentioned but not 2013.
That quote was a copy & paste, agent. IJ corrected the article. No need to read it again, thanks.
Ok, this will set off a storm probably, but doesn’t this show that funding things in government (and not going the austerity route) is a good thing? You cut funding, there is more criminal activity, we all end up paying more (claims, insurance costs going up etc)?
I think one needs to dig a little deeper into the causes of the increase in auto theft. Periods of economic depression also increase the number of give ups and vehicle submersions reported as thefts. Higher unemployment numbers, shift in cultural values (or lack of), mismanagement of police budgets – bloated administrative/supervisory salaries untouched, cuts made on lower paid patrol officers. Not all rises in crime can be attributed budget cuts in government spending. A robust economy will solve many of these problems.
Bob, how is the state going to have a robust economy given what we know about how California operates. By the way, they have lost a lot of good taxpayers due to their taxation and regulation so their tax base has shrunk and will continue to decline in this atmosphere.
DS, you are not looking at the underlying reason why there are the cuts and no police. California leads the nation in bankrupt cities or near bankrupt cities. The state is technically bankrupt with a $20 Billion deficit and no way to pay. The reason for all this is the union contracts negotiated in yesteryear which guarantees all those benefits for current and retired city/county employees. I saw an article recently that a retired woman in one of the cities was drawing a $400,000 annual pension. How do you think the citizens can support that even with one of the highest tax rates in the country? Their state income tax tops 13% over and above the Federal Income Tax and literally thousands have moved to other more friendly tax states to escape. If I lived there, I would really be concerned for my safety. They don’t call them the land of fruits and nuts for nothing.
I am probably not like most of my left leaning friends in thinking that some sort of pension reform for public employees needs to occur. We struggle with the same issue here in Oregon. There has to be some sort of changes to it – it doesn’t seem right that we have retired public employees/teachers/etc earning much more in retirement than when they were actually working…but I don’t know what the specific solution is.
My main point was simply that we all lose when vital community services are cut.
Yes gent I agree. The public employees in the state of California have been draining all revenue from the people. This is what the Democratic party has given us. The Democratic party has run the state into the ground. California is a bankrupt state, but Sacramento does not want to admit. The county Administrator for Alameda will be drawing a $400k retirement for the rest of her life, and the real question is how is Alameda county going to pay fo it? Cities and Counties have cut the police force to try and stay within their budgets, but the union contracts are the biggest drain on government budgets. I say get rid of unions.
I think you hit the nail on the head Fanucci. There is a reason why people from other states call them La La Land. They are in total denial of reality. Public sector unions are very bad for the country because they are so greedy and think the citizens will support them no matter how onerous the contract is.
I think you guys are just jealous!
A dirty little secret in all of this is that a hefty number of the thefts involves the use of transnatinal gangs like the Mexican Mafia or MS-13 to deal in drugs, or guns, human trafficking or even the mundane crimes like car theft.
Securing our borders will help a lot, not just with illegal aliens, but also the other crimes mentioned above.
Darrell Issa must be at it again!