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A drive across Barbara Boxer’s Los Angeles

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No, California’s problems are not that we’re undertaxed.  We cannot blame budget shortfalls on Prop 13.  In Los Angeles County, we’re paying 9.75% sales tax.

Maybe that’s one reason storefronts sit vacant across this city.  Even on Melrose where hip entrepreneurs are eager to open up trendy shops.

Just got back from taking my car into the shop and walked passed the building which once housed a party store that had been there for as long as I took my car to that particular dealership.  It now sits vacant.  In her 18 years representing the Golden State in the United States Senate, how often has Mrs. Boxer come down to Los Angeles to talk to local merchants about the challenges of running a small business in Southern California?

Is she aware of the burden of federal, state and local regulation (not to mention the myriad fees and taxes) on these enterprises, how their proprietors struggle to stay afloat and provide a service for their communities?   Does she know what it takes to keep a business running in tough economic times?

Instead of having to wait another 18 years for her answer, help out someone understands the challenges facing California businesses.

Comments

  1. How can California politicians NOT UNDERSTAND that small (and large) businesses have been leaving the People’s Republic Paradise for Washington State, Nevada or Arizona for decades? Burdensome taxes, invasive and petty regulations, and a deteriorating standard of living are toxic to business growth and capital formation. We have the same here in New Jersey, it’s just mitigated by things are even worse in adjoining Metro New York City, and in Philadelphia and it’s suburbs.

  3. Sales tax here in the city of Corruption, I mean Chicago, is 10.25%.

    Many analysis believe we in IL are in a situation almost as bad as CA, but it’s not on the radar yet.

  4. I drove some out-of-state visitors up to Rodeo Drive a few months back, and was shocked at how down-at-the-heels parts of Beverly Hills have started to look, especially around La Cienga. Is this recent, or have I just been in Orange County too long to have seen a slow decline?

  5. Here’s an even better idea: Don’t send any money to Carly Fiorina.

    If wants she a $167,00.00 a yr. job, because she was fired from her last job, let her spend her own money to get it.

    Also: L.A. City/County sales taxes: Any taxes over the state rate have been approved by city or county voters, to pay for specific things they want: Schools, public transportation, etc. Socialism at work!

    Even on Melrose where hip entrepreneurs are eager to open up trendy shops.

    Just got back from taking my car into the shop and walked passed the building which once housed a party store which had been there for as long as I took my car to that particular dealership.

    Are you referring to the Vine American Party Store, perchance?

  7. Dan,

    That Woman, aka Ma’am or Madam, either way would never be caught DEAD in any of those stores with the real people. It’s a shame that even in this great year of REAL change she stands an actual 50-50 shot of being re-elected. Wake up people, what has she done that has been of any good? And I agree with M BOUFFANT in asking is it the Vine Party Store, because if that is it, then I am REALLY shocked that place has been since I was a kid and if it is gone then it is a really horrid time for Californians.

    Miss Tammy: Yes it has been getting like that for a long time now. I have to say L.A. has been more severely impacted by the Recession/Depression 2 than NYC. I was shocked that almost all of the stores in NY are still open.

  8. Ted B., in addition I have to say that other states that will benefit from CA’s stupidity if they re-elect BOXER or if Prop 23 does not pass will be TX and CO. Colorado sent out people to LA to try to woo them to come and work in CO.

  9. Dan, the exact same could be said of Michigan’s own Senators Carl Levin or Debbie Stabenow. Neither has a wit’s knowledge of life as a small business operator or job provider. And if they’re like other Democrats, neither has had to fully pay their taxes for years.

    Luckily, in Michigan, the GOP establishment will retire Sen Debbie Stabenow in 2012. And I’ll bet anyone Sen Carl Levin will retire rather than face his stiff opposition in the next race.

    Michigan isn’t all about rust pots, landfills and Canadian waste. In fact, the latter isn’t a factor anymore –we’re filling up our landfills with good American grade, wolverine waste.

    The story that doesn’t fit the narrative du jour is that Michigan is electing a GOP moderate to the Governorship… and will likely put forward a native son to the replace the failed RNC Chair in Jan 2011.

    Say Yes to Michigan.

  11. V the K: I don’t know if this helps, but let me tell you about a guy I met one time. He had tunnel vision. He suffered from rectal-cranial inversion and his navel came untied and he saw the world from through a gap in his shirt just above his belt buckle. To my knowledge, no drugs were involved. Of course, because of his body position, all he could see was the tassels on his loafers.

  15. VdaK, what makes you think that Senator Stupid Cow will make it past 2012? Big John Engler is going to trounce her by double digits -if she has the guts to run. And Michigan’s Gov race is clearly not in the soc con narrative of TP Resurrgent, so it’s ignored.

    The Canadian trash non-story is exactly that… at the peak of shipments in 2007, Toronto trash was less than 1.4m metric tons/yr. The mob has unlimited capacity to create new landfills –with or without Hoffa remains. Landfills were charging Toronto nearly 2.5x the local tipping fee. It’s over now. Michigan private enterprise made $117m off the Canadian trash –the State drew in $5.6m in fees.

    It’s a win, win.

    And in 5 yrs, some local community is going to have a great soccer complex built on the trash… or a park… or maybe even recreation area.

    Check out this one:

    http://meadowscelebration.blogspot.com/

    You gotta start reading beyond the headlines. I know it’s sometimes funny to just resort to cheap seat shots… but, like Paul Harvey use to admonish, there’s the “rest of the story” after the headlines.

    No meds. Honest.

  16. what makes you think that Senator Stupid Cow will make it past 2012?

    How many election cycles has unreconstructed Marxist America-hater Carl Lenin survived? How many times has the increasingly senile John Dingleberry been re-elected?

  17. Well, Carl is jewish and we really can’t kick him out of anywhere because we’ll be labeled Nazis or bigoted thugs… he’s got a lifetime pass for that Senate seat.

    John Dingell is on his way out. His opponent, Rob Steele, has tied up the race in a District the Dingell family has held since 1932.

    http://detnews.com/article/20101008/POLITICS02/10080392/Dingell–Steele-too-narrow-to-call–poll-shows

    Dingell falls, Sen Stupid Cow can’t be long for this world. And Engler just bought his Michigan-domicile to qualify to run.