I'm surprised to see this in the WAPO. California is an example of how progressives ruin states.

At a time when President Donald Trump and Republicans are faring poorly in most polls, the story has been different in California. Republican Steve Hilton finished ahead of many high-spending Democrats in the governor’s race to advance to the November election facing Democrat Xavier Becerra. In Los Angeles, an overwhelmingly Democratic city, Spencer Pratt, a Republican who ran as an independent and is a former reality television personality, looked as if he might make the mayoral general election before finishing third.

Consider the fiscal record. Since 2000, California’s population has grown by roughly 15 percent. But the state’s general expenditures have grown more than 200 percent, from $78 billion to about $248 billion. General spending per person has risen from about $2,300 to about $6,300. The number of state employees has grown by more than 50 percent by one count. Does anyone think that California’s government and its benefits have gotten 200 percent better in the last 25 years?

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2026/06/13/how-california-became-case-study-failed-governance/?utm_campaign=wp_opinions&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook&fbclid=IwY2xjawSfgqNleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETFjZmFoV01wTzZWMTR2b0Myc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHiFVsxaZiQawFY7Aoab0GQUehWP7lbYyZHek-rlehfsxYC9cABLGvtKoAtKO_aem_H-iRoknxMqAnrZKue7xFlg

I went back recently (April) to visit my entrenched young adult children. I had to remind my young Thai wife in her open criticism of the Homeless , who are prevalent everywhere ,some either begging or begging while doing a drug nod in the meridian, not to point her finger.

That being said systemic progressive initiatives cut deep into their budget!

A article from 2024: Since 2019, California has spent about $24 billion on homelessness, but in this five-year period, homelessness increased by about 30,000, to more than 181,000

https://www.hoover.org/research/despite-california-spending-24-billion-it-2019-homelessness-increased-what-happened

Edited 1 hour ago1 hr by riclag