urmygold1--- Off topic....I hear ya. California is like any other state, only more so being one of the top ten economies in the world. It's driven by special interests, IMO. Greenspan tags Democrats as propontents of the wefare state, spending more money on pet programs than the system brings in and who are not anxious to see the dollar pegged to gold or anything that would curtail spending.
Watching special interest first hand was an eye opener. In my college days some friends were working with some senators trying to get a recycling bill passed. We went to the capitol in Sacratomato to listen to hearings that were now at the finance committee. The six members had already
made their minds up (they had a constituency to protect and in turn their jobs as well) and turned a deaf ear to the speakers, be they physicists from Stanford or a senator from Vermont. They entertained themselves by leaning back in their chairs and telling jokes to each other. The large crowd in the balconies was getting restless. The men paid no attention until a hot looking Latin woman with absolutly nothing relevant to say stepped up to the podium. She was against the bill. The committee members came to attention abrutly, sat on the edge of their seats, leaned on their elbows and with bulging eyes admired the various virtues of the ravishing lady. The crowd erupted into a frenzy of boos, uncomplimentary language and the like and began throwing objects at the esteemed members of the finance committee. Needless to say the bill was finally passed fifteen years later creating whole new industries and relieving some environmental pressures. Patience is a virtue, eh?
Benj
