California State Senate Chambers. (Photo: Katy Grimes for California Globe)
The Fundamentals are Corrupted: Is the California Experiment Over?
Is there a path through purgatory into Paradise?
By Katy Grimes, June 20, 2024 9:00 am
If you feel as if California has descended into Dante’s Nine Circles of Hell, you’d be right. The fundamentals are corrupted.
California’s Democrat politicians – everyone from the governor down to the most ardent leftists on local city councils – have abdicated their governing responsibilities to state and local agencies, leaving politicians free to pass dangerous social and environmental justice legislation, which only serves to destroy what is left of the California experiment, once known lovingly as the California Dream.
Dante’s Nine Circles of Hell describe California’s descent into hell: Limbo, Lust, Gluttony, Greed, Wrath, Heresy, Violence, Fraud, Treachery. Is there a path through purgatory into Paradise?
We the people have largely allowed this by voting for the politicians who promised bread and circuses instead of functioning public schools, public health and safety, maintained roads and highways, abundant energy and water, property rights, lower taxes, and public safety through ample police departments.
And the further away the people find themselves from participating in government, the worse the rot has become. Notably, most of the state’s Democrat politicians – many who are Marxists and Socialists – have been driven to distraction by social and emotional causes, rather than governing and policymaking.
Politicians mouthed the words the people wanted to hear, but did the opposite once in elected office because they were now unencumbered by actual public policy that helps the public function, and could focus on pet social policy projects – LGBTQ entitlements, reparations, trans kids, drag nuns and drag queen shows in public schools, dumbing down public education, labor union dominance, climate and environmental programs, environmental justice, using disadvantaged communities.
Unelected, appointed and permanent bureaucrats were suddenly running the show behind the scenes in the Department of Education, destroying California’s once top-in-the-nation public education system. Public education has become indoctrination, and graduates are largely ignorant and gratuitously opinionated, unqualified for any job requiring critical thinking and basic math and English skills.
Unelected, appointed and permanent bureaucrats were suddenly running the show behind the scenes in the California Coastal Commission, eroding property rights.
Unelected, appointed and permanent bureaucrats were suddenly running the show behind the scenes in California Environmental Protection Agency (CalEPA) stealing old water rights from property owners with wells on their property.
Unelected, appointed and permanent bureaucrats were suddenly running the show behind the scenes in the California Air Resources Board, destroying entire industries in the name of clean air – manufacturing, trucking, passenger autos, appliances, among many others.
Unelected, appointed and permanent bureaucrats were suddenly running the show behind the scenes in the State Water Resources Control Board, killing off California farmers by denying water, sending 50% of California’s water to the ocean in unimpaired flows for “environmental” purposes, resulting in entire Central Valley towns without water, and threats of rationing to urban water users.
Unelected, appointed and permanent bureaucrats were suddenly running the show behind the scenes in the California Dept. of Fish and Game, which can’t seem to figure out how to save the salmon in their habitat, instead shutting down the sport fishing industry.
Unelected, appointed and permanent bureaucrats were suddenly running the show behind the scenes in the California Department of Public Health, which helped shut down the entire state during Covid, mandating healthy people “shelter in place,” wear masks, and take the shot if they wanted to get back to running their businesses, jobs and schools.
Unelected, appointed and permanent bureaucrats were suddenly running the show behind the scenes in the California Public Utilities Commission which voted to let the state’s big investor-owned utilities add a fixed charge of $24.13 per month to people’s power bills each month to pay for installing and maintaining the equipment necessary to transmit electricity to homes – equipment ratepayers assumed utility companies already have and maintain.
There are many more state agencies and local agencies filled with unelected, appointed and permanent bureaucrats running government into the ground – second only to elected politicians who are turning the American system of government into an “elective despotism.”
A final example is the California Democrats so disturbed right now that the proposed ballot initiative to End Proposition 47 will qualify for the November 2024 ballot, they and Gov. Newsom are trying to deprive Californians of this opportunity to make crime illegal again. Newsom is trying to hijack the initiative with a “poison pill” that would repeal other public safety laws as punishment for passing it.
California Governor Gavin Newsom is one of the corrupt elitists, part of the ruthless, sadistic ruling class, beholden to the UN, EU, WEF, WHO and China. He doesn’t govern California for the people; he is helping to destroy it.
But everything here is policy – bad policy, but policy can be overturned and new, healthier policies can be put in place. It will take new politicians and a re-engaged electorate.
It is notable that Latin mottos are centrally displayed in the both chambers of the California Legislature:
In the Assembly says, LEGISLATORUM JUSTAS LEGES CONDERE , which translates to “It is the duty of legislators to make just laws;”
and
In the Senate it says, EST CIVITATIS LIBERTATEM TUERI, meaning “It is the duty of a Senator to guard the liberty of the Commonwealth.”
In 1785, Thomas Jefferson warned that it would only be a matter of time before the American system of government degenerated into an “elective despotism;” he was afraid that democracy might turn into a form of despotism. This has proven to be correct.
The Online Liberty Library has Jefferson’s writings:
Presidents, Kings, Tyrants, & Despots
Mankind soon learn to make interested uses of every right and power which they possess, or may assume. The public money and public liberty, intended to have been deposited with three branches of magistracy, but found inadvertently to be in the hands of one only, will soon be discovered to be sources of wealth and dominion to those who hold them… They [the assembly] should look forward to a time, and that not a distant one, when a corruption in this, as in the country from which we derive our origin, will have seized the heads of government, and be spread by them through the body of the people; when they will purchase the voices of the people, and make them pay the price. Human nature is the same on every side of the Atlantic, and will be alike influenced by the same causes.
The time to guard against corruption and tyranny, is before they shall have gotten hold of us. It is better to keep the wolf out of the fold, than to trust to drawing his teeth and talons after he shall have entered.
~ Thomas Jefferson
UPDATE: The California Supreme Court announced Thursday morning it has removed the Taxpayer Protection Act from the ballot at Gov. Gavin Newsom’s request. This Proposition would have subjected any tax increase to a vote of the people.
“Two of Newsom’s top priorities – increasing taxes and silencing voters – just got a major boost,” said Rep. Kevin Kiley (R-CA).
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Where’s Virgil when we need him?
Katy, this is one of the most complete articles that I have read of yours. You correctly state the condition that we find ourselves in as citizens of the State of California. You have correctly described the corruption and inadequacies of our current Govenor Gavin Newsom. You have correctly described that our current state government has turned to despotism. From the bottom we can look up and see where we need to go to revive the “California Dream”. I believe with all sincerity that people of good conscience and courage will see a change for good in this State once again. By my natural eyes it looks like an overwhelming task to turn this State around but with God’s grace and mercy it will happen.
Very nicely said Hal.
Hal,
Your replies leave me a bit optimistic, thank you and God Bless You.
So very nicely said.
Flawless, Hal! We lost a lot of friends to the “great exodus” but my wife and I love what CA used to stand for and have remained to do our part to guide it back that, along side you.
Agreed. My wife and I have seen many friends leave but we are here to “thrive in Babylon” or try.
Katy,
You so eloquently wrote what I try to express in short, terse sentiments.
Thank You for the truth telling on a daily basis. I know you have awakened many readers!
Thank You for standing so close to the fire of Dante’s Inferno.
So here it goes…
This state in it’s current state, SUCKS!
The California Supreme Court ruled today the voters will have say regarding tax increases.
Let’s gather some more signatures for the Recall of Newsom to send him a message re what we think of him for interfering in the rights of the people to utilize direct democracy. I don’t think even the corrupt CA Supreme Court can refuse to hold that special election!
I think you meant, the voters will NOT have a say. The ballot initiative was removed by this ruling.
Thank you and my mistake.
Can believe the arrogance of these corrupt illegitimates?
Absolutely no authority vested in the voters to control the extraction of money from them, none.
@EyeintheSky
I thought it may have been a mistype.
Sadly, I can believe it. It reveals to me the justices do not have a clear understanding of our California Republic.
In California I guess we are already considered serfs. We are to work, pay taxes and be quiet!
This ruling solidifies what they think of the California taxpayer!
Feeling whipped yet?
Ummm, you forgot to include the word NO, as in “The California Supreme Court ruled today the voters will have NO say regarding tax increases.”
Say what‽ 😳
Say what‽ 😳
no say and voila the budget deficit resolved
What an excellent and all-encompassing piece on the current disastrous state of our once-Golden State.
Thank you for it, Katy.
A pretty big plumbing emergency prevents me from saying more. Most readers will be relieved I know.
Can I also blame this plumbing problem on all of these villainous good-for-nothings? Hey, I’ll find a way! Because I’m sure they are at the bottom of that, too. Somehow.
Ha,I hear you ShowandTell!
Maybe constricted water flow that is forced upon us by our eco fascist overlords!
We can always find a connection😉
Yes, well, it IS their fault of course. Mandatory low-flow water closets and low water pressure and who knows what else that I am too tired to think of right now. Facilities and water that we pay dearly for, to add insult to injury. as you know. But enough of my own trivia 🙂
Katy wrote : “We the people have largely allowed this by voting for the politicians who promised bread and circuses instead of functioning public schools, public health and safety, maintained roads and highways, abundant energy and water, property rights, lower taxes, and public safety through ample police departments.”
I respectfully disagree and propose – HAVE “We the people largely allowed this by voting…” or have the Democrats and their various electronic voting platforms and all of their security exploits VOTED ON OUR BEHALF to implement these corrupt grifters, who abdicate the responsibility for the rulings mandated by their various appointed and UNELECTED entities that do their dirty work for them, thereby MASKING the responsibility for these rulings to the (majority) uninformed voters???
This state is FUBAR and it’s becoming clearer that the best plan for the future is to sacrifice the pleasant climate and scenery and find a place where SANE ADULTS that AREN’T for sale to the highest bidder make the rules and govern with INTEGRITY, unlike the majority of the idiot Democrats and their RINO associates in the California legislature….
“No Taxation Without Representation”
Since leaving for greener pastures is not an option for most, there comes a point in time when the good people must take matters into their own hands and stand their ground. From a practical standpoint this would amount to physical resistance. Let us be honest. This is precisely the reason that the forefathers of this nation created the Second Amendment – enshrining the people’s right to bear arms. Let the leftists and their global masters beware. This is not a threat…..it’s a PROMISE.
Hope I’m wrong, but California’s one-party rule will continue for years to come and won’t change in any of our lifetimes. Praying that someone or something comes along to change my prediction.
RJ,
You are dead on right. To fix the failed state of CA. it will take a few generations and the reason I moved to the free state of West Virginia, while I still have a few good years left. I was born, bred and educated in the once great state, but the Dems have cheated the state in failure. The people aren’t hurting enough yet. They reap what the sowed and will continue to do so.
I worked the recall effort in 2021, which the ballot voting was rigged to the hilt. With two weeks until the vote, Newsom was down double digits and begging for votes only to come back on election night two hours after the polls closed to declare himself the winner. It doesn’t take a math degree to know how this happened, and at that point I put my house on the market. it sold in five minutes.
RJ,
You are dead on right. To fix the failed state of CA. it will take a few generations and the reason I moved to the free state of West Virginia, while I still have a few good years left. I was born, bred and educated in the once great state, but the Dems have cheated the state in failure. The people aren’t hurting enough yet. They reap what the sowed and will continue to do so.
I worked the recall effort in 2021, which the ballot voting was rigged to the hilt. With two weeks until the vote, Newsom was down double digits and begging for votes only to come back on election night two hours after the polls closed to declare himself the winner. It doesn’t take a math degree to know how this happened, and at that point I put my house on the market. it sold in five minutes.
It’s getting real close to torches and ax handle time. A house cleaning is what is needed.
Wouldn’t term limits for *unelected government bureaucrats* be a great idea?
Sorry, I just don’t think being embedded for 20 or 30 years in any *government* job benefits the citizens who have to deal with the government agencies, and don’t give me that “they retired after 25 years of *Public Service*” nonsense just because some geezer (everyone hates) entrenched themselves in a position for 25 yrs, saying “THIS is how we’ve ALWAYS done it” even when it makes no sense.
Under the current circumstances, it isn’t possible. By removing the Taxpayer Protection Act from the ballot, the state Supreme Court effectively ended the initiative process.
Katie, can this be Appealed to SCOTUS or is it DEAD?
I believe that because this is a California Constitution and California voter issue, this was the final word. We will have more legal experts addressing the decision and addressing this. – Katy
The Progressive movement took hold in America at the beginning of the 20th century. Progressives believed that the Constitution, which limited government, was outdated for the Industrial Age. Progressives believed that to cure the ails of society, a powerful, centralized government was needed so the “experts” could fix these problems unshackled by the restraints of the Constitution and indeed by democracy itself. Unelected experts, using Scientific Management, should manage the country.
These beliefs have slowly worked their way through American institutions. It was very much in evidence during Covid when the experts were everywhere telling and forcing Americans to get vaccinated, wear a mask, and so on. Climate change “experts” are used to cram all manner of regulations on us, controlling nearly every aspect of our lives. Katy brilliantly describes all the manifest ways this afflicts California.
In Progressive system of government, we are not free to make our own choices. This is becoming more and more apparent to every American and will reach a tipping point in the aftermath of the Nov. 5th election. That is when even the blind among us will realize that they have been manipulated into believing that the institutions to which they have ceded control are not interested in their welfare.
The Taxpayer Protection Act from the ballot, while ACA 5 remains. Almost says it all, doesn’t it? Katy, to answer your question, “is the California experiment over?”, I would say it depends. Dan Bongino regularly asks his viewers if it’s bad enough yet. Well, it is. By all the polling I’ve seen, Democrats are in serious trouble this time. Should they ‘win’ back their seats by the usual 51-60% this November, we will know that the elections system is also too far gone to save, in which case the answer to your question is “yes.”
To those who advise leaving, I refer you to the response I just received from our Senator regarding “Chucky” Schumer’s hysterics over the recent SCOTUS bump stock decision.
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Dear John,
Thank you for writing to share your support for gun violence prevention. I appreciate hearing from you.
America suffered more than 600 mass shootings in 2022 alone, and we need to do much more to combat the epidemic of gun violence in our country. Congress must prioritize legislation to expand background checks and keep firearms from falling into the wrong hands, which is widely supported by the American people. Banning assault weapons and high-capacity ammunition magazines are also necessary measures to keep military-style assault weapons off our streets and reduce mass shootings.
On June 25, 2022, President Biden signed the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act (Public Law 117-159) into law. I was proud to vote in favor of passing the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act to reduce the threat of gun violence across our country and keep our communities safe. This law will improve background checks for purchasers under the age of 21, help states implement red flag laws, strengthen protections for victims of domestic violence, and make significant investments in community-based mental health services.
But the work is far from over. We need to advance other lifesaving measures that will end the scourge of gun violence across the country. I am a proud cosponsor of the “Assault Weapons Ban of 2023” (S. 25), introduced by the late Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA). This legislation would ban the sale, transfer, manufacture, and importation of military-style assault weapons and high-capacity ammunition magazines. I am also a cosponsor of Senator Feinstein’s “Age 21 Act” (S. 14), which would raise the minimum age to purchase a large capacity ammunition feeding device or semiautomatic assault weapon from 18 to 21 years of age. The “Assault Weapons Ban of 2023” and the “Age 21 Act” are both currently awaiting consideration by the Senate Judiciary Committee, of which I am a member.
Please know that I will keep fighting to ensure that children feel safe at school and people don’t live in fear of being shot in a grocery store, movie theater, house of worship, or anywhere in their community.
Once again, thank you for writing. Should you have any other questions or comments, please call my Washington, D.C. office at (202) 224-3553 or visit my website at padilla.senate.gov. You can also follow me on Facebook, and Twitter, and you can sign up for my email newsletter at padilla.senate.gov/newsletter.
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This guy is pushing hard to turn the rest of the nation into California, and he has a lot of help. I have friends and family in Idaho, Utah, Texas, and Tennessee. They’re all fighting tooth and nail right now against this same infiltration (and no, it isn’t leftists moving from the PRK – they’re native sons and daughters, who went off to “college” and came back with their minds rotted out). There is nowhere to run. There is but one box left. As to whether or not it will be opened, this November will tell the tale. Drag your friends and relatives to the voting booth, and vote like your children’s lives depended on it. Because they do.
This from the corrupt loser that signed off on Dominion voting machines and skated off to the D.C. swamp, where apparently he’s working diligently to water down or outright remove the 2nd Amendment…
Taxation without representation. The hallmark of communism in commifornia.
I wish there were a chance that enough people would rise up and take this government back. Alas, this is not going to happen here. Too many on the dole. All of whom are politicians, bureaucrats and illegals.
Nail on head Ms. Grimes, though you could have gone back farther. Jerry Brown started a lot of this in Motion during his first two terms and based on THAT record should never have gotten terms 3 & 4. Considering during that time he still was dealing with the Oakland Bay Bridge, it took 3 years to build initially in 1933 but for JB to repair it took over 24 years and Billions over budget. Debt is another thing used to weaken us here and Jerry was building close ties with Red China which seems to go largely unnoticed. As pointed out there are many Marxists and Communists in our Legislature though most think of themselves a Progressives but how many of the Latinos had MecHa and La Raza in their backgrounds? That was the point of Cesar Chavez and the Latino Movement, to separate US, now look at all of today’s grievance groups. We are in a total mess today about to lose the Republic and so many don’t even know what we were supposed to be, thanks to a California Public School Education.
I need a hat that says: “MCIA” . (Make Crime Illegal Again)
Now I know how an inch long salmon feels when the Stripers come a’callin!
I would like to know why elections don’t change anything.
We voted for the “education” candidate and ended up in bed with the teachers unions. Now they squat in our lives and our pocket books forever. By law, and we were just told we cannot use the public initiative process to change the laws.
California voters were once justly proud of our state K-12 schools – among the top in the nation. Then the teachers unions swooped in and lavishly funded themselves with Prop 98, put cute little black boards and apples on their campaign material and in an instant we became 100% controlled by the teachers unions.
Our town was riddled with union-produced yard signs ‘We stand with the teachers” during the last round of contract negotiations. How about standing for the students, who have been badly short-changed no matter how much money we throw at our schools.
Prop 98: voters in response to Prop 13 wanted guaranteed support for our always exemplary K-12 schools – so they eagerly passed Prop 98 which take 50% of all general fund revenues and automatically hands it to the K-12 teacher union machine (NB: closed shops remember – everyone had to be a teacher union member).
The precipitous decline down of our K-12 system to #45 nationwide after this infusion of automatic money and the massive growth in power now exercised by the state teachers unions and their classified hand-maidens CSEA (SEIU), shocks the conscience. But so far any attempts to stop this inherent corruption has failed. (See Vegara vs LAUSD).
Blueprint for the corruption of an entire state: raid the treasury and hire the relatives to grow union memberships.
Such a comprehensive and all-telling compilation of the state of our State. Thank you Katy for putting our sad state of affairs in perspective…I only wish your piece could reach each and every REGISTERED voter in our State…of disrepair
Katy Grimes comparing California’s decent into hell lead by Newsom and legislative Democrats with Dante’s Nine Circles of Hell is directly on point! Democrats in political office are mostly satanists who sold their souls for power and they’re part of a death cult.
Speaking of mottos on public buildings in Sacramento, the one I have always dearly loved and never forgotten is “Bring Me Men to Match My Mountains”. And Brother, that ain’t Governor Skinny Jeans.