California, Here They Go

Bob Bauman (October 3, 2012)

The legislature of the Great State of California has a problem, and it’s one that holds a lesson for all of us.

Simply put, California is spending money faster than it comes in. And on top of that, the state is still throwing cash on wasteful programs that seek mainly to benefit unionized state employees – all with alarming frequency.

The main problem is, as Steven Greenhut, vice president of journalism at the Franklin Center for Government and Public Integrity puts it: “The legislature recognizes no natural limits on its power.”

Under a dominant Democratic majority, the California State Legislature can easily pass almost any bill put forth by its members, and it seems happy to do so, regardless of what those bills mean for their constituents.

While it may be tempting to simply dismiss this as a partisan issue, the truth is that, in many instances, it matters little which party is in control. Politicians at all levels, of both parties, continue to launch assaults on our liberties, our privacy and our wealth.

The Nanny State Run Amok

Drunk with majority power, the Democrat-controlled legislature in Sacramento has imposed new local restrictions on everything from fire pits at Newport Beach to wearing “obnoxious perfumes” in libraries in Southern California.

Another crazy example came last week, when the state legislature passed a “ban on psychotherapy aimed at making gay teenagers straight.” Sen. Ted Lieu, the Torrance Democrat who authored the gay-therapy ban, boasts a list of his 17 freedom-curbing bills approved by the legislature. Reason magazine suggests Lieu is competing for the title “California’s Ultimate Nanny.”

As you might expect, these intrusions into the public’s lives have done little to improve California’s economic situation. Every new initiative costs the state more money, and those costs are either passed on to the public in the form of new taxes and fees, or simply piled onto the state’s massive debt – a debt that now exceeds that of the entire nation of Greece.

In light of this assault on its citizens’ liberties and ever-higher taxes, California is seeing a continuing mass exodus of people and businesses from the once Golden State to other western neighbors where freedom still lives.

It’s no longer an issue of safety of life, liberty and property. It’s how fast one can escape with what little the legislature has left its beleaguered citizens.

That old Al Jolson song lyric has been revised to this: “California, here I go!”

It’s Not Just a State Problem

What’s happening in California is, unfortunately, not simply an isolated problem. Many in the U.S. Congress have shown a willingness to continue attacking freedoms we previously took for granted.

Over the past decade, financial privacy in America was killed by the PATRIOT Act, which forces bankers to act as government spies. The Federal Aviation Administration now allows local police departments to use aerial surveillance drones that can peer inside your windows, and even through solid barriers. A Defense Department report demands that the Pentagon and Department of Homeland Security be given “routine access to U.S. airspace” in order “to execute a wide range of missions including… surveillance and tracking operations.”

In May, the Congress passed and President Obama signed an outrageous law that gave the U.S. military the power to arrest and hold U.S citizens indefinitely without charges or trial. Even former President Jimmy Carter denounced this law as a violation of the right to freedom of expression and the right to be presumed innocent until proven guilty, both of which are enshrined in the Constitution.

These are but a small sample of the seemingly endless diminishing of our liberties.

If You Know There is a Problem, Take Action

Some – but not enough – Americans seem to be aware of the problem. A September Reason-Rupe poll says that only 16% of American voters approve of the job Congress is doing, while 77% disapprove. While many pundits will say that people are unhappy about congressional gridlock, the poll disproves that theory: 50% say they want Congress to pass fewer laws, not more. Only 27% want Congress to adopt more laws, and an apparently oblivious 16% think the status quo is about right.

Unfortunately, too many people may think the upcoming elections will make these problems go away. The real truth is, no matter who wins the upcoming election, the assaults on your wealth and your liberty are only going to get worse. And that is why you have to take action to protect yourself today.

I have written recently about the power of creating an offshore asset protection trust, or the many benefits of opening an offshore bank account. Obtaining a second passport can give you the ability to create a solid “Plan B,” and for some, expatriation may be the answer. The point is, understand your options and take action – as the madness in California shows us, you can only count on yourself to find ways to reclaim your lost freedom.

Faithfully yours,

Bob Bauman JD

P.S. We the people do have the power to get America back on track. Yet, at the moment, it looks like no matter who wins the election, things will only get worse. While politicians will continue to try and legislate away our precious rights and freedoms, there are still ways you can preserve your own personal liberty. I have put together my “Ultimate Wealth Protection Resources” to show you safe, legal ways to protect your financial future, as well as exercise your freedom as an American to choose your own path forward. This will only be available until midnight tonight, so to make sure you are able to secure your copy, click here.

California, Here They Go

The Nanny State Run Amok

It’s Not Just a State Problem

If You Know There is a Problem, Take Action

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