Fasten your seatbelts, folks, the good old Golden State of California has gone haywire. Far removed from the realm of common sense, there’s a tornado of absurdity blowing in from the West Coast that shows no signs of slowing down.
Recently, California lawmakers decided to establish a reparations panel for “black descendants of slaves” in spite of the fact that California was never a part of the slave-owning states. On top of their sky-high budget deficit of about $50 billion, this reparations keystone, according to estimations, could cost an eye-watering $800 billion. Budget wisdom seems absent in motion.
Then there’s the tragic case of a former soap opera star who was shot dead in downtown LA after interrupting thieves going for his car catalytic converter. Rather than address the issue of rising crime, a Democratic LA City Council member pointed a finger at Toyota. According to Councilwoman Nithya Raman, the company was to blame for the poorly secured device. It’s clear that the blame game is easier than fixing the problem.
And let’s talk about pride parades. At one such gathering in West Hollywood, a group of “indigenous queer people” proudly waved the Mexican flag along with the Palestinian flag. Meanwhile, an account from a gay man living in fear in Gaza reminds us of the actual human rights atrocities being ignored.
In 1996, Californian voters banned government entities from using race and gender for decision-making. Yet ignoring the law, Jennifer Lucero, UCLA School of Medicine’s diversity champion, admitted “underrepresented” students by lowering standards. Not so surprisingly, UCLA’s ranking plummeted from 6th to 18th, and students failed to pass crucial standardized tests.
In 2018 and onward, laws mandating diversity quotas for publicly traded corporations’ boards were passed by the Democrats and signed by the Democrat governor. Both laws were rightly struck down by California courts, being clear violations of the Constitution’s equal protection clause.
As if enough damage hadn’t been done, California’s $20 hourly minimum wage came into play in April, allegedly costing the state 10,000 fast-food jobs and leading to the lowest job growth rate in the country. Following this shocking law, Pizza Hut franchisees let go of about 1,200 delivery workers, and a prominent grill joint closed 48 of its locations, citing the unbearable cost of doing business in California. It’s clear; the little guy is the one suffering business tragedies from such legislation.
In closing, the series of irrational decisions by California lawmakers is truly astounding. Ignoring reality seems to be the main act in this ongoing circus. From unfounded reparations panels and misplaced blame for crime to ignoring voter laws and imposing job-killing minimum wage hikes, it’s not just popcorn we need for this calamitous show. It’s time to ring down the curtain on this farcical performance. Now, more than ever, we need to reclaim our beloved California from the grip of irrational policymaking.
