California

I first went to the great state of California in the year 1957.

The first thing I saw after deplaning was:

CALIFORNIA IS A STATE OF MIND 

A fabulous state of mind. A land exciting, gorgeous, naturally beautiful border to border and most importantly a land of opportunity. A land where entrepreneurs could thrive, work was plentiful, a democratic land indeed, truly American in every way where anyone could pursue:

THE AMERICAN DREAM

How this once great state has changed, radically changed. It talks of secession, negotiating directly with foreign nations, establishing its own immigration policies in many ways creating benefits for illegals more so than American citizens. California is, says the Wall Street Journal “a leading exporter of progressive policy and businesses.” It has become WOKE in so many ways, radical in so many ways SOCIALISTIC. It drives business away. It taxes greedily. It ignores our beloved Constitution in so many ways. California is no longer the epitome of the American dream, THE AMERICAN STATE OF MIND but in fact the leading exporter of progressive policy and businesses.

The latest example is legislation which would allow the government to determine and fix fast – food worker wages and micromanage restaurants. This legislation as passed by the California democratic legislature creates a ten member council appointed by the governor and state legislative leaders with virtual CARTE BLANCHE authority to fix wages, benefits and working conditions at most fast – food restaurants. Get ready to eat higher prices and be ready for the inevitable lower business and job opportunities and growth.

The California state minimum wage is already among the highest in the United States at $15 per hour. The new socialistic council authorized by the legislation has signaled it may raise the minimum wage to as much as $22 next year! Not only that, but the council could well decide there would be a 3.5% increase in that minimum wage every year thereafter. It has, further, the authority to provide paid vacation or protest days away from work and it could even consider a work week with as few as 32 hours. Fast – food workers would enjoy incredible benefits, favoritism more so than any other class of workers in the once great state of California. The legislation would comprehend some 16,753 franchise locations in California and the effect on small business in the state would be disastrous.

Restaurants will almost certainly be forced to raise prices to the extent they can in order to cover higher labor costs. But the end result could be a significant drop in sales since many of the customers of fast – food restaurants simply could not afford any substantially increased food prices. That could force restaurants to reduce work hours or layoff employees. Some in lower income areas may be economically required to close. Those restaurants simply could not pass on these newly increased costs to their customers.

Governor Gavin Newsome, radical as they come and a purported democratic candidate for President 2024, does his best to soften the economic blow by telling Californians that the legislation only affects fast – food restaurant chains with 100 or more establishments nationwide. But the incredible economic damage which this new ten member labor council can inflict will in fact extend well beyond fast – food restaurants. Other businesses, including hotels, retail, food delivery services and more which compete with restaurants for workers will be forced to dramatically increase their minimum hourly wage, or cut back on services and refuse to retain or attempt to hire new workers. Their labor costs, along with many other sectors of the economy, dramatically increased will be passed on to their customers, if they can.

What a tragedy for California. This legislation and the act of its radical governor is a tragic example of socialism at work, governmental control over private enterprise and a virtual destruction of the economic competitive position of these desirable and even necessary businesses. We will witness even more economical decline, the loss of jobs, and the exodus of more businesses OUT OF THE STATE or shut down as a result of economic necessity. It seems incredible to think that a small, radical minority, democrats by political label, can get such total control, political and economic control over one of America’s largest and most influential states. California seems to have so many inhabitants, citizens legal and illegal who simply vote for a party, protest little, virtually uninvolved in the political process with little understanding and the autocrats in Sacramento do virtually anything they wish, ANYTHING! Edmund Burke reminded us that when good people abandoned the political arena, the bad take over. California, perhaps more than any other state has produced politicians and political decision makers who are increasingly anti – American, anti – Constitution and rule of law more than any other state. We who continue to have the privilege of doing business in California, in our case spreading the gospel and championing all things GOD AND COUNTRY can only hope for revival, a re – awakening of the citizenry, significant voting changes and a RETURN, a passionate return to the morals, values, principles and ideals of the traditional and true AMERICA. If not, California will continue to change, not at all for the better, it will continue to set anti – American examples, and continue to be as the Wall Street Journal says “a leading exporter of progressive businesses and policies.” I knew California in 1957. That state and its state of mind gone, perhaps never to return. That is a sad and unbelievable loss to all Americans. We do hope and pray that your state, whether Colorado, Michigan, New York, Illinois, Indiana, Alabama or any other never follows suit. But it will unless you, WE THE PEOPLE in those great American states stand up, say no and prevent yet another state from becoming yet another California. Do it, my fellow Americans, do it with all your passionate and political might. FREEDOM ONCE LOST IS LOST FOREVER!