Think of How Crowded the Freeways Will Be
Within 25 years, California’s population will reach 50 million, according to estimates by the state Department of Finance.
By 2050, 60 million.
The state’s roads, highways, schools and other public works are designed to serve 25 million — about 14 million fewer people than already live in California.
To accommodate this projected population growth requires 220,000 new homes to be built each year, 19 new classrooms added every day for five years, delivery of an additional 200,000 acre-feet of water to the Central Valley and Southern California and construction of enough highways to handle 42 percent more vehicles.
(From The State of California Debt Affordability Report, October 2009)
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That 25 million presumes the roads are maintained, which they haven’t been since the population was 20 million.
Comment by Wally Webgas — 10.26.2009 @ 2:23 pm
Nor does it include the maintenance costs (deferred) of the local street and transportation system. It too is deteriorating along with school bldgs, court houses, and many other public works.
Some like to yell about the costs (bailout, health care, etc) that are being passed on to the children. But they have not confronted the huge future costs of infrastructure neglect. Somehow, low taxes are all that matters. Just think what it will cost to rebuild everything our parents built, and that we have refused to protect, preserve, and maintain.
Comment by lotuslover — 10.26.2009 @ 3:06 pm
We could all have low taxes if everyone paid a little instead of relying on a few to carry the load. I for one have reached my limit of the amount I will pay to provide jobs for others. What is missing is an understanding that when someone pays out over 37 cents of every dollar earned they are not going to joyfully want to pay more.
How about a flat tax of 10% for everyone, if you earn $10,000.00 you pay $1,000.00 and so on its not only fair but there would be a lot more money to help those who truly need it. No deductions, no nothing just pay a flat tax.
Sorry just using common sense again I will try to refrain form dong so again.
Comment by Management Slug — 10.26.2009 @ 3:27 pm
Preach it, slug.
Comment by BudgetGirl — 10.27.2009 @ 4:03 pm
Hello? Malthus anyone? Resources (including social) multiply geometrically; population exponentially. Do the math. We have reached the point of diminishing returns where number of people in the biosphere exceeds biosphere’s ability to sustain. And the numbers don’t lie. And the worst part is how many of the children being born are wanted and able to be cared for by their parent(s)? We have no policy to deal with the obvious.
Comment by Robyn Boyer — 10.28.2009 @ 10:39 am