California Reaps What It Has Sown

My old home state is feeling the blow back after years of enacting every liberal policy they could. Bowing to the unions and giving them insane retirement benefits? Check. Allowing illegal aliens to have rights and burden the counties and municipalities with enormous costs? Check. Passing ridiculous environmental policies with no basis in fact? Check.

California's least detestable senator is up in arms because the price of gas has spiked to unheard of levels in the last few weeks. $6 per gallon gas is not so unthinkable now. Sen. Feinstein knows full-well that it is the environmental lobby that has led her state to this point but has opted to try to score points by blaming the gas companies. She's not once broached the subject that the gas blends sold in California are so restrictive that making any type of profit is difficult.

The best-case scenario is that gas from other neighboring states can be trucked in to help increase supply and knock the price down somewhat. However, neighboring state gas does not meet the standards set forth in California and can't be sold there.

Besides, remember when Obama's energy guy seemed to think that rising gas costs are a good thing? His own policies are playing a part in this as well. Hell, if I were a refiner, I'd abandon the state altogether. Why submit to the oppressive regulatory hassles when you can turn around and make more with a lot less annoyances elsewhere.

And for the record, the governor of California agrees with me as he has ordered the state to relax smog rules so that refineries can start running faster. I would say that is the greatest proof that the policies enacted by him and the lefties in thee state are causing the problem.

Unfortunately for those of us living outside DC, this is, in effect, a tax that has been thrust upon us by the policies Obama has put in place. Listen, it hurts me since I drive a long way to work, but imagine you are one the lost souls living in Obamanation who can't find a job and live on the crumbs thrown you by the administration. Do you think those poor folks can afford to pay more than double what they did when Obama took the oath? Me neither.

This is just another example of the shambles that California has become. I love that state and want it to be the national leader again. Alas, the chance of that happening again are slim and none and the real energy has shifted to red states like Texas where freedom is abundant and regulations are not.