AS GOES CALIFORNIA, SO GOES THE NATION

Look how well their socialization has worked! They're bankrupt. Matthew Kaminski compares them to France:

The French have long experienced the unintended consequences of a large public sector. Ask them about it. As the number of people who get money from government grows, so does the power of constituencies dedicated to keep this honey dripping. Even when voters recognize the model carries drawbacks, such as subpar growth, high taxes, an uncompetitive business climate and above-average unemployment, their elected leaders find it near impossible to tweak the system. This has been the story of France for decades, and lately of California.
...

California is in a French-like bind: unable to afford a welfare-type state, and unable to overhaul it. "The people say they want all these programs, then there's nothing they want to pay for," says Hector De La Torre, a Democratic assemblyman. "The schizophrenia in the legislature reflects the peoples'."

This is why the huge expansion of the state and entitlements and the return of welfare from the Porkulus bill is so troubling. Once we are reduced to dependent babies, we'll scream when someone tries to take away our pasey. Its a point of no return. We have become the USSA.