Heard On The Streets

Katy Grimes: While out and about this Fourth of July weekend, I took the time to talk with neighbors, friends, strangers and passers by, to see what was on the minds of the voters. A random sampling of approximately 30 people produced telling results, and is rather contrary to what the mass media keeps reporting.

Government spending seemed to be the number one issue that really made people angry,  And not just spending on tangible services; it was the spending on government employees that brought out the rage. High pay, redundant positions in all government agencies, outlandish pensions, early retirement, double dipping — I heard it all. The expanding waistline of government was listed right along with spending.

…Which fed into the issue of many government workers who waste state resources and commit fraud, abuses of power by state employees, and blatant stealing from the taxpayers. Adding insult to injury, was the lack of accountability, with government workers rarely getting fired when they are caught  committing a crime, stealing, pilfering, abusing, etc…

Almost as inflammatory an issue as government spending, were the intermingled issues of increasing taxes and reduced services. There wasn’t anyone I spoke with who hadn’t noticed the deplorable condition of the roads and highways in California, DMV office closures and service hours cut, parks looking abandoned or unkempt or the threats of closure, but increases in permits, fines, traffic violations, and penalties.

Everyone asked, “Where is our tax money going?” and “When did we lose our rights?” The folks who I talked with were almost evenly split between Republican and Democrat. The obvious loss of liberty was heavy on the minds of everyone to whom I spoke, in stark contrast to the celebrations around the country celebrating American independence from England.