How is the Economy In your state?

Michigan - double the average US unemployment, with a Democrat governor that won't part with a business tax that punishes businesses in downtimes like this. Foreclosures at national highs. Continued downsizing of the automotive market, with 1000's of skilled people being laid off.

And now the Democrats want to finish us off with their impositions of ridiculous mileage requirements. Bah!

I also live in Texas. Along with what Renate said, foreclosures on homes are at an all time high and 1 in 4 don't have health insurance. The so called "booming economy" hasn't affect us.

California's economy once was almost the third largest

world economy in existence, however with the influx of many

foreign nationals, which has driven the state's population to

33,880,000 million souls,

Now, one of the real services that the state provides is called low-cost energy (PG&E provides and distributes, for northern California)

Well, thats fine on paper, but somehow the reasoning fell between the cracks from 1974 when Gray Davis was chief of staff to governor Jerry Brown's administration, who refused

to build more energy producing plants, and therefore could not

keep up with the energy needs of the state.

PG&E's argument to the CPUC (California Public Utilities Commission)is that they wanted out of the power generation business, and wanted to farm out the energy supply end to a consortium known as Independent Systems Operators (ISO)

That really wasn't a good idea, because, California would have to draw its megawatts of power from sources as far east as Georgia, and as far north as British Columbia, Canada.

And ask the DOEs of Washington, Oregon and Idaho if they

had extra power, could they ship what they could to California,

for a fee, of course.

The environmentalists had all but shut down most of the coming

nuclear power plants that were scheduled to go on-line for

full energy service.

So our dams are all ready up to maximum output, and remember, they have to be systematically shut down for maintenance, on a continuing basis, so we wouldn't see

maximum megawatt output, but a lower figure.

And our power reserve should be at least 15 to 20%,

Houston, Texas is 25%, instead our power reserve is 5%, and

that is unacceptable.

So there will be brown outs (rotating) black outs if the need for

more power becomes acute.

Thats why in extreme heat (running air conditioners, fans, etc)

and extreme cold, all the fuel oil and wood that it takes to keep an

average family warm, and that requires more

electrical power.

What has happened and could have been avoided is that residents will have to pay higher rates for their utilities, and get less in service.

Had Brown insisted on PG&E to deliver more power, and ignored the environmentalists, this should have been the issue of the day to answer to.

And Gray Davis who also knew the gravity of a coming power shortfall did not prepare for this contingency, and instead got into the same power bed with Enron, and we all know what happened to Enron.

You ask what has this got to do with California's economy?

A LOT, due to everything we own is powered by some form of electricity, and our population expects power to always be available, but there will be a price to pay, due to the lack of

perspiscacity and planning of our senior state officials.

They did a rotten job of protecting the state and everything in it.

In educational standards alone, California was number 1 in

the cutting edge of education, tied to research and development, now I believe Arkansas and Mississippi are the only two states with a lower educational rating than California.

The same with maintenance of the state's infra-structure, which has become a joke, there is nothing but pot-holes and broken

sections of asphalt running along our highways. It a mess!

We still have an agricultural economy, and it thrives as long as the weather cooperates, and that industry alone brings in millions

of dollars, perhap billions.

The business and industrial enterprises also contribute their share of commerce, along with all the home electronics used for business and recreation, which has literally exploded in terms of business and finance.

Yes, lets don't forget Los Angeles, the film capital of the world,

along with other support industries have brought in many dollars for the state to tax and spend, but even the film industry has its limits.

There is of course, more to say about California's economy, I have just highlighted some of the more efflusive issues directly tied to Calif's economy, as I don't wish to go completely into detail,

and amplify on each detail, that would be for a treatise on

California's Economy 101.

Thats my message, good luck.

Donald H. Sites

sueanddon350@sbcglobal.net

The economy in Texas right now sucks. People were already having problems getting jobs when Katrina his and then we had a huge influx of more people needing jobs. The we had Rita and a lot of companies were messed up by that hurricane and people lost more jobs.

California. Our economy is so good, that California has the 6th largest GNP in the world! California's economy is well ahead of many European nations.

California could technically secede from the USA to become its own nation, and be totally self-sufficient!

booming

no taxes for the rich

bonds for the rich to finance and get more money

jobs being moved out of state

great for the rich as they make more profits on the lower paying jobs overseas

Michigan. We need more good paying jobs here. No one seems to have the answers. Buy real estate now, if possible.

I'm unemployed and looking for work in SW Oklahoma, land of the drought and poor economy.

Sue

It sucks ***, only service jobs. Good if you don't have a college degree though

In NJ the economy is doing fine, it is the taxes that are killing us.