patrick.net

He's right, no he's DAMN right!

I used HR block this last tax season and the bitch that did my taxes was a nasty tax militant relic ex IRS employee from when the IRS's only mode was "You better come up with the money or we will kill your first born baby". She made me owe about $8K more than I needed to pay. It was an actual IRS agent that helped me rework my return and get it reduced. She told me who ever I went to, I should never go there again.

Good, fair and simple tax plan. He's right.

mell says

Good, fair and simple tax plan. He's right.

lol--how the hell do you know? He hasn't presented a plan. All he said was it should be simpler.

That's more than Obama gave about his tax plan or the creep he was going to get to craft it, while he took credit for it.

Do you think Obama would have won had won had he described the Obamacare we got?

tatupu70 says

mell says

Good, fair and simple tax plan. He's right.

lol--how the hell do you know? He hasn't presented a plan. All he said was it should be simpler.

My 5-part tax plan involves reforming the income tax. The government confiscates way too much of your paycheck. The tax code is also a very complicated system that forces Americans to waste 6.1 billion hours a year trying to figure it out.
What does that tell you? It tells me that it's time we restore simplicity & sanity to the income tax. Here's my income tax plan:
Up to $30,000, you pay 1%
From $30,000 to $100,000, you pay 5%
From $100,000 to $1 million, you pay 10%
On $1 million or above, you pay 15%
It's clear and fair. Best of all, it can be filled out on the back of a postcard and will save Americans big bucks on accountants and massive amounts of time wasted attempting to decipher the tax code.
Our country is hungry for real tax reform. That's why we should implement the 1-5-10-15 income tax plan. And we need to enact [the rest of] my 5-part tax policy: kill the death tax; lower the tax on capital gains & dividends; eliminate corporate taxes; and a 20% import tax.

So if you make 98K a year, you'll take home more than someone making 110K?

CaptainShuddup says

So if you make 98K a year, you'll take home more than someone making 110K?

I try very hard to believe you really aren't an idiot, but sometimes you make it very difficult. Don't you know how your own taxes work now? Obviously not. You pay 10% on the amount above 100k. Do you not understand FROM and TO.

mell says

It's clear and fair. Best of all, it can be filled out on the back of a postcard and will save Americans big bucks on accountants and massive amounts of time wasted attempting to decipher the tax code.

This really isn't true. It's true if your earnings are strictly w2. But if you have any kind of business or investments then you have to do the accounting work no matter what in order to know your income. The savings would be in filing the taxes, which I would be thrilled to see.

mell says

Our country is hungry for real tax reform. That's why we should implement the 1-5-10-15 income tax plan. And we need to enact [the rest of] my 5-part tax policy: kill the death tax; lower the tax on capital gains & dividends; eliminate corporate taxes; and a 20% import tax.

Our country is hungry to know what the revenue would be from this plan. It can't be that hard to figure out. I'm sure it has been figured out and doesn't add up to anywhere what is needed to run the government. Which is why the donald isn't talking about it. Of course everyone (at fox news) knows that if you lower taxes there is more tax revenue coming in. Look at how well that has worked so far.

bob2356 says

This really isn't true. It's true if your earnings are strictly w2. But if you have any kind of business or investments then you have to do the accounting work no matter what in order to know your income. The savings would be in filing the taxes, which I would be thrilled to see.

I'd assume that the additional paperwork goes away as well if you're investment gains are taxed at your income rate, just add the gains and losses to your income. Business may be a bit more elaborate, depending on how many exemptions/deductions are kept. The great thing with low taxes and few tiers is that people may be readily on board with eliminating exemptions (even for their business) if they can see the savings in simplicity and that they will pay less overall anyways.

tatupu70 says

lol--how the hell do you know? He hasn't presented a plan. All he said was it should be simpler.

It's pretty obvious that doing your federal income taxes should be almost as easy as your state taxes, which in Maryland I can easily do inline since so much stuff is already filled in. Even without changing the tax rates or tax code, one could probably do this exactly as mentioned by Vicente. And yes this would be a big improvement.

mell says

I'd assume that the additional paperwork goes away as well if you're investment gains are taxed at your income rate, just add the gains and losses to your income. Business may be a bit more elaborate, depending on how many exemptions/deductions are kept.

You have to do the exact same accounting as you do now to know the gains and losses. You just wouldn't have to fill out all the tax forms. Which is a big expense and lots of time. I'd love a plan like trumps, if it added up. Which is very doubtful. What is it, 90% of the taxes are paid by the top 20%. There aren't that many deductions to make up for cutting the rates in half. Especially with eliminating corporate taxes, something like 20% of tax revenue and capital gains which is pretty much the only tax the .1% pay to the tune of 400 billion a year.

Is the donald yet another borrow and spend "fiscally responsible" republican? Looks that way to me.

bob2356 says

I'd love a plan like trumps, if it added up. Which is very doubtful. What is it, 90% of the taxes are paid by the top 20%. There aren't that many deductions to make up for cutting the rates in half. Especially with eliminating corporate taxes, something like 20% of tax revenue and capital gains which is pretty much the only tax the .1% pay to the tune of 400 billion a year.

Is the donald yet another borrow and spend "fiscally responsible" republican? Looks that way to me.

I view Trumps comments as 2 part. One being putting H&R block out of business by making the forms easier to fill out with prefilled stuff. The other being changing tax rates which obviously would include spending cuts.

What people are quoting as a tax plan is older Trump talk on a potential tax plan, in a book, from 2011. Current talk right now from Trump, like everything else, is that he isn't ready to release specifics.

Trump is a coward. If he proposed anything current for 2016, he could actually be challenged in the realm of politics and policy. That's not a game he can actually win. So he will keep to the name calling and bluster. His campaign said they would release some policy this week. Everyone hold your breath!

Trump also has a "foolproof" plan to beat IS. He just cannot talk about it right now.

zzyzzx says

The other being changing tax rates which obviously would include spending cuts.

Oh yes the magical spending cuts. Hows that worked out the last 35 years. When do you suppose the donald will be laying them out. I've seen this film before and I know the ending.

zzyzzx says

I view Trumps comments as 2 part. One being putting H&R block out of business by making the forms easier to fill out with prefilled stuff. The other being changing tax rates which obviously would include spending cuts.

I actually think he means that, and we also get our returns in lollipops and gift certs to Hooters. I may kind of be filling in the missing pieces and interpreting a little, but hey, it sounds pretty good.

bob2356 says

Oh yes the magical spending cuts. Hows that worked out the last 35 years.

What spending cuts???

zzyzzx says

The other being changing tax rates which obviously would include spending cuts.

Cool. Which military bases are you in favor of closing? What weapons programs should be the first to go?

bob2356 says

CaptainShuddup says

So if you make 98K a year, you'll take home more than someone making 110K?

I try very hard to believe you really aren't an idiot, but sometimes you make it very difficult.

This is a standard metric for stupidity: does the human subject understand that tax brackets never cause an increase in earnings to reduce total after-tax pay?

I swear, a couple of my co-workers once tried to reduce their income because they were bumping up into another tax bracket. They were convinced they would have less money left overall. Fox News is pretty amazing.

Fortunately, Trump will put everything right. He hates rapist immigrants.

mell says

Up to $30,000, you pay 1%

From $30,000 to $100,000, you pay 5%

From $100,000 to $1 million, you pay 10%

On $1 million or above, you pay 15%

It's clear and fair.

What's fair about it? Why should someone earning $1m pay the same as someone earning $100,000, or someone earning $100m pay the same as someone on $1m? (Or more probably in your language, why should someone earning $1m+ be paying more than someone earning $30,000?) You've just picked random salaries and attached random tax brackets to them. Does that raise the necessary revenue? Why not have a computerized system that has a sliding scale so you don't have these massive tax brackets? Percentage increases. Half a percent increases...

Call it Crazy says

Rew says

I may kind of be filling in the missing pieces and interpreting a little,

a little????

That was the point. If the policy is reduced to one liners, zingers, and "I have a plan, it's foolproof, but cannot talk about it now" ... then what some seem willing to do ... is interpret to fill in the massive void, based on personal opinions and wishes alone.

zzyzzx says

What spending cuts???

Exactly. The same spending cuts that trump would make. Borrow and spend.

Bigsby says

What's fair about it?

No exemptions/deductions.
Easy to understand.
The brackets roughly reflect lower, middle, upper-middle and upper, and 1%ers (of course not in every state).
No negative effective tax rates = fair.
Nobody has to give away too much of their income as it is now and can keep more money for their hard work and skills.
A more fine-grained computerized system may work too, but it's not necessary and may confuse people.
Every tax plan needs to be balanced against government expenses, but you first start with cuts before taxing citizens.

mell says

No exemptions/deductions.

Easy to understand.

The brackets roughly reflect lower, middle, upper-middle and upper, and 1%ers (of course not in every state).

No negative effective tax rates = fair.

The same thing applies to what I stated, and you would have more reasonable gradation of tax brackets. You would also raise more revenue. The system would be computerized, so there would be little to be confused about.

bob2356 says

Exactly. The same spending cuts that trump would make. Borrow and spend.

So why isn't the main debate about spending cuts and reigning in the mammoth size and scope of our various government bureaucracies?

Why is the discussion ALWAYS ABOUT tax rates and how much money we can suck out of society to pay for our government and their fat retirement plans?

Are we to really believe that our Federal, State and Local bureaucracies are all firing on all cylinders and there isn't an ounce of efficiency or spending cuts to be had without creating Thunderdome?

Sounds like the outline of plan to me...
tatupu70 says

All he said was it should be simpler.

The sovereign city of san francisco...

HydroCabron says

Which military bases are you in favor of closing?

Planned Parenthood....it's too lethal for the age of PC...

HydroCabron says

What weapons programs should be the first to go?

Government computers?
Atari 800's can't handle that workload...

Bigsby says

Why not have a computerized system that has a sliding scale so you don't have these massive tax brackets? Percentage increases. Half a percent increases...

socal2 says

So why isn't the main debate about spending cuts and reigning in the mammoth size and scope of our various government bureaucracies?

Because no politician right or left wants spending cuts. You don't know that? I'm all for eliminating state, agriculture, education, half of defense, workfare, turning medicaid over to the va, reforming medicare (starting with 50% bounty payout for whistleblowers), annual evaluations of disability, etc., etc., etc.. None will ever happen. Any cuts on one end will just result in increases on the either. Social program cuts will become corporate welfare increases and vice versa.

bob2356 says

Because no politician right or left wants spending cuts. You don't know that? I'm all for eliminating state, agriculture, education, half of defense, workfare, turning medicaid over to the va, reforming medicare (starting with 50% bounty payout for whistleblowers), annual evaluations of disability, etc., etc., etc.. None will ever happen. Any cuts on one end will just result in increases on the either. Social program cuts will become corporate welfare increases and vice versa.

No wonder we are screwed when a huge segment of the population just throws up their hands and claim it is impossible to reform government. We just need to keep feeding the beast and never expect better governance - right?

Here is a list of government departments in California alone. Many of which I think could be re-purposed for some of the reform tasks you listed above.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_California_state_agencies

Access for Infants & Mothers (AIM)
Accountancy, California Board of (CBA)
Acupuncture Board (ACUPUNCTURE)
Administrative Hearings, Office of (OAH)
Administrative Law, Office of (OAL)
African American Museum, California (CAAM)
Aging, California Commission on (CCOA)
Aging, Department of (AGING)
Agricultural Labor Relations Board (ALRB)
AIDS, Office of (OA)
Air Resources Board (ARB, CARB)
Alcohol & Drug Programs, Department of (ADP)
Alcoholic Beverage Control Appeals Board (ABCAB)
Alcoholic Beverage Control, Department of (ABC)
Apprenticeship Council (CAC)
Apprenticeship Standards, Division of (DAS)
Arbitration Certification Program (ACP)
Architect, Division of the State (DSA)
Architects Board, California (CAB)
Archives, California State (Secretary of State) (ARCHIVES)
Arts Council (CAC)
Asian Pacific Islander Legislative Caucus (API)
Assembly Democratic Caucus (ASMDC)
Assembly Republican Caucus
Assembly, California State
Association of Bay Area Governments, Earthquake & Hazards Program, (ABAG)
Athletic Commission, California (CSAC)
Attorney General (Department of Justice) (AG)
Audits, Bureau of State (State Auditor) (BSA)
Automotive Repair, Bureau of (BAR)
Baldwin Hills Conservancy (BHC)
Bank on California
Bar of California, State (CALBAR)
Barbering and Cosmetology, Board of (BBC)
Behavioral Sciences, Board of (BBS)
Binational Border Health, California Office of (COBBH)
Biodiversity Council, California (CBC)
Blind, Office of Services to the (OSB)
Boating & Waterways, California Department of (DBW)
Boating and Waterways Commission, California
Building Standards Commission (BSC)
Business and Economic Development (Go-Biz)
Business, Transportation, & Housing Agency (BTH)
Business.ca.gov (Go-Biz)
CA.Gov (CA.gov)
Cal EMA (CAL EMA)
CAL FIRE (CAL FIRE)
Cal-Atlas (Cal-Atlas)
Cal/EPA (CALEPA)
CalCareNet
CALFED Bay-Delta Program (CALFED)
CalFresh (CalFresh)
CalGOLD (CALGOLD)
California Channel (CalChannel)
CalJOBS (CALJOBS)
CalPERS (CALPERS)
CalRecycle
CalSTRS
Caltrans (Headquarters) (DOT,CALTRANS)
Caltrans, District 1 (DOT, CALTRANS)
Caltrans, District 10 (DOT,CALTRANS)
Caltrans, District 11 (DOT,CALTRANS)
Caltrans, District 12 (DOT, CALTRANS)
Caltrans, District 2 (DOT,CALTRANS)
Caltrans, District 3 (DOT,CALTRANS)
Caltrans, District 4 (DOT, CALTRANS)
Caltrans, District 5 (DOT, CALTRANS)
Caltrans, District 6 (DOT, CALTRANS)
Caltrans, District 7 (DOT,CALTRANS)
Caltrans, District 8 (DOT,CALTRANS)
Caltrans, District 9 (DOT, CALTRANS)
CalVet (CALVET)
CalWORKS (CALWORKS)
Career Resource Network (CALCRN)
Cemetery & Funeral Bureau (CFB)
Central Valley Flood Protection Board (CVFPB)
Child Abuse Prevention, Office of
Child Support Services, Department of (CDCSS)
Chiropractic Examiners, Board of (BCE)
Citizens Compensation Commission, California
Citizens Redistricting Commission (CRC)
Climate Change Portal, California
Coachella Valley Mountains Conservancy (CVMC)
Coastal Commission, California
Coastal Conservancy, California
Colorado River Board of California (CRB)
Community Colleges System, California (CCCS)
Community Services & Development, Department of (CSD)
Compensation Insurance Fund, State (SCIF)
Conservation Corps, California (CCC)
Conservation, Department of (DOC)
Consumer Affairs, Department of (DCA)
Consumer Services Agency, State and (SCSA)
Contractors State License Board (CSLB)
Controller's Office, California State (SCO)
Cool California (CoolCal)
Corporations, Department of (CORP)
Correctional Health Care Services (CHCS)
Corrections & Rehabilitation, Department of (CDCR)
Corrections Standards Authority (CSA)
Counties, California State Association of (CSAC)
Court Reporters Board of California
Courts, California
Courts of Appeal
Cyber Safety for Children
Deaf Access, Office of
Delta Conservancy
Delta Protection Commission
Delta Stewardship Council
Dental Board of California (DBC)
Dental Hygiene Committee of California (DHCC)
Denti-Cal (DENTI-CAL)
Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV)
Developmental Disabilities, State Council on (SCDD)
Developmental Services, Department of (DDS)
Disability Insurance, State (EDD)
Disabled Veterans Business Enterprise Advisory Council (DVBE)
Earthquake Authority, California
Education, California State Board of
Education, Department of (CDE)
eHealth Initiative, California
Elections (Secretary of State) (SOS)
Electronic & Appliance Repair, Bureau of (BEAR)
Emergency Communications Office (911), California
Emergency Food Assistance Program (EFAP)
Emergency Management Agency, California (Cal EMA)
Emergency Medical Services Authority (EMSA)
Employment Development Department (EDD)
Employment of People with Disabilities, California Committee on (CCEPD)
Employment Training Panel (ETP)
Energy Commission, California (ENERGY)
Environment Resources Evaluation System, California (CERES)
Environmental Health Hazard Assessment, Office of (OEHHA)
Environmental Protection Agency (CALEPA)
Equalization, Board of (BOE)
eServices Office (ESERVICES)
Experience Unlimited (EDD)
Exposition & State Fair, California (CAL EXPO)
Fair Employment & Housing Commission (FEHC)
Fair Employment & Housing, Department of (DFEH)
Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC)
Fair, California State (BIG FUN)
Film Commission, California (CFC)
Finance, Department of (DOF)
Financial Institutions, Department of (DFI)
Fire Marshal, Office of the State (OSFM)
Firearms, Bureau of (DOJ)
First 5 California (First 5)
Fish & Game Commission (FGC)
Fish & Game, Department of (DFG)
Fleet & Asset Management, Office of (OFAM)
Flex Alerts
Food & Agriculture, Department of (CDFA)
Forestry & Fire Protection, Board of (BOF)
Forestry & Fire Protection, California Department of (CAL FIRE)
Franchise Tax Board (FTB)
Gambling Control Commission (CGCC)
Gang & Youth Violence Policy, Governor's Office of (OGYVP)
General Services, Department of (DGS)
Geospatial Clearinghouse (CALATLAS)
GIS (Geographic Information Systems) Council, California (CGC)
Governor's Mentoring Partnership (GMP)
Governor's Office of Business and Economic Development (GoED)
Governor's Office of Planning & Research (OPR)
Governor, Office of the (GO)
Guide Dogs for the Blind, Board of (BGDB)
Habeas Corpus Resource Center (HCRC)
Health and Human Services Agency (CHHS)
Health and Safety & Workers' Compensation, Commission on (CHSWC)
Health Benefit Exchange, California (HBEX)
Health Care Reform, California
Health Care Services, Department of (DHCS)
Health Information Integrity, California Office of (CALOHI)
Health Planning and Development, Office of Statewide (OSHPD)
Healthy Families Program
Hearing Aid Dispensers Bureau
High-Speed Rail Authority (CAHSRA)
Highway Patrol, California (CHP)
Historic Preservation, Office of (OHP)
Historical and Cultural Endowment, California
Historical Resources Commission, State (SHRC)
Home Furnishings and Thermal Insulation, Bureau of (BEARHFTI)
Homeless Youth Authority, California (HYP)
Horse Racing Board, California (CHRB)
Housing & Community Development, Department of (HCD)
Housing Finance Agency (CALHFA)
Human Resources, Department of (CalHR)
I Can Afford College
Independent Living Council, California State (CALSILC)
Industrial Relations, Department of (DIR)
Industrial Welfare Commission (IWC)
Information Security, Office of (OIS)
Infrastructure and Economic Development Bank (I-Bank) (IBANK)
Inspector General, Office of the (OIG)
Insurance Commissioner
Insurance, Department of (CDI)
Judicial Council of California
Judicial Performance, Commission on (CJP)
Justice, Department of (Attorney General) (DOJ)
Juvenile Justice, Division of
Juvenile Parole Board (JPB)
Labor and Workforce Development Agency (LWDA)
Labor Enforcement Task Force (LETF)
Labor Market Information Division (LMID)
Labor Standards Enforcement, Division of (DLSE)
Labor Statistics and Research, Division of (DLSR)
Lands Commission, California State (SLC)
Landscape Architects Technical Committee (LATC)
Latino Legislative Caucus (LLC)
Law Enforcement Agencies
Law Revision Committee (CLRC)
Learn California
Legislative Analyst's Office (LAO)
Legislative Black Caucus (ASM)
Legislative Environmental Caucus
Legislative Information (LEGINFO)
Legislative Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, & Transgender Caucus (LGBT)
Legislative Outdoor Sporting Caucus
Legislative Rural Caucus
Legislative Women's Caucus
Legislature, California State (LEGISLATURE)
Library, California State (CSL)
Lieutenant Governor, Office of (LTG)
Little Hoover Commission (LHC)
Lottery Commission (Lotto)
Lottery, State (LOTTERY)
Managed Health Care, Department of (DMHC)
Managed Risk Medical Insurance Board (MRMIB)
Medi-Cal (MEDI-CAL)
Mediation & Conciliation Service, State (CMCS)
Medical Assistance Commission (CMAC)
Medical Board of California (MBC)
Mental Health Services Oversight and Accountability Commission (MHSOAC)
Mental Health, Department of (DMH)
Mentally Ill Offenders, Council on (COMIO)
Military Museum, California State (CSMM)
Mine Reclamation, Office of
Mining & Geology Board (SMGB)
Missing & Unidentified Persons Unit (DOJ)
Motor Vehicles, Department of (DMV)
Museum for History, Women and the Arts, California
Museum, the California (Museum)
MyCali Youth Portal (MYCALI)
Native American Heritage Commission (NAHC)
Natural Resources Agency, California
Naturopathic Medicine Committee
New Motor Vehicle Board (NMVB)
Occupational Safety & Health, California Office of (DOSH)
Occupational Safety and Health Appeals Board (DIR, OSHAB)
Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board (OSHSB)
Occupational Therapy, California Board of (BOT)
Ocean & Coastal Environmental Access Network, California (Cal OCEAN)
Ocean Protection Council (OPC)
Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Recreation (OHMVR)
Office of Statewide Health Planning & Development (OSHPD)
Oil, Gas & Geothermal Resources
Optometry, Board of
Osteopathic Medical Board of California (OMBC)
Paid Family Leave Insurance Program (PFL)
Parks and Recreation Commission
Parks, California State (PARKS)
Parole Hearings, Board of (CDCR, BOPH)
Patient Advocate, Office of the (OPA)
Peace Officer Standards & Training, Commission on (POST)
Personnel Board, State (SPB)
Pesticide Regulation, Department of (CDPR)
Pharmacy, Board of
Physical Fitness and Sports, California Governor's Council on
Physical Therapy Board of California (PTBC)
Physician Assistant Committee (PAC)
Pilot Commissioners, Board of (BOPC)
Podiatric Medicine, Board of (BPM)
Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plan (PCIP)
Prison Industry Authority (CALPIA)
Privacy Protection, Office of (OPP)
Private Postsecondary Education, Bureau for (BPPE)
Procurement Division (PD)
Professional Engineers, Land Surveyors, & Geologists, Board for
Professional Fiduciaries Bureau
Psychology, Board of
Public Employees Retirement System, California (CalPERS)
Public Employment Relations Board, California (PERB)
Public Health, California Department of (CDPH)
Public Infrastructure Advisory Commission (PIAC)
Public Safety Communications, Office of (PSCO)
Public School Construction, Office of (OPSC)
Public Utilities Commission, California (CPUC)
Publishing, Office of State (OSP)
Railroad Museum, California State (CSRMF)
Real Estate Appraisers, Office of (OREA)
Real Estate, Department of (DRE)
Regenerative Medicine, California Institute for (CIRM)
Registered Nursing, Board of (RN)
Registrar of Charitable Trusts (AG)
Rehabilitation, Department of (DOR)
Research Bureau, California (CRB)
Respiratory Care Board of California (RCB)
Risk and Insurance Management, Office of (ORIM)
Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Conservancy
Safe at Home Program (Secretary of State)
San Diego River Conservancy (SDRC)
San Francisco Bay Conservation & Development Commission (BCDC)
San Gabriel & Lower Los Angeles Rivers & Mountains Conservancy (RMC)
San Joaquin River Conservancy (SJRC)
Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy (SMMC)
Save Our Water (SOW)
Science Center, California
Secretary of State (SOS)
Security and Investigative Services, Bureau of (BSIS)
Seismic Safety Commission (SSC)
Self Insurance Plans (DIR, SIP)
Senate Majority Caucus
Senate Office of Research (SOR)
Senate Republican Caucus
Senate, California State
Sierra Nevada Conservancy
Small Business & Disabled Veteran Business Enterprise Certification Program
Small Business Development Centers (SBDC)
Social Services, Department of (CDSS)
Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology Board
State Mandates, Commission on (CSM)
Status of Women, Commission on (CCW)
Structural Pest Control Board
Student Aid Commission (CSAC)
Summer School for the Arts, California State (CSSSA)
Superintendent of Public Instruction, State (SPI)
Superior Courts, California (COURTS)
Supreme Court of California (COURTS)
Systems Integration, Office of (OSI)
Tahoe Conservancy, California
Tax Service Center (TAXES)
Teach California
Teacher Credentialing, Commission on (CTC)
Teachers' Retirement System, California (CalSTRS)
Technology, Department of
Technology Services, Office of (OTECH)
Telephone Medical Advice Services Bureau (DCA, TMAS)
Tourism Industry, California (for Industry Professionals)
Toxic Substances Control, Department of (DTSC)
Traffic Safety, Office of (OTS)
Transportation Commission (CATC)
Transportation, Department of (DOT,CALTRANS)
Travel and Tourism Commission, California (VisitCalifornia)
Treasurer's Office, State (STO)
Trustees, Board of (California State University)
Unclaimed Property (SCO)
Unemployment Insurance Appeals Board (CUIAB)
Unemployment Insurance Program (EDD, UI)
Uniform Custom Cost Accounting Commission (SCO)
University of California (UC)
University, California State (CALSTATE, CSU)
Veterans Affairs, Department of (CalVet)
Veterans Board, The California
Veterinary Medical Board, California (VMB)
Victim Compensation and Government Claims Board (VCGCB)
Vocational Nursing and Psychiatric Technicians, Board of (BVNPT)
Volunteers, California
Voter Registration - Secretary of State (SOS)
Water Quality Monitoring Council, California (Monitoring Council)
Water Resources Control Board (WRCB)
Water Resources, Department of (DWR)
Welcome Centers, California (CWC)
Welfare to Work Division (CDSS)
West Nile Virus
Wildlife Conservation Board (WCB)
Women's Health, Office of (OWH)
Women, Infants, & Children Program (WIC)
Worker's Compensation Appeals Board (DIR, WCAB)
Worker's Occupational Safety & Health Training & Education Program (WOSHTEP)
Workers' Compensation, Division of (DIR, DWC)
Workforce Investment Board, California (CWIB)

socal2 says

Here is a list of government departments in California alone. Many of which I think could be re-purposed for some of the reform tasks you listed above.

I imagine many of them could be repurposed/combined. I also imagine you are saying 'look at the length of this list!' I'm looking at it and thinking it doesn't appear particularly long considering what's on it and that the state has a population of 37m.

Bigsby says

I also imagine you are saying 'look at the length of this list!' I'm looking at it and thinking it doesn't appear particularly long considering what's on it and that the state has a population of 37m.

I look at that list and think we could eliminate 2/3 of it and most Californian's wouldn't miss a thing.

Just crazy to think that there are no efficiencies to be had with our massive Federal, State and Local government. There is so much low hanging fruit.

Hell - California could start by getting rid of the Prevailing Wage requirements for public works jobs which is nothing but a corrupt union requirement to dissuade Cities from contracting with private non-union firms who cost less than government workers doing the same job. I just had to raise a proposal price for a City we are working with by a quarter million dollars to include prevailing wage.

socal2 says

I look at that list and think we could eliminate 2/3 of it and most Californian's wouldn't miss a thing.

I'm sure they wouldn't, but many agencies aren't there to cater to a majority of people.

"How the Maker of TurboTax Fought Free, Simple Tax Filing
***
Intuit and its allies are continuing to work against proposals for what’s known as return-free filing.... H&R Block, whose tax filing product H&R Block At Home competes with TurboTax, declined to discuss return-free filing with ProPublica. The company's disclosure forms state that it also has lobbied on at least one bill related to return-free filing."

socal2 says

Here is a list of government departments in California alone.

...Climate Change Portal, California

Hehehehehe hahahahahaha You GUYS are so funny!
A Propaganda Portal has its own department and budget, and you guys want to take a whack at federal government.
geeeshh

I mean really any of these... well all of these could be condensed down to one. Without killing a food stamp program.

eServices Office (ESERVICES)
Energy Commission, California (ENERGY)
Environment Resources Evaluation System, California (CERES)
Environmental Health Hazard Assessment, Office of (OEHHA)
Environmental Protection Agency (CALEPA)
Natural Resources Agency, California
Research Bureau, California (CRB)
Save Our Water (SOW)
Science Center, California
Technology, Department of
Technology Services, Office of (OTECH)
Volunteers, California
Water Quality Monitoring Council, California (Monitoring Council)
Water Resources Control Board (WRCB)
Water Resources, Department of (DWR)

How on earth could you condense that list down to one? There's very little overlap at all between many of them. Eservices, energy, environment, science centre, water, volunteers...

CaptainShuddup says

Volunteers, California

Oh I would condense it down to one alright?

If you assholes want to pontificate about nature do it on your own damn dime.

socal2 says

No wonder we are screwed when a huge segment of the population just throws up their hands and claim it is impossible to reform government. We just need to keep feeding the beast and never expect better governance - right?

As long as votes can be bought either by huge bribes (free speech, sorry) by the .1% wanting subsidies from the government (the republican way) or by politicians buying peoples votes with their own tax money as handouts (the democratic way) then yes it is impossible to reform.