The Most Tax Burdened State In America

A recent article in Forbes confirms what us Californians intuitively knew: California is the most tax-burdened state in America. This has been confirmed thanks to a study by the Pacific Research Institute which looked at two critical factors: 1) how much of the state's economy (the gross state product) is taken up by local and state government spending; and 2) how favorably is the state's tax structure designed to benefit small businesses to encourage growth, investment, and innovation.

When burden and structure are combined, the most tax efficient state in the Union is South Dakota, followed closely by Delaware, Nevada, Texas, and Louisiana.

The lowest-ranked states? South Carolina, New York, and....California in dead last.

California politicians have been rankled by a recent advertising campaign by the State of Nevada which encourages small businesses in California to pull up stakes and move across state lines. But until those same politicians address the crushing tax burden--coupled with the brutal tax structure they have erected--California's once shining influence will continue to diminish. And businesses will continue to leave the Golden State in droves.

A Humble Introduction

To the great consternation of the so-called Mainstream Media, everyday folks like me have the ability--via the freedom of the internet--to share our thoughts on whatever comes to mind.  This is a wonderful opportunity fraught with danger.  Why?  Because if the blogger does not approach this enterprise with a certain degree of humility, he or she will fail.  There is, in fact, a kind of presumptuousness in the very thought of creating a blog.  I mean, what is about me that assumes that somebody out there would actually be interested in reading the things I write about?

Well, dear reader, here are the tenets by which I will be guided as I write and share my thoughts and ideas with you:

1. You deserve a fresh perspective.  I don't live in Washington, DC and have never worked there.  I don't live in a large city, although I have worked in some before (namely, Boston, Pittsburgh, Atlanta, and Los Angeles).  I'm definitely not part of 'the establishment', however you define it.  The perspective I bring is as an entrepreneur, as someone who derives his paycheck by living close to the land, and who does it in the unlikely venue of California.  Yes, I'm a farmer who lives in the San Joaquin Valley of California--the same California that's the home of Berkeley, San Francisco, Hollywood, and Orange County.  More on that later...
2. I'll write with a fresh variety of topics.  Since it's my blog, I have the freedom to write about just about anything that comes to mind.  That's fantastic!  It means I'm not locked in to a specific narrow set of subjects, and so I won't be.  Here you will find a liberal sprinkling of thoughts on the farming business and how farmers can carve out a living in the 21st century; travel tips for those of you who may be so inclined to visit our beautiful, diverse, and financially-mismanaged state; a farmer's perspective on the politics of the day--both here in California and in the nation's capital (and perhaps elsewhere as well); and who knows what else?  I might even throw in a favorite recipe from time to time, or an essay on hiking in the Sierras, or even some tips on the art of being a gentleman.
3. I'll do my best not to be boring.  That is, I'll write with you--the reader--in mind.  But if I get off-track, if I start to get too self-absorbed, if my prose doesn't match my lofty objectives as imparted in this post, I trust that you will let me know.  I'll try not to take criticism personally, but will be keenly interested in how you think this effort is going.  The key, I think, to avoiding boredom on your part is for me to be fresh, relevant, and insightful.
4. I will post three times a week.  I won't lock myself in to specific days of the week, at least at this point. But I will make sure that I offer new material each time.
5. I'll offer attribution whenever it's called for, and will appreciate the same from fellow bloggers who may find something here useful for their own readers.

That's it.  Those are my rules.

I hope you enjoy the ride as much as I'll enjoy being your tour guide.  It will be an adventure for us both.  I promise.  

And now, ladies and gentlemen, please climb aboard this riverboat I've named "The Generous Harvest".  We'll ride wherever the river flows.  Feel free to ask questions along the way...