http://www.dmv.ca.gov/

/subtracts @$600 from her car registration renewal due in January

I can have Christmas this year!

600 off? I don't even want to know what it was before.

The last year I was in California, my motorcycle registration was 192 for one year.

I am so so glad I escaped.

My truck registration in FL is $48.50 (and its a show vehicle lol) but still gets driven about 4 days a week.

Originally posted by B_Delacroix
600 off? I don't even want to know what it was before.
$812

now down to $333 (so, $500+ off...close enough...)

What I find hilarious is

On Monday after Arnies signed that order, the director of the Department of Motor Vehicles pulled out the usual bureaucratic BS.

He was saying, that the refund would take months to get to, they don't have the manpower, the computers all have to be reprogrammed before the refund would happen.

BOOM!!!

"On Tuesday -- the day Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger appointed Chon Gutierrez as interim director of the Department of Motor Vehicles -- Gutierrez called an early morning meeting to say the VLF rollback will go in to effect immediately."

Zoom to the moon.

Arnie fired him and already had his replacement ready to go and what they are going to do. And said, whatever your current bill is, divide it by 3 and send that in. Sort it out later.


I love that.

When he means immediate, he means immediate.


It is going to be fun to watch what a governor who

1) is not a politician
2) does not need the job
3) has no future political aspirations

is going to do. If he fires the head one of the most powerful bureaucracies in California, on the very first day, I am buying some popcorn.

Holy chit! I didn't know the rest of the story...dayum!

*edit*
omg...relayed this latest info to my bf, who replied

"Would be even better if he'd called him and said... 'Your tenure as Director of the Department of Motor Vehicles is terminated. You'll not be baack.' "

I'm laughing my head off.

I pay about 40$ for a year of registration in New Mexico. I make more money than I did when I worked at EA and I pay about half as much for twice the space to live in.

When I drive around out here, I see people who live here who are still paying California vehicle registration fees, evident because they have a California licence plate with a stack of stickers. I boggle as to why they choose to continue to do so.

When I arrived in California and they slapped a huge fee on me with the explanation that "this is for the taxes you would have paid if you bought your vehicle in California", I boggled. They certainly didn't refund any of those tax dollars when I left. Heck, they tried to make me pay the smog fee for my motorcycle, which you don't have to do.

I pay $55/year, in Texas. I've always wondered, what is it that you Californians get for all the extra taxes you pay? It's a nice place to visit but I could never afford to live there.

Grats. Have fun spending the cash!

But how and when is Arnie going to pay back the budget deficit of California?

38 billion dollars? That's more than all other US states together, isn't it?

Sure noone likes to pay taxes, me neither. But personally i prefer to drive 130 mph on a perfect paved german autobahn than driving on this full of bumps and holes californian dirt roads called Highways. ;)

fun stuff.... nothing fun ever happens in central PA. but then my car registration is like 37 bucks.

/cackle

We have to pay to register our vehicles?! Awww crap. BRB!

Yeah, that Texan energy company didn't really help California either...

***
I'm not into arguing politics.../shrug


And I'm certainly not defending living in California. I am here because that's where my job is. Do I like it better than where I moved from (Indiana)? Yup! Do I want to live here forever? Nope!

Don't lay that crap on me about how much California sucks, blah blah blah...I live here because that's where my job is. I can wear sandals every day of the year (which is cool) but the cost of living is stupid (which is not cool). Find me another software company that I can work for that has had a steady growth increase of 7-15% for 10+ years outside of California and I'll apply there.

I miss thunderstorms, getting snowed in, wearing wool sweaters and fall leaves. But I have palm trees in my yard, wear shorts until November (and again in March) and everyone I'm related to or know from back home can't wait to come visit me.

***

Increasing the VLF 300% is stupid - one big hit to every car owner for every car they own is HUGE and NOTICEABLE. If Arnie hadn't repealed it, how many cars on the road would fall out of registration (and subsequently insureance) because people can't or refuse to pay it. Raising sale tax 0.5% would raise more money and sooo not be noticeable...

***

But don't listen to me - I'm just some stupid moron who lives in California.

Well, they talking about a 15 billion dollar long term bond.

I've had a CA tax-exempt bond fund for quite some time. I've been earning about 6-7% interest free for many years. With CA's credit rating going down, it might start paying more.

I dunno, sometimes there is a silver lining!

y philosophy is to try to participate in those portions of the economy that are screwing everyone over. That way, when I go to the fill up my car and cringe at the price of gas, I can take some comfort in the fact that I will also be benefiting from the price gouging. When I see prescriptions that cost over 100 dollars for a month's supply, I can take a measure of comfort that I own a piece of whatever company is getting wealthy off my misfortune.

:\

If California sucks so much, why do the people keep arriving in droves to settle here every year?

And yes, it's a huge relief that the VLT increase has been repealed. That pissed a lot of Californians off given the astronomical cost of living in this state. Here in Orange County, the median price of an average home is $400,000!

Originally posted by Maody
Grats. Have fun spending the cash!

But how and when is Arnie going to pay back the budget deficit of California?

38 billion dollars? That's more than all other US states together, isn't it?

I don't think so... I think it might be the largest single-state debt, but I think the US states as a total was somewhere in the neighborhood of $650 billion in debt. For the US government, it's somewhere around $6 quadrillion when I last cared to look.

Wow defensive much? I don't recall myself or anyone else saying that California "sucked" or that anyone who lived there was an idiot. The general consensus is that taxes of all kinds are extremely high there and my question was why? Do you get extra public services? Are the roads better maintained? I don't know...I just find it curious how the state with some of the highest taxes in the country also seems to have some of the biggest budget problems. Those who have nice jobs and can afford to live well despite California's high cost of living--great! I'll be the first to admit that the weather in Texas is some of the worst in the country but at least here I can afford to have my own apartment--that simply wouldn't be possible in California or the Northeast.

The single biggest problem with California is...




They don't have the Buckeyes!

Speaking of which, its about time to bust out the Ohio State Avatar again...where did I put that thing?.

But don't listen to me - I'm just some stupid moron who lives in California.


You have your opinion, I have mine. I never thought you were a moron but from this statement I do think you are oversensitive.

They don't have the Buckeyes!

Speaking of which, its about time to bust out the Ohio State Avatar again...where did I put that thing?

You'll forgive me if I point and laugh after they get owned by Michigan this weekend! :D

Originally posted by B_Delacroix
You have your opinion, I have mine. I never thought you were a moron but from this statement I do think you are oversensitive.
When several people decide to basically say "California sucks and you're stupid for living there, what are you getting out it", I think I have the right to be a bit offended.

Doesn't mean I still don't think you're the coolest TDG paladin =)

Originally posted by Galamar
You'll forgive me if I point and laugh after they get owned by Michigan this weekend! :D

You know...everyone said the same thing last year.

And the year before.

But thats ok, it makes it that much sweeter when my Bucks win!

Originally posted by Menlaiene
The general consensus is that taxes of all kinds are extremely high there and my question was why? Do you get extra public services?

It's the orgasms. Californians have the most powerful ones in the nation and it's a priviledge many of us are willing to pay for. ;)

Seriously though, it ain't easy or sometimes possible to leave loved ones behind. I have aging parents that need me around, a sister and her family, friends, etc. And I'm a property owner and my house is worth about twice what I paid for it. You sell and try to come back and you need to be very wealthy to try to buy property again, at least in some areas.

Originally posted by Panamah
It's the orgasms. Californians have the most powerful ones in the nation and it's a priviledge many of us are willing to pay for. ;)
/wipes coffee off of monitor

What da rogue said! /nod nod

You know...everyone said the same thing last year.

And the year before.

But thats ok, it makes it that much sweeter when my Bucks win!

*points and laughs!*

And Michigan wins! :D