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		<title>Liberal</title>
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		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;TurnerT: &lt;/p&gt;
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&lt;div&gt;[[File:President Barack Obama.jpg|thumbnail|right|180px|President [[Barack Obama]] advocates the use of [[Keynesian economics|Keynesian economic concepts]].]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
A '''liberal''' is someone who favors [[censorship]] of [[Christianity]] as well as increased [[government]] spending, power, and control, as in [[ObamaCare]].  Increasingly, liberals side with the [[homosexual agenda]], including supporting [[same-sex marriage|homosexual &amp;quot;marriage&amp;quot;]].  Many liberals favor a [[welfare state]] where people receive endless entitlements without working.  Liberals are often anti-[[Christian]], or otherwise disagree with moral or social principles held by many American Christians. The liberal ideology has worsened over the years and degenerated into economically unsound views and intolerant ideology.  Some liberals simply support, in knee-jerk fashion, the opposite of [[conservative]] principles without having any meaningful values of their own.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Polling data has consistently shown that a decreasingly large percentage of Americans identify as conservative, rather than as liberal, currently by 38% to 21%. Younger people and those with higher levels of education are more likely to identify as liberal.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;http://pewresearch.org/pubs/1042/winds-of-political-change-havent--shifted-publics-ideology-balance&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;  &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The decline in liberal principles can be illustrated by how [[Franklin Delano Roosevelt]] opposed and condemned public sector unions, stating that the idea of collective bargaining can't be transferred from the private to the public sector, as that would result in the government being unable to carry out its duties.  Yet today, decades later, [[Democrats]] and liberals are in lock-step with public sector unions, as they &amp;quot;donate&amp;quot; money to the reelection campaign in exchange for more taxpayer money in their wallets and fluffed up pensions.  &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
A liberal generally supports many of the following political positions and practices:&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
* Spending money on government programs (the significant economic problems in the [[Eurozone]] due to government debt will no doubt increasingly discredit this aspect of liberal ideology and make things more difficult for advocates of liberal economic ideologies)&lt;br /&gt;
* Government's ability to solve economic problems&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;http://www.studentnewsdaily.com/conservative-vs-liberal-beliefs&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
* The belief that terrorism is not a huge threat, and that the main reason for Muslim extremists' hostility towards America is because of bad foreign policy &amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;http://www.studentnewsdaily.com/conservative-vs-liberal-beliefs&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
* Taxpayer-funded and/or legalized [[abortion]]&lt;br /&gt;
* Cessation of teacher-led [[prayer]] in classrooms and school/state-sponsored religious events.&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Gun control]]&lt;br /&gt;
* Affirmative action&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;http://www.studentnewsdaily.com/conservative-vs-liberal-beliefs&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
* Opposition to government regulation or restriction of obscenity, pornography and violence in video games as a [[First Amendment]] right&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;The [[Warren Court]], led by [[liberal]] Justices [[William O. Douglas]], [[Hugo Black]], [[Abe Fortas]], [[William Brennan]] and Chief Justice [[Earl Warren]] issued 36 decisions granting [[First Amendment]] rights to obscenity and pornography.  These decisions remain fully supported by liberals today.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
* Government-funded medical care, such as [[Obamacare]]&lt;br /&gt;
* Taxpayer-funded and government-controlled [[public education]]&lt;br /&gt;
* Placement of men and women in the same jobs in the [[military]]&lt;br /&gt;
* Legalized [[same-sex marriage]] and homosexual adoption&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Tax and spend]] economics&lt;br /&gt;
* Economic sector regulations&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;http://www.studentnewsdaily.com/conservative-vs-liberal-beliefs&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
* Spreading of [[political correctness]]&lt;br /&gt;
* Non-syndicalist [[labor union|labor unions]]&lt;br /&gt;
* Encouraging promiscuity through sexual education (the teaching of safe sex) rather than teaching [[abstinence]] from premarital sex&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt; [http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,286671,00.html Democrats Aim To Kill Abstinence-Only Program Funding], [[Fox News]], Monday, June 25, 2007&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
* A &amp;quot;[[living Constitution]]&amp;quot; that is reinterpreted as liberals prefer, rather than how it is thought to have been intended.&lt;br /&gt;
* Government programs to [[rehabilitate criminals]]&lt;br /&gt;
* Abolition of the death penalty&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Environmentalism]]&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt; and environmental organizations, for example [[Greenpeace]]&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Globalism]]&lt;br /&gt;
* Constitutionally mandated separation of church and state.&lt;br /&gt;
* Opposition to full private property rights.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;  For example, the liberal wing of the [[U.S. Supreme Court]] issued the 5-4 [[Kelo v. City of New London]] decision authorizing the taking of private property by government in order to give the property to another private entity rather than convert it to a public use.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
* Reinstatement of the [[Fairness Doctrine]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Theory of evolution and liberalism|The theory of evolution]]. &lt;br /&gt;
* Opposition to domestic wire-tapping as authorized in the [[Patriot Act]]&lt;br /&gt;
* Opposition of [[Operation Iraqi Freedom]], a major part of the [[War on Terrorism]]&lt;br /&gt;
* Opposition to the [[War on Terrorism]] and the [[War in Iraq]]&lt;br /&gt;
* Regulation of business rather than a laissez-faire capitalist economy &lt;br /&gt;
* Denial of traditional [[gender roles]]&lt;br /&gt;
* Support of financially irresponsible policies&lt;br /&gt;
* Advocating policies which are proven to be incorrect&lt;br /&gt;
* Encouragement of [[Global Warming|global warming alarmism]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Liberals currently use two Clauses of the Constitution to try to expand their power: the Commerce Clause and the General Welfare Clause. The General Welfare Clause mentions &amp;quot;promoting the general welfare&amp;quot;. This to a liberal means taxing the rich at increased rates and redistributing that money.  The Commerce Clause, on the other hand, says that Congress has the power to regulate trade with foreign nations, between the states and with the Indian tribes. Since the days of FDR this Clause has been interpreted very loosely and has resulted in the federal government expanding its power. The latest example is The Affordable Care Act (ACA), better know as [[Obamacare]]. In the ACA, the liberals justify the individual mandate by saying it regulates commerce between the states. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Current dictionaries describe the liberal ideology by pretending that a liberal is &amp;quot;a person who favors a political philosophy of progress and reform and the protection of civil liberties&amp;quot; or &amp;quot;a person who favors an economic theory of laissez-faire and self-regulating markets,&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;http://wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn?s=liberal&amp;amp;sub=Search+WordNet&amp;amp;o2=&amp;amp;o0=1&amp;amp;o7=&amp;amp;o5=&amp;amp;o1=1&amp;amp;o6=&amp;amp;o4=&amp;amp;o3=&amp;amp;h=00&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; or &amp;quot;open-minded or tolerant, especially free of or not bound by traditional or conventional ideas, values, etc.&amp;quot; or &amp;quot;favorable to or in accord with concepts of maximum individual freedom possible, especially as guaranteed by law and secured by governmental protection of civil liberties.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/liberal&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; In practical usage, the term &amp;quot;liberal&amp;quot; is more closely synonymous with &amp;quot;radical,&amp;quot; &amp;quot;immoral,&amp;quot; &amp;quot;anti-freedom,&amp;quot; or &amp;quot;bad.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Liberals and Uncharitableness==&lt;br /&gt;
[[Image:228130875 35181424e3.jpg|thumb|right|175px|[[United States|American]] Liberals have been observed to give less to charity than American conservatives.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2008/03/conservatives_more_liberal_giv.html&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;  In addition, [[per capita]] [[atheism|atheists]] and [[agnosticism|agnostics]] in the United States [[Atheism and charity|give significantly less to charity than theists even when church giving is not counted for theists]].[http://www.barna.org/barna-update/article/12-faithspirituality/102-atheists-and-agnostics-take-aim-at-christians][http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa3647/is_200310/ai_n9340592/][http://abcnews.go.com/2020/Story?id=2682730&amp;amp;page=2] ]]&lt;br /&gt;
''For more information please see'': [[Liberals and uncharitableness]] and [[Atheism and charity]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In March of 2008, [[George Will]] wrote at [[RealClearPolitics]] concerning the [[United States]]:&lt;br /&gt;
{{cquote|Sixteen months ago, [[Arthur C. Brooks]], a professor at [[Syracuse University]], published &amp;quot;Who Really Cares: The Surprising Truth About Compassionate Conservatism.&amp;quot; The surprise is that liberals are markedly less charitable than [[conservative]]s....&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
If many conservatives are liberals who have been mugged by reality, Brooks, a registered independent, is, as a reviewer of his book said, a social scientist who has been mugged by data. They include these findings:&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
-- Although liberal families' incomes average 6 percent higher than those of conservative families, conservative-headed households give, on average, 30 percent more to charity than the average liberal-headed household ($1,600 per year vs. $1,227).&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
-- Conservatives also donate more time and give more blood.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2008/03/conservatives_more_liberal_giv.html&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;}}&lt;br /&gt;
[[Atheism|Atheists]] and [[agnosticism|agnostics]] often reject [[Bible|Biblical]] [[morality]] (and therefore [[conservative Christianity]] ) and hold to [[moral relativism]].&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;http://www.barna.org/FlexPage.aspx?Page=BarnaUpdate&amp;amp;BarnaUpdateID=152&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;  Therefore, it is not surprising that [[per capita]] atheists and agnostics in [[United States|America]] [[Atheism and charity|give significantly less to charity than theists even when church giving is not counted for theists]].[http://www.barna.org/barna-update/article/12-faithspirituality/102-atheists-and-agnostics-take-aim-at-christians][http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa3647/is_200310/ai_n9340592/][http://abcnews.go.com/2020/Story?id=2682730&amp;amp;page=2]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Liberal politicians and uncharitableness ===&lt;br /&gt;
The political magazine the [[American Spectator]] featured an article which focused on [[liberal politicians and uncharitableness]] exposing the hypocrisy of the liberal politicians it featured.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=1c5_1238044128&amp;amp;c=1&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In addition, [[Barack Obama]] has been criticized concerning [[Barack Obama and uncharitableness|his lack of charitable giving]].&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Liberalism and bestiality ==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
See also: [[Liberalism and bestiality]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Peter-Singer.jpg|right|thumbnail|260px|The [[atheist]] philosopher [[Peter Singer]] defends the practice of [[bestiality]] (as well as [[abortion]], infanticide and [[euthanasia]]).  Despite holding these immoral views the liberal and pro-[[evolution]] academic establishment rewarded his views with a bioethics chair at [[Princeton University]].&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
*[http://creation.com/the-basis-of-a-christian-worldview The Basis of a Christian Worldview - Creation Ministries International]&lt;br /&gt;
*[http://creation.com/answer-to-philosophy-religion-professor-on-biblical-exegesis-and-the-problem-of-evil CMI answers philosophy/religion professor on biblical exegesis and the problem of evil]&lt;br /&gt;
*[http://www.firstthings.com/onthesquare/2011/06/the-dangerous-mind-of-peter-singer ''The Dangerous Mind''] by Joe Carter, ''[[First Things]]''&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; See: [[Atheism and bestiality]] ]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Bestiality]] is the act of engaging in sexual relations with an animal. The [[atheist]] philosopher [[Peter Singer]] defends the practice of bestiality (as well as [[abortion]], infanticide and [[euthanasia]])&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
*[http://creation.com/the-basis-of-a-christian-worldview The Basis of a Christian Worldview - Creation Ministries International]&lt;br /&gt;
*[http://creation.com/answer-to-philosophy-religion-professor-on-biblical-exegesis-and-the-problem-of-evil CMI answers philosophy/religion professor on biblical exegesis and the problem of evil]&lt;br /&gt;
*[http://www.firstthings.com/onthesquare/2011/06/the-dangerous-mind-of-peter-singer ''The Dangerous Mind''] by Joe Carter, ''[[First Things]]''&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;.  Despite holding these immoral views the liberal and pro-[[evolution]] academic establishment rewarded his views with a bioethics chair at [[Princeton University]] (Princeton University is a very liberal school - see: [[Liberalism and bestiality]]).&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
*[http://creation.com/the-basis-of-a-christian-worldview The Basis of a Christian Worldview - Creation Ministries International]&lt;br /&gt;
*[http://creation.com/answer-to-philosophy-religion-professor-on-biblical-exegesis-and-the-problem-of-evil CMI answers philosophy/religion professor on biblical exegesis and the problem of evil]&lt;br /&gt;
*[http://www.firstthings.com/onthesquare/2011/06/the-dangerous-mind-of-peter-singer ''The Dangerous Mind''] by Joe Carter, ''[[First Things]]''&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;  Peter Singer was installed as the Ira W. DeCamp Professor of Bioethics at the University Center for Human Values at Princeton University in 1999 and in 2006 it was reported that he still worked part-time in that capacity. &amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://creation.com/the-basis-of-a-christian-worldview The Basis of a Christian Worldview]&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; In 2006, it was also reported that Singer worked part-time as Laureate Professor at the University of Melbourne in the Centre for Applied Philosophy and Public Ethics since 2005.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://creation.com/the-basis-of-a-christian-worldview The Basis of a Christian Worldview]&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Joe Carter's ''[[First Things]]'' article entitled ''The Dangerous Mind'' declares concerning Peter  Singer declared:&lt;br /&gt;
{{cquote|Singer has spent a lifetime justifying the unjustifiable. He is the founding father of the [[Animal rights|animal liberation movement]] and advocates ending “the present speciesist bias against taking seriously the interests of nonhuman animals.” He is also a defender of killing the aged (if they have dementia), newborns (for almost any reason until they are two years old), necrophilia (assuming it’s consensual), and bestiality (also assuming it’s consensual).&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.firstthings.com/onthesquare/2011/06/the-dangerous-mind-of-peter-singer ''The Dangerous Mind''] by Joe Carter, ''[[First Things]]''&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;}}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On October 5, 2011, the British newspaper The Telegraph wrote an article which discussed how homosexuality &amp;quot;rights&amp;quot; have emboldened individuals to ask for so called bestiality &amp;quot;rights&amp;quot; (see: [[Homosexuality and bestiality]]).&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/timstanley/100108943/the-gay-rights-movement-has-emboldened-americas-bestiality-advocates/ The dark side of sexual freedom: American 'zoophiles' take on the language of equality - October 5, 2011 - The Telegraph]&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In 2010, the liberal state of [[Washington]] has the highest number of reported cases of bestiality in the United States even though it was merely the 13th most populous state according to the 2010 United States census. (for more information please see: [[Washington state and bestiality]]).&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.pet-abuse.com/pages/cruelty_database/statistics/state_ranking.php?year=2010&amp;amp;search=go Pet Abuse -2010]&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://2010.census.gov/2010census/data/apportionment-pop-text.php 2010 United States Census data]&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2011/02/25/new-poll-identifies-most-liberal-and-conservative-states/ 2011 Political map - CNN]&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In 2005, four legislators in the liberal state of [[Massachusetts]] tried to soften its bestiality laws.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[Massachusetts bill to repeal fornication, adultery, and blasphemy, and to soften bestiality laws]&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:NBC Tower.jpg|thumbnail|200px|[[LifeSiteNews]] reported:&amp;quot;In 46 hours of programming, [[NBC]] contained only one reference to marital sex, but 11 references to non-marital sex and one reference to [[adultery]] were made. References to incest, pedophilia, partner swapping, prostitution, threesomes, transsexuals/transvestites, [[bestiality]], and necrophilia combined outnumbered references to sex in marriage on NBC by a ratio of 27 to 1.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.lifesitenews.com/news/archive/ldn/2008/aug/08080602 Study Finds TV Treats Marital Sex as Burdensome, Adultery as Positive]&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; See also: [[Liberalism and bestiality]] ]]&lt;br /&gt;
The Bible says that bestiality is a perversion and, under the [[Old Testament]] [[Pentateuch|Jewish Law]], punishable by death (Exodus 22:19, Leviticus 18:23, Leviticus 20:15 and Deuteronomy 27:21). The atheistic worldview does not lend itself to the establishment of morality within society and individuals (see: [[Atheism and morality]] and [[Atheism and deception]]).  The atheistic worldview does not lend itself to the establishment of morality within society and individuals (see: [[Atheism and morality]] and [[Atheism and deception]]). &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
A study found that &amp;quot;Psychiatric patients were found to have a statistically significant higher prevalence rate (55%) of bestiality than the control groups (10% and 15% respectively).&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1778686 A prevalence study of bestiality (zoophilia) in psychiatric in-patients, medical in-patients, and psychiatric staff - Int J Psychosom. 1991;38(1-4):45-7.]&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; The atheist population [[Atheism and suicide|has a higher suicide rate]] and [[Atheism and marriageability|lower marriage rates]] than the general population (see: [[Atheism and suicide]] and [[Atheism and marriageability]] and [[Atheism and health]]). &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
For more information please see:&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Atheism and bestiality]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Evolutionary belief and bestiality]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Liberalism and bestiality]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Homosexuality and bestiality]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Liberal American entertainment industry and bestiality]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Wikipedia on bestiality]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Bestiality and Sweden|Liberal Sweden and bestiality]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Bestiality and Britain|Godless Britain and bestiality]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Denmark, Sweden, evolutionary belief and bestiality]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Netherlands and bestiality|The liberal Netherlands and bestiality]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Skeptic Skatje Myers' comments on bestiality]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Joseph Stalin's ape-men experiments]]&lt;br /&gt;
=== Occupy Wall Street and bestiality chant ===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
''See also:'' [[Occupy Wall Street and bestiality chant]] &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Bestiality]] is the act of engaging in sexual relations with an animal.  A crowd at Occupy Wall Street was led to repeat various chants which included a chant involving bestiality and the incident was videotaped.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://rightwingnews.com/john-hawkins/the-10-greatest-moments-from-the-occupy-wall-street-protests-so-far/ The 10 Greatest Moments From The Occupy Wall Street Protests So Far]&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Below is an excerpt of the chant:&lt;br /&gt;
{{cquote|Everything seems to be possible. [Crowd Parrot Chant] You can travel to the moon.  [CPC] You can become immortal [CPC] by biogenetics.  You can have sex with animals, or whatever. [CPC].&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://rightwingnews.com/john-hawkins/the-10-greatest-moments-from-the-occupy-wall-street-protests-so-far/ The 10 Greatest Moments From The Occupy Wall Street Protests So Far]&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;}}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Liberals and Superstition==&lt;br /&gt;
[[Image:2384975035_230a0eac30.jpg‎‎|right|150px]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The [[Wall Street Journal]] reported: &amp;quot;A comprehensive new study released by Baylor University, shows that [[Conservative Christianity|traditional Christian religion]] greatly decreases belief in everything from the efficacy of palm readers to the usefulness of [[astrology]]. &amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122178219865054585.html]&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Also, in September of 2008, the [[Wall Street Journal]] reported:&lt;br /&gt;
{{cquote|The reality is that the [[New Atheism|New Atheist]] campaign, by discouraging [[religion]], won't create a new group of intelligent, skeptical, enlightened beings. Far from it: It might actually encourage new levels of mass superstition. And that's not a conclusion to take on faith &amp;amp;mdash; it's what the empirical data tell us.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;What Americans Really Believe,&amp;quot; a comprehensive new study released by Baylor University yesterday, shows that [[Conservative Christianity|traditional Christian religion]] greatly decreases belief in everything from the efficacy of palm readers to the usefulness of [[astrology]]. It also shows that the irreligious and the members of more liberal Protestant denominations, far from being resistant to superstition, tend to be much more likely to believe in the paranormal and in pseudoscience than evangelical Christians....&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
This is not a new finding. In his 1983 book &amp;quot;The Whys of a Philosophical Scrivener,&amp;quot; skeptic and science writer Martin Gardner cited the decline of traditional religious belief among the better educated as one of the causes for an increase in [[pseudoscience]], cults and superstition. He referenced a 1980 study published in the magazine Skeptical Inquirer that showed irreligious college students to be by far the most likely to embrace paranormal beliefs, while born-again Christian college students were the least likely.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122178219865054585.html&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;}}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Liberalism in the United States Today ==&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Smear merchants.jpg|right|200px]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Democrats]] and most media outlets in the [[U.S.]] are blatantly liberal.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;{{cite web|url=http://www.mrc.org/biasbasics/biasbasics1.asp|title=Media Bias basics|publisher=Media Research Center}}&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; Liberalism in North America today practices three primary tactics to attack the Republican Party, and sometimes to attack American values in general. These three liberal tactics can be pronounced using the following [[acronym]]: SIN. Liberals (1) '''s'''hift the subject, they (2) '''i'''gnore the facts, and they (3) '''n'''ame call.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;Scott Baker. [http://www.theblaze.com/stories/did-herman-cain-give-the-dont-miss-speech-at-cpac/ Did Herman Cain Give the ‘Don’t Miss’ Speech at CPAC?], ''[[The Blaze]], February 12, 2011.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[[YouTube]]. [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-N3-j3HM7-A&amp;amp; Herman Cain: &amp;quot;Stupid People Are Ruining America&amp;quot;], February 11, 2011.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
* Liberals typically support a &amp;quot;mixed&amp;quot; economy, a policy similar to that of [[fascism]]. &amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;{{cite web|url=http://fora.tv/2008/01/30/Liberal_Traits_of_Fascism|title=Video discussion about how modern liberalism is actually fascist by author Jonah Goldberg.}}&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
* Liberals claimed a monopoly on [[compassion]], [[decency]], and [[social justice]] (as defined by themselves), posing as the sole defenders of [[civic virtue]] against a horde of backwoodsmen, racists, and religious fanatics. [http://www.americanthinker.com/2008/03/the_disgrace_of_liberalism.html]&lt;br /&gt;
{{cquote|There's another goal, from my point of view, which is to try to lay the groundwork for a radical political force which would conceive of itself as distinctly to the left of moderate, reformist American liberals. And that has two aspects. One is to try to change that liberalism, to transform it by analysis, critique, and activism; the second is to build a radical movement which would be an autonomous force in its own right, which would be distinct from the traditional American liberal consensus. This radical part of the program involves not simply supporting the liberal students against conservative students and conservative professors, but trying to act on them, to push them to the left. It also involves trying to find and support, even trying to help create, networks of radical students in law school and of radical professors around the country — students and teachers who see themselves as wanting to go a lot further than most people want to go. &amp;lt;ref&amp;gt; [http://66.218.69.11/search/cache?ei=UTF-8&amp;amp;p=liberal+teachers&amp;amp;fr=yfp-t-501&amp;amp;fp_ip=MX&amp;amp;u=duncankennedy.net/documents/Liberal%2520Values%2520in%2520Legal%2520Education.pdf&amp;amp;w=liberal+liberals+teachers+teacher&amp;amp;d=BNZFhPReRjC1&amp;amp;icp=1&amp;amp;.intl=us Liberal Values in Legal Education] Duncan Kennedy (professor at Harvard Law School)&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;}}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Liberal Rankings of Congress Members===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The National Journal compiles the votes of each congress member each year and uses the information to create rankings&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;http://nationaljournal.com/voteratings/index.htm&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; of how liberal each member of the United States [[Congress]] is. In addition to showing the voting records of each member and given an overall all ranking of liberalness, the National Journal also ranks congress members by liberalness in the areas of social, economic, and foreign policy.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== American liberalism, demographics and expected tipping point in the decline of American liberalism ===&lt;br /&gt;
''&lt;br /&gt;
See also:'' [[American atheism]] and [[Decline of atheism]] and [[Global atheism]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Due to the explosive growth of [[global Christianity]] in traditional cultures and their influence on Western [[Christianity]] and the higher birth rate of [[Conservative Christianity|conservative Christians]] and religious conservatives, social conservatism is expected to rise.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The Birkbeck College, University of London professor Eric Kaufman wrote in his 2010 book ''Shall the Righteous Inherit the Earth?'' concerning America:&lt;br /&gt;
{{cquote|High evangelical fertility rates more than compensated for losses to liberal Protestant sects during the twentieth century. In recent decades, white secularism has surged, but Latino and Asian religious immigration has taken up the slack, keeping secularism at bay. Across denominations, the fertility advantage of religious fundamentalists of all colours is significant and growing. After 2020, their demographic weight will to tip the balance in the [[Culture War|culture wars]] towards the conservative side, ramping up pressure on hot-button issues such as abortion. By the end of the century, three quarters of America may be pro-life. Their activism will leap over the borders of the 'Redeemer Nation' to evangelize the world. Already, the rise of the World Congress of Families has launched a global religious right, its arms stretching across the bloody lines of the War on Terror to embrace the entire Abrahamic family.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://questionevolution.blogspot.com/2012/05/why-are-years-2012-and-2020-key-years.html Why are 2012 and 2020 key years for Christian creationists and pro-lifers?]&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;}}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Liberalism in Europe today==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In Europe, on the other hand, parties that call themselves ''liberal'' are moderate in outlook, ranging from centre-left to centre-right, promote typically economic and business freedom. The Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;http://www.alde.eu&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; is a party of the European Parliament that represents most ''liberal'' parties from European countries. Similar policies are promoted by many ''liberal'' parties throughout the world,&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;http://www.liberal-international.org/&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; such as the Liberal Party of Australia.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.liberal.org.au/]&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Trade unions and socialist parties often criticize politicians for promoting lower taxes on business, or more flexible hiring and firing laws, by calling them &amp;quot;liberals&amp;quot; or [[neoliberal|neoliberals]]. Thus, just as in the US, &amp;quot;liberal&amp;quot; may occasionally be used as a term of abuse. But when someone is called &amp;quot;liberal&amp;quot; in Europe, it has an entirely different meaning than in the US. In fact, the US meaning of liberal is more similar to the politics of European [[socialist]] or [[social democracy|social democratic]] parties.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.pes.org]&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Historical Liberalism ==&lt;br /&gt;
In history, the word &amp;quot;liberal&amp;quot; has meant different things at different times, and was associated with individual liberty in prior centuries. In the postwar period, liberals supported government intervention in the economy and welfare state policies, as well as peaceful coexistence with the communist block, which are not liberal policies in the sense of classical liberalism. After the end of the cold war, with the demise of socialism and communism, many liberals embraced some ideas from economic neo-liberalism, and coined it the &amp;quot;Third Way&amp;quot;. In the area of national security and foreign policy liberals in the [[U.S.]] failed to define a consistent stance, even after the events of 9/11 and the beginning of the war in Iraq.  Liberals generally support affirmative action, gay marriage, and abortion.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;&amp;quot;Political liberals tend, for whatever reason, to be ardent supporters of both gay rights and pro-choice programs.&amp;quot; Greenberg and Bailey [http://ai.eecs.umich.edu/people/conway/TS/Bailey/Greenberg-Bailey/Homosexual%20Eugenics.pdf]  &amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Original meaning: Classical Liberalism==&lt;br /&gt;
Liberalism is a political philosophy with freedom as its core value. The term was originally applied to supporters of individual liberties and equal rights, but, in America, the term has come to represent a movement of social change that often conflicts with [[conservative]] values such as moral values and traditions derived from Northern European Protestantism.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
See [[Classical Liberal|Classical Liberalism]]. Compare [[Libertarianism]].&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Notable liberal &amp;quot;intellects&amp;quot; ==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
''See also:'' [[Infamous liberals]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Margaret Sanger]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Adolf Hitler]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Joseph Stalin]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
*[[John Wayne Gacy]] - In an interview where he denied killing any of his victims, [[serial killer]] John Wayne Gacy said he was [[bisexuality|bisexual]] and &amp;quot;very liberal&amp;quot;.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;http://s151.photobucket.com/albums/s151/candypop_02/Serial%20Killers/John%20Wayne%20Gacy/?action=view&amp;amp;current=SERIAL_KILLER_John_Wayne_Gacy_In-1.mp4&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; Gacy was also a [[Democratic Party]] activist who had his picture taken with [[Rosalynn Carter]].&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;http://www.digitaljournal.com/image/45527&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Liberal Organizations of thought== &lt;br /&gt;
*[[AARP|AARP - American Association of Retired People]] &lt;br /&gt;
*[[ACLU|ACLU - American Civil Liberties Union]]&lt;br /&gt;
*[[ACORN|ACORN - Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now]]&lt;br /&gt;
*[[AFL-CIO|AFL-CIO - American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations]]&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Amnesty International|AI - Amnesty International]]&lt;br /&gt;
*[[A.N.S.W.E.R.|ANSWER - Act Now to Stop War and End Racism]]&lt;br /&gt;
*[[CAIR|CAIR - Council on American-Islamic Relations]]&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Committees of Correspondence for Democracy and Socialism]]&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Democratic National Committee]]&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Greenpeace]]&lt;br /&gt;
*[[MoveOn.org]]&lt;br /&gt;
*[[NARAL|NARAL - National Abortion and Reproductive Rights Action League]]&lt;br /&gt;
*[[NAACP|NAACP - National Association for the Advancement of Colored People]]&lt;br /&gt;
*[[National Committee for an Effective Congress]]&lt;br /&gt;
*[[National Education Association]]&lt;br /&gt;
*[[National Organization of Women|NOW - National Organization of Women]]&lt;br /&gt;
*[[PETA|PETA - People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals]]&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Planned Parenthood|Planned Parenthood Federation of America]]&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Progressives for Obama]]&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Rainbow/PUSH Coalition]]&lt;br /&gt;
*[[SEIU|SEIU - Service Employees International Union]]&lt;br /&gt;
*[[U.S. Peace Council]]&lt;br /&gt;
Source: [http://www.politixgroup.com/lo.htm The Politix Group]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Quotes on Liberals==&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;I never use the words [[Democrats]] and [[Republicans]]. It's [[liberals]] and [[Americans]].&amp;quot; -James Watt, Secretary of the Interior under [[Ronald Reagan]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==References==&lt;br /&gt;
{{reflist|2}}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==See Also==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Conservative resources]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Conservapedia:Articles about liberals|Articles about liberals]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Classical liberal]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Drinking Liberally]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Godless liberal]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Last wordism]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Essay:Liberal celebrity obsession|Liberal celebrity obsession]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Essay:Liberal Behavior on Conservapedia|Liberal Behavior on Conservapedia]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Liberal Christianity]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Liberal Democrats]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Liberal Elite]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Essay: Liberal Falsehoods|Liberal Falsehoods]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Liberal Fascism]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Liberal friendship]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Liberal Gloss]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Liberal grading]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Liberal hypocrisy]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Essay:Liberal hysteria|Liberal hysteria]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Essay:Liberal Intellectualism|Liberal Intellectualism]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Liberal labels]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Slander: Liberal Lies About the American Right|Liberal Lies About the American Right]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Liberal logic]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[The Liberal Mind: The Psychological Causes of Political Madness|Liberal Mind]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Liberal Party]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Liberal supremacist]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Massachusetts liberal]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Progressives]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Scientific Illiteracy and Liberals]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Further Information==&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Best_New_Conservative_Words#New_Liberal_Terms|New Liberal Terms]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Conservative Links]]&lt;br /&gt;
* http://www.studentnewsdaily.com/conservative-vs-liberal-beliefs/&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
{{liberalism}}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Political Ideologies]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Politics]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category: Liberals]]&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>TurnerT</name></author>
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>https://www.conservapedia.com/index.php?title=California&amp;diff=1039712</id>
		<title>California</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://www.conservapedia.com/index.php?title=California&amp;diff=1039712"/>
		<updated>2013-03-08T17:43:45Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;TurnerT: /* Economy */&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;{{USState&lt;br /&gt;
|name=California&lt;br /&gt;
|flag=California_State_Flag.gif&lt;br /&gt;
|motto=Eureka (I have found it)&lt;br /&gt;
|nick=The Golden State&lt;br /&gt;
|capital=Sacramento&lt;br /&gt;
|language=English&lt;br /&gt;
|governor=Jerry Brown&lt;br /&gt;
|gparty=Democrat&lt;br /&gt;
|senator1=Dianne Feinstein&lt;br /&gt;
|s1party=Democrat&lt;br /&gt;
|s1phone=(202) 224-3841&lt;br /&gt;
|s1email=http://feinstein.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=ContactUs.EmailMe Contact&lt;br /&gt;
|senator2=Barbara Boxer&lt;br /&gt;
|s2party=Democrat&lt;br /&gt;
|s2phone=(202) 224-3553&lt;br /&gt;
|s2email=http://boxer.senate.gov/contact Contact&lt;br /&gt;
|population=35 million&lt;br /&gt;
|date=September 9, 1850 (31st)&lt;br /&gt;
}}&lt;br /&gt;
'''California''', known as the Golden State, became the 31st state on September 9, 1850. It is located on the west coast of the [[United States]], by the [[Pacific Ocean]] and bordered by [[Oregon]], [[Nevada]] and [[Arizona]]. It is the largest state in population and the third largest state in area. Its governor is [[Jerry Brown]]. As of 2011 it is virtually bankrupt. It has served as a poster child for [[liberalism]] and [[Hollywood values]] since the 1960s, especially [[San Francisco]]. It is estimated that California is now losing an estimated 500,000 people statewide every year &amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;http://www.ocregister.com/articles/california-330643-year-county.html&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
'''''[[Liberal]]s ran [[California]] into the ground.'''''  In 2012, its [[leftist]] politicians proposed making its citizens pay an extra $9-billion in new taxes, with half of that going into [[government]] pensions.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2012/05/15/how-california-budget-blunders-led-to-my-divorce-from-golden-state/&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Economy==&lt;br /&gt;
The economy has been badly battered by the [[Recession of 2008]], especially by the collapse of the state's [[housing bubble]]. Unemployment in Aug. 2009 reached 12.2%, the highest since 1940.  Home building this year is less than a quarter of what it was in 2005, and 500,000 of the state’s job losses have been in construction, finance, real estate and industries related to construction.  The state budget is in crisis, because it relied heavily on personal income taxes. The financial collapse greatly reduced personal wealth of rich Californians, and job losses related to the housing bust combined to sharply reduce that source of revenue. After bitter debate in the legislature a budget was passed in July 2009. It closed a roughly $24 billion two-year gap with extensive cuts to social services, parks and education, which in turn reduced consumer spending among laid off and furloughed government workers.Also greatly damaging the economy is their very [[socialist]] nature, being a state in which welfare is easy to come by increasing mass numbers of homeless how live to drink and get high&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Another budget crisis==&lt;br /&gt;
An ugly budget crisis in 2009 was resolved after months of squabbling, with budget cuts, accounting gimmicks, and new taxes.  The legislature in 2009 cut billions from education, healthcare and social services while temporarily hiking income, sales and vehicle taxes.  The 2010 budget deficit is projected at $21 billion which must be closed somehow. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Suggested solutions include raising tobacco taxes; cutting pensions for retired public workers;  repealing corporate tax breaks passed in 2008 and 2009; revising the tax rules for commercial and residential property; reducing the 2/3 legislative vote needed to pass a budget; and strengthening the firewall that protects local government and transportation money from being raided by the state. &amp;quot;There's a lot of people putting chess pieces on the board right now,&amp;quot; said Jon Coupal, president of the anti-tax Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Assn. &amp;quot;The question is which of those chess pieces will be moving.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt; Shane Goldmacher, &amp;quot;California faces a projected deficit of $21 billion,&amp;quot; [http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-budget-deficit18-2009nov18,0,7647152.story ''LosAngeles Times'' Nov. 18, 2009]&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==History==&lt;br /&gt;
see [[History of California]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Miscellaneous facts==&lt;br /&gt;
* California surpassed France in 2000 to become the fifth largest economy in the world&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
*Los Angeles hosted the Summer [[Olympics]] in 1932 and 1984.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
*The California [[Redwood]] was named the official state tree in 1937. &amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;http://www.learncalifornia.org/doc.asp?id=678&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
*The [[state flower]] is the [[Golden poppy]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
*San Bernardino County is the largest county by area in the United States; [[Los Angeles]] is the largest by population.  &amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;http://www.50states.com/facts/calif.htm&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
*Since 2000, California has offered [[domestic partnership]]s, which are similar to [[same sex marriage]].&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.answers.com/topic/domestic-partnership-in-the-united-states Answers.com]&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; Same-sex marriage was briefly legal in 2008, but this ended when Proposition 8, a voter referendum to define marriage as only being between a man and woman, passed.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Politics==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
From 2003-2011 California's governor was liberal Republican [[Arnold Schwarzenegger]]. This is the same position that was once held by conservative icon [[Ronald Reagan]] in 1966-74. California is considered to be one of the [[blue state|&amp;quot;blue-est&amp;quot; states]], consistently voting for Democratic legislative and Presidential candidates since 1992, mixed in with numerous Republican governors.  The San Francisco area (called &amp;quot;the Bay Area&amp;quot;) and Hollywood are the centers of liberalism; Southern California and the rural areas are much more conservative. Prior to 1992, California was consistently a [[red state]].&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Richard Nixon]] is the only President to have been born in California, but he lived in New York when elected in 1968. [[Ronald Reagan]] was a resident when elected in 1980.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Business climate==&lt;br /&gt;
California scores poorly in state ratings of business climate. In a CNBC survey, it ranked 32nd overall but last in &amp;quot;cost of business&amp;quot; and 49th in &amp;quot;business friendliness.&amp;quot; IT (Intel, Google, Hewlett Packard, Cisco, Apple, Yahoo!) and biotechnology remain strengths, but some traditional industries are struggling. High costs, as well as tax breaks from other states, have caused movie studios to shift production from Southern California. In 1996, feature films involved 14,500 production days in the Los Angeles area; in 2008, the total had fallen in half. Businessmen both in California and those who have moved out of the state have said that California has declared war on its own economy, with San Francisco taking particular delight in job killing legislation.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Budget Crises==&lt;br /&gt;
The state has had two severe budget crises in 2009, caused by high spending, a plunge in tax revenue (caused by the decline in income of the wealthy who pay most of the taxes), and a refusal of enough Republicans to provide the two-thirds majority in the legislature needed to raise taxes.  Long term borrowing is not allowed--the state has to balance its budget annually, but many gimmicks are used.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
With a $26 billion deficit in its $92 billion budget, the state ran out of money and issued IOU's (warrants) before the solution was reached: massive spending cuts. In February 2009, the Legislature raised the state sales tax, bringing the total -- including local sales taxes -- to about 9 cents or more. Top income tax rates, already among the highest in the country, were raised. So were motor vehicle registration fees. Spending cuts approved in February and July are deep. Together, the cuts equal almost 30% of the general revenue fund and will affect schools, prisons, colleges and welfare. Some welfare benefits will be cut by half. California's student-teacher ratio, now about a third above the national average, will probably go even higher. The high prestige University of California system lost 20% of its state payments. It is raising tuition and student fees by 9.3%, imposing salary reductions of 4% to 10% on more than 100,000 workers, and postponing faculty hires until a better day.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Republicans claimed victory in the end, as they achieved large budget cuts and no new taxes.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Elected officials== &lt;br /&gt;
===Federal===&lt;br /&gt;
*Sen. [[Barbara Boxer]] [D, CA] &lt;br /&gt;
*Sen. [[Dianne Feinstein]] [D, CA] &lt;br /&gt;
*Rep. [[Mike Thompson]] [D, CA-1] &lt;br /&gt;
*Rep. [[Walter Herger]] [R, CA-2] &lt;br /&gt;
*Rep. [[Daniel Lungren]] [R, CA-3] &lt;br /&gt;
*Rep. [[Tom McClintock]] [R, CA-4] &lt;br /&gt;
*Rep. [[Doris Matsui]] [D, CA-5] &lt;br /&gt;
*Rep. [[Lynn Woolsey]] [D, CA-6] &lt;br /&gt;
*Rep. [[George Miller]] [D, CA-7] &lt;br /&gt;
*Rep. [[Nancy Pelosi]] [D, CA-8] &lt;br /&gt;
*Rep. [[Barbara Lee]] [D, CA-9] &lt;br /&gt;
*Rep. [[John Garamendi]] [D, CA-10] &lt;br /&gt;
*Rep. [[Jerry McNerney]] [D, CA-11] &lt;br /&gt;
*Rep. [[Jackie Speier]] [D, CA-12] &lt;br /&gt;
*Rep. [[Fortney Stark]] [D, CA-13] &lt;br /&gt;
*Rep. [[Anna Eshoo]] [D, CA-14] &lt;br /&gt;
*Rep. [[Michael Honda]] [D, CA-15] &lt;br /&gt;
*Rep. [[Zoe Lofgren]] [D, CA-16] &lt;br /&gt;
*Rep. [[Sam Farr]] [D, CA-17] &lt;br /&gt;
*Rep. [[Dennis Cardoza]] [D, CA-18] &lt;br /&gt;
*Rep. [[Jeff Denham]] [R, CA-19] &lt;br /&gt;
*Rep. [[Jim Costa]] [D, CA-20] &lt;br /&gt;
*Rep. [[Devin Nunes]] [R, CA-21] &lt;br /&gt;
*Rep. [[Kevin McCarthy]] [R, CA-22] &lt;br /&gt;
*Rep. [[Lois Capps]] [D, CA-23] &lt;br /&gt;
*Rep. [[Elton Gallegly]] [R, CA-24] &lt;br /&gt;
*Rep. [[Howard McKeon]] [R, CA-25] &lt;br /&gt;
*Rep. [[David Dreier]] [R, CA-26] &lt;br /&gt;
*Rep. [[Brad Sherman]] [D, CA-27] &lt;br /&gt;
*Rep. [[Howard Berman]] [D, CA-28] &lt;br /&gt;
*Rep. [[Adam Schiff]] [D, CA-29] &lt;br /&gt;
*Rep. [[Henry Waxm]]an [D, CA-30] &lt;br /&gt;
*Rep. [[Xavier Becerra]] [D, CA-31] &lt;br /&gt;
*Rep. [[Hilda Solis]] [D, CA-32] &lt;br /&gt;
*Rep. [[Karen Bass]] [D, CA-33] &lt;br /&gt;
*Rep. [[Lucille Roybal-Allard]] [D, CA-34] &lt;br /&gt;
*Rep. [[Maxine Waters]] [D, CA-35] &lt;br /&gt;
*Rep. [[Jane Harman]] [D, CA-36] &lt;br /&gt;
*Rep. [[Laura Richardson]] [D, CA-37] &lt;br /&gt;
*Rep. [[Grace Napolitano]] [D, CA-38] &lt;br /&gt;
*Rep. [[Linda Sánchez]] [D, CA-39] &lt;br /&gt;
*Rep. [[Edward Royce]] [R, CA-40] &lt;br /&gt;
*Rep. [[Jerry Lewis]] [R, CA-41] &lt;br /&gt;
*Rep. [[Gary Miller]] [R, CA-42] &lt;br /&gt;
*Rep. [[Joe Baca]] [D, CA-43] &lt;br /&gt;
*Rep. [[Ken Calvert]] [R, CA-44] &lt;br /&gt;
*Rep. [[Mary Bono Mack]] [R, CA-45] &lt;br /&gt;
*Rep. [[Dana Rohrabacher]] [R, CA-46] &lt;br /&gt;
*Rep. [[Loretta Sanchez]] [D, CA-47] &lt;br /&gt;
*Rep. [[John Campbell]] [R, CA-48] &lt;br /&gt;
*Rep. [[Darrell Issa]] [R, CA-49] &lt;br /&gt;
*Rep. [[Brian Bilbray]] [R, CA-50] &lt;br /&gt;
*Rep. [[Bob Filner]] [D, CA-51] &lt;br /&gt;
*Rep. [[Duncan Hunter]] [R, CA-52] &lt;br /&gt;
*Rep. [[Susan Davis]] [D, CA-53]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Statewide=== &lt;br /&gt;
* [[Governor of California|Governor]] [[Jerry Brown]] (D)&lt;br /&gt;
* Lieutenant Governor [[Gavin Newsom]] (D)&lt;br /&gt;
* Secretary of State [[Debra Bowen]] (D) &lt;br /&gt;
* Attorney General [[Steve Cooley]] (R)&lt;br /&gt;
* State Treasurer [[Bill Lockyer]] (D)&lt;br /&gt;
* State Controller [[John Chiang]] (D)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Energy==&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:CA-oil.jpg|thumb|375px|right]][[File:Oil-symbol.jpg|thumb|300px|right]] California is rich in conventional and renewable energy resources. It has large crude oil and substantial natural gas deposits in six geological basins, located in the Central Valley and along the Pacific coast. Most of those reserves are concentrated in the southern San Joaquin Basin. More than a dozen of the Nation’s 100 largest oil fields are located in California, including the Belridge South oil field, the second largest oil field in the contiguous United States. In addition, Federal assessments indicate that large undiscovered deposits of recoverable oil and gas lie offshore in the federally administered Outer Continental Shelf (OCS), although Federal law currently prohibits oil and gas leasing in that area. California’s renewable energy potential is extensive. The State’s hydroelectric power potential ranks second in the Nation (behind Washington State), and substantial geothermal and wind power resources are found along the coastal mountain ranges and the eastern border with Nevada. High solar energy potential is found in southeastern California’s sunny deserts.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt; See [http://tonto.eia.doe.gov/state/state_energy_profiles.cfm?sid=CA Energy Information Administration, State Report 2009]&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; &lt;br /&gt;
 &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
California is the most populous State in the Nation and its total energy demand is second only to Texas. Although California is a leader in the energy-intensive chemical, forest products, glass, and petroleum industries, the State has one of the lowest per capita energy consumption rates in the country. The California government’s energy-efficiency programs have contributed to low per capita energy consumption. Driven by high demand from California’s many motorists, major airports, and military bases, the transportation sector is the State’s largest energy-consumer. More motor vehicles are registered in California than any other State, and worker commute times are among the longest in the country. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Petroleum===&lt;br /&gt;
California is one of the top producers of crude oil in the Nation, with output accounting for more than one-tenth of total U.S. production. Drilling operations are concentrated primarily in Kern County and the Los Angeles basin, although substantial production also takes place offshore in both State and Federal waters. Concerns regarding the cumulative impacts of offshore oil and gas development, combined with a number of major marine oil spills throughout the world in recent years, have led to a permanent moratorium on offshore oil and gas leasing in California waters and a deferral of leasing in Federal waters. However, development on existing State and Federal leases is not affected and may still occur within offshore areas leased prior to the effective date of the moratorium. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
A network of crude oil pipelines connects production areas to refining centers in the Los Angeles area, the San Francisco Bay area, and the Central Valley. California refiners also process large volumes of Alaskan and foreign crude oil received at ports in Los Angeles, Long Beach, and the Bay Area. Crude oil production in California and Alaska is in decline and California refineries have become increasingly dependent on foreign imports. Led by Saudi Arabia and Ecuador, foreign suppliers now provide more than two-fifths of the crude oil refined in California; however, California’s dependence on foreign oil remains less than the national average. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
California ranks third in the United States in petroleum refining capacity and accounts for more than one-tenth of total U.S. capacity. California’s largest refineries are highly sophisticated; they are capable of processing a wide variety of crude oil types and are designed to yield a high percentage of light products like motor gasoline. To meet strict Federal and State environmental regulations, California refineries are configured to produce cleaner fuels, including reformulated motor gasoline and low-sulfur diesel. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Most California motorists are required to use a special motor gasoline blend called California Clean Burning Gasoline (CA CBG). In the ozone non-attainment areas of Imperial County and the Los Angeles metropolitan area, motorists are required to use California Oxygenated Clean Burning Gasoline, and the Los Angeles area is also required to use oxygenated motor gasoline during the winter months. By 2004, California completed a transition from methyl tertiary butyl-ether (MTBE) to ethanol as a gasoline oxygenate additive, making California the largest ethanol fuel market in the United States. There are four ethanol production plants in central and southern California, but most of California’s ethanol supply is transported by rail from corn-based producers in the Midwest. Some supply is also imported from abroad. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Due to the relative isolation and specific requirements of the California fuel market, California motorists are particularly vulnerable to short-term spikes in the price of motor gasoline. No pipelines connect California to other major U.S. refining centers, and California refineries often operate at near maximum capacity due to high demand for petroleum products. When an unplanned refinery outage occurs, replacement supplies must be brought in via marine tanker. Locating and transporting this replacement gasoline (which must conform to the State’s strict fuel requirements) can take from two to six weeks. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Natural Gas===&lt;br /&gt;
California natural gas production typically accounts for less than 2 percent of total annual U.S. production and satisfies less than one-fifth of State demand. Production takes place in basins located in northern and southern California, as well as offshore in the Pacific Ocean. California receives most of its natural gas by pipeline from production regions in the Rocky Mountains, the Southwest, and western Canada. As with crude oil production, California natural gas production is in decline. However, State supply has remained relatively stable due to increasing amounts of natural gas shipped from the Rocky Mountains. California markets are served by two key natural gas trading centers—the Golden Gate Center in northern California and the California Energy Hub in southern California—and the State has nearly a dozen natural gas storage facilities that help stabilize supply. In part to help meet California’s demand for natural gas, several companies have proposed building liquefied natural gas (LNG) import terminals in southern California. &lt;br /&gt;
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===Coal, Electricity, and Renewables===&lt;br /&gt;
Natural gas-fired power plants typically account for more than one-half of State electricity generation. California is one of the largest hydroelectric power producers in the United States, and with adequate rainfall, hydroelectric power typically accounts for close to one-fifth of State electricity generation. California’s two nuclear power plants account for almost one-fifth of total generation. Due to strict emission laws, only a few small coal-fired power plants operate in California. &lt;br /&gt;
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California leads the Nation in electricity generation from nonhydroelectric renewable energy sources. California generates electricity using wind, geothermal, solar, fuel wood, and municipal solid waste/landfill gas resources. A facility known as “The Geysers,” located in the Mayacamas Mountains north of San Francisco, is the largest complex of geothermal power plants in the world, with more than 750 megawatts of installed capacity. California has numerous wind farms in five major wind resource areas, and several new projects are currently under construction. The world’s largest solar power facility operates in California’s Mojave Desert. Two southern California utilities are planning to build new solar farms, a 500-megawatt facility in the Mojave Desert and a 300-megawatt plant in the Imperial Valley. These proposed plants would dwarf existing U.S. solar generation capacity. To further boost renewable energy use, California’s Energy Action Plan includes incentives that encourage Californians to install solar power systems on their rooftops. &lt;br /&gt;
===Imports===&lt;br /&gt;
Due to high electricity demand, California imports more electricity than any other State. States in the Pacific Northwest deliver power to California markets primarily from hydroelectric sources, while States in the Desert Southwest deliver power primarily from coal- and natural gas-fired sources. Hydroelectric power comes to California primarily through the Western USA interconnection, which runs from northern Oregon to southern California. The system, also known as the Pacific Intertie, is the largest single electricity transmission program in the United States. Although the Pacific Intertie was originally designed to transmit electricity south during California’s peak summer demand season, flow is sometimes reversed overnight and has occasionally been reversed during periods of reduced hydroelectric generation in the Northwest. California restricts the use of coal-fired generation within its boundaries; however, the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) operates the coal-fired Intermountain power plant in Utah, which delivers three-fourths of its output to LADWP and other California municipal utilities. A recent California law forbids utilities from entering into long-term contracts with conventional coal-fired power producers. Intermountain’s existing contracts with southern California cities are set to expire in 2027. &lt;br /&gt;
===Energy crisis===&lt;br /&gt;
In 2000 and 2001, California suffered an energy crisis characterized by electricity price instability and four major blackouts and caused by a supply and demand imbalance. Multiple factors contributed to this imbalance, including: a heavy dependence on out-of-State electricity providers, drought conditions in the northwest that reduced hydroelectric power generation, a rupture on a major natural gas pipeline supplying California power plants, strong economic growth leading to increased electricity demand in western States, an increase in unplanned power plant outages, and unusually high temperatures that increased electricity demand for air-conditioning and other cooling uses. Following the energy crisis, the California State government created an Energy Action Plan designed to eliminate outages and excessive price spikes. To achieve these goals, the plan calls for optimizing energy conservation, building sufficient new generation facilities, upgrading and expanding the electricity transmission and distribution infrastructure, and ensuring that generation facilities can quickly come online when needed. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Spectator Sports==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
California has more professional sports teams than any other state.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
*[[NBA]] - [[Los Angeles Lakers]], [[Los Angeles Clippers]], [[Golden State Warriors]], [[Sacramento Kings]]&lt;br /&gt;
*[[NHL]] - [[Anaheim Ducks]], [[Los Angeles Kings]], [[San Jose Sharks]]&lt;br /&gt;
*[[NFL]] - [[Oakland Raiders]], [[San Francisco 49ers]], and [[San Diego Chargers]]&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Baseball]] - [[Los Angeles Angels]] of Anaheim, [[San Diego Padres]], [[Oakland Athletics]], [[San Francisco Giants]], [[Los Angeles Dodgers]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In college sports, [[UCLA]] and [[USC]] have recently had great success, in [[basketball]] and [[football]] respectively.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Education==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The state of California has three tiers of public higher education: the California community colleges, the [[California State University]] (CSU) system, and the [[University of California]] (UC) system. Here are some notable universities from California.&lt;br /&gt;
*[[California Institute of Technology]]&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Stanford University]]&lt;br /&gt;
*[[University of California, Berkeley]]&lt;br /&gt;
*[[University of California, Los Angeles]]&lt;br /&gt;
*[[University of California, San Francisco]], primarily a medical school&lt;br /&gt;
*[[University of Southern California]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Places of Interest==&lt;br /&gt;
[[Image:California’s Peaks.jpg|right|300px]]&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Alcatraz Island]]&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Disneyland]]&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Golden Gate Bridge]]&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Monterey Bay Aquarium]]&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Redwood Forest]]&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Yosemite]]&lt;br /&gt;
{{Clear}}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Major Cities==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Los Angeles]]&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Oakland]]&lt;br /&gt;
*[[San Diego]]&lt;br /&gt;
*[[San Francisco]]&lt;br /&gt;
*[[San Jose]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== External Links ==&lt;br /&gt;
[http://www.ca.gov Official Website]&lt;br /&gt;
[http://www.ocregister.com/articles/california-330643-year-county.html]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==References==&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;references/&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:California]]&lt;br /&gt;
{{USstates}}&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Western United States]]&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>TurnerT</name></author>
	</entry>
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