VDH Laments California's Decline

"Abandoned farms, Third World living conditions, pervasive public assistance -- welcome to the once-thriving Central Valley."

"The last three weeks I have traveled about, taking the pulse of the more forgotten areas of central California. I wanted to witness, even if superficially, what is happening to a state that has the highest sales and income taxes, the most lavish entitlements, the near-worst public schools (based on federal test scores), and the largest number of illegal aliens in the nation, along with an overregulated private sector, a stagnant and shrinking manufacturing base, and an elite environmental ethos that restricts commerce and productivity without curbing consumption.[...]" (Read Victor Davis Hanson's entire column here)