California's burden, California's opportunity

As The United States of America lurch into the Trump era, it falls to The Great State of California to make the case for an alternative path. It is widely noted that California on its own is the world's 6th largest economy, and a bastion of progressive politics. Let's act like it. We have a special responsibility. Not only must California lead on such feel-good liberal policies as climate policy, innovation, and openness to immigrants. We have to put our money where our mouth is. We must now use our economic and fiscal capacity to show that big government has an indispensable role to play in providing a generous safety net and offsetting the ill effects of economic displacement and inequality. If Trump and his GOP cronies cut taxes on the rich, we must accordingly raise them. If they kill Obamacare and the Medicaid expansion, we must replace that funding with homegrown MediCal expansions or even Cal-single-payer. If the GOP wants disenfranchisement, let's double down on participation. Jerry is the man, but he is at heart a bit of a skinflint. We may need to think a little bigger... but we also have to be willing to pony up. Let's show 'em what we got.