Quinn on California's Aging Population

Interesting food for thought.

The effect on California’s demographics and politics will be enormous.  A University of Southern California study projects that California will add only about 3.5 million new residents per decade as growth drops to less than one percent a year.   This drop in growth plus Baby Boomer retirements will cause an aging of the population, according to USC the over age 65 population will grow from 11.4 percent in 2010 to 18.6 percent by 2030.  An aging population has a lower birth rate – ask the Japanese about that – and this mean the public policy pressure moves from education to services for the elderly. ... An aging population means an aging electorate, one more resistant to higher taxes and to spending money on education, and more supportive of spending on health care and keeping the streets safe.

Source: Quinn, Tony. "The End of Illegal Immigration, and its Political Implications," Fox & Hounds Daily. 5/1/12.

The Walk & Talk West Wing Reunion

I'm still trying to perfect that President Bartlett move of getting on my suit jacket but loved this reunion piece at Funny or Die.

Mahtesian & Vandehei on the Ideological Middle

Another sad commentary on our state of political affairs.

But in a political environment where all the current incentives — such as super PAC money, cable news appearances, direct mail and Internet fundraising — are geared toward the extremes, the ideological middle is a political no man’s land. ... The Republicans and Democrats the modern system produces literally come from different worlds and see no middle ground on the biggest issues of the day. They see elections — not the legislative process — as the place to settle their differences.

Source: Mahtesian, Charles and Vandehei, Jim. "Congress: It's going to get worse," POLITICO. 5/1/12.