Conversations on the Train in San Francisco

As a fellow resident, I have been privy to more than my share of such conversations. It is truly amazing how openly political people are here, bashing conservatives in bars and just general conversation. Everyone assumes everyone else agrees with them, and with me they assume wrong.

You're dead on about the economic problems, people spending above their means (adjustable rate mortgages are a great example) and anticipating growth that didn't materialize. Our state has run into major problems by overprojecting revenue from growth that never materialized. The trade deficit also plays a large role. We need fiscal discipline in government more than anything, and we also need to re-evaluate our trade policies to ensure we don't have an employment gap as jobs continue to be outsourced.