Cash Cows

Something does not smell right.  The other day, I was reading the Los Angeles Times and saw an article: Hard times in California Court System. Seems the California court system is having a heck of a time paying it's bills.  Problem is, when you run the numbers, the court system should be flush with cash.

For example, according to the California Legal Filing Directory (West), it costs about $435 to file a complaint in California Superior Court over $25,000 and $395 for cases between $10,001 and $24,999 (most civil courts charged $435 a pop for cases over $25,000; Riverside County was the highest at $450 per filing).  According to Riverside County Superior Court's website, there were about 64,397 civil filings last year.  At about $422.50 per civil filing (average for filings over and under $25K), Riverside County should be pulling down $27,207,732 on civil filings, alone!  We're not even talking about the money pulled in from other court divisions:

• Family Court: $450 per petition/response
• Probate Court: $450 per first filed petition
• Unlawful Detainer: $410 per complaint over $10K ($270 for complaints under $10K)
• "Regular" motions (regardless of department): $60
• Motion for summary judgment:  $500

Bottom line, the courts should be swimming in money, not begging for it.  If this were the mob, the IRS would be all over these guys (like they were with Al Capone).

And that's just one county - imagine what a HUGE county court system like Los Angeles Superior Court brings in every month!  Given all the money that is flowing from court system(s), it amazes me that the court is, seemingly, always crying about not having any money.  Of course, this is all assuming that they get to keep the money.  

This is a big assumption because I remember years ago when California was pushing for the need to run a lottery.  The tag line used over and over was, "It's for the Children!" suggesting that profits from the lottery would go to the schools.  With all the ZILLIONS of dollars flowing into the Lottery, why are the schools always crying for monies?!  Where is all the money going?!?  I don't know - but I suspect it's going to Sacramento and Governor Moonbeam's wasteful pet pork projects.  All that money and Riverside County Superior Court only gets a measly $3.8 million for its entire system?!  Unbelievable.

I'm thinking it's long since time for an accounting.  How about the IRS stop targeting these tea partiers and start focusing their attentions on the money wasted in the State of California.  As Jerry Maguire put it, "SHOW ME THE MONEY!"  Maybe when the state is forced to account for all the money flowing into it's coffers we'll find that maybe there is more than enough to go around, after all.  Just maybe.