California lawmakers are always bitching and moaning about the economic performance of their state. California always seems to suffer from higher rates of unemployment and huge budget deficits, and hapless legislators can't seem to figure out why. Well, here's evidence that someone needs to beat them with the cluebat.

In a weeklong blur of activity, the houses of the Democrat-controlled Legislature passed bills that would raise the minimum wage to one of the nation's highest levels; hit chemical companies with a fee to pay for new programs; keep it easy for employees to sue their bosses for workplace violations; and require the recycling of cell phones and fluorescent lamps.

All, business interests said, make it harder to do business in a state that's already one of the nation's most expensive, while Democratic Party leaders called that just "the same old misinformation."

Democrat lawmakers continue to set up a hostile business environment in California, and then bitch when companies move jobs out of California or overseas. Worse yet, when their policies result in higher unemployment, lower tax revenues, and record budget shortfalls, they have the audacity to claime it's not their fault.