There's no nice way to put it: Things are pretty lousy in our state's economy. From state-issued payments not going out to people leaving in record numbers, it seems our sunny skies had some pretty depressing clouds hanging in them. Turns out our clouds do have a silver lining after all. With all the focus on state budget woes, it can very well lead to a positive outcome. "Economists say the state has long needed to fix that revenue roller-coaster ride and are hopeful that this crisis will force leaders to face the music," according to Reuters. In fact, immigration and births keep our state's population growing, and with our leading role in green technology and other industries, we are still creating jobs despite announcing job losses. The major changes that this much-needed re-assessment will create will lead to more long-range pay-offs for California. See? Look outside--it may have hailed last night, but today it's sunny. more ›