Complaining about California, a poll. (Bakersfield: real estate, transporting, to buy)

[Bluesmama]

I'm very much a Centrist; however, some of my viewpoints can fall to extreme right side of Right.

Personally, I consider California itself (geographically) as superior to many other states, but that's only my opinion. Many other people find it too "hot" or not green enough, and that's how Oregon ended up with so many transplants from there. (And, yes, it drove the prices of housing up. But that's happened everywhere.) My husband thinks Oregon is superior. To each his own.

[Cyanna]

Originally Posted by Twinkle Toes

I rarely, if ever, complain about California. My reason is because I took it for granted and left and spent a 9-month stint in Hell. I was fortunate to have the opportunity to come back home to CA, thus, I thank God every single day I am here, and I never take it for granted. Sure, CA has its problems, but so does everywhere else.

I can't participate in the poll because not only do I not complain about the state, I am neither an extreme leftist, nor on the extreme right.

Like you, I have also done my stint in Hell. I moved from Simi Valley, CA to AZ and lived there for 9 years, but I didn't consider that Hell. I actually liked AZ. However, the 8 years I spent in the UK was indeed my stint in Hell and I was never so grateful for anything as I was when I landed back in the USA and settled back in CA. I love my home state. But, I am one of those who do complain. Our intention was to return to the States and settle in Simi Valley, but the job situation left us no choice but to take on a position as apartment managers in Van Nuys. My husband is the lucky one. He works for a company not connected to the apartments. Me, I am stuck living where I work and working where I live and I hate it here. This job and the daily (and nightly) headache of dealing with tenants, homeless people, gangs and crime no doubt colors my perceptions of the place. I'm sure being sexually groped by a church pastor posing as a prospective tenant, threatened by gang members, chased by a violent homeless person, harassed by a crazy woman screaming in tenants windows and dealing with a car jacking by 3 Hispanic youths at gun point also brings out negative feelings. But at least we'll be back in Simi by October. It may not be perfect in Simi but for me it is home and I love the place

[jkbatca]

Originally Posted by Highnlite

On this board, there are those who complain bitterly about the state, whether it is the government, business climate, unions, illegals, whatever.

I, and others I imagine wonder about this.

What precisely is wrong with honestly wanting to make things better?

Second, you're poll is a classic example of sampling bias. How about a category of "wanting what is best for California" category? There are several topics where I can either be left OR right of center.

[mysticaltyger]

Originally Posted by californio sur

I used the word "jewel" in another thread to describe California and a Texan took offense that I called his state "ugly." But we all know what the huge difference there is in the magnificent beauty and wonder of California compared to every other state. We live in a "jewel" that is worth every cent or lack of compared to the nation, as a whole. I don't complain about California ever and consider myself extremely fortunate to have been born here and live here!

See, this is where I think the attitude in California is arrogant. It kind of reminds me of the "beautiful" and "smart" kids in high school who didn't have to work too hard to do well in school, and were good looking to boot....but then 20 years later, a lot of those people who were stars in high school didn't do all that much with their lives. They had it too easy, which led them to believe they'd be able to prosper without a realistic amount of effort. TX is kind of like the kids in HS who don't really stand out. They're not smart or beautiful....but they often put more effort into things and do better in the long run.

That's what California has done....Because of it's beauty and past accomplishments, it has rested on its laurels and gotten lazy. It thinks it can keep doing things as it has always done and that things will work out fine. I don't know how bad things will have to get before the people of California hit bottom . Apparently, things will have to get a lot worse than they are now.

[BacktoBlue]

Yawn. no one cares anymore.

[Fontucky]

Originally Posted by Twinkle Toes

I thank God every single day I am here, and I never take it for granted. Sure, CA has its problems, but so does everywhere else.

This could have come from my keyboard, except for the thank God part. I don't thank mythical sky genies, but I appreciate the hell out of my native state.

Poll participation: nil.

[breeze823]

Originally Posted by Highnlite

I have trouble with these statements. The cost of living in CA is no more than in other desirable places.

Housing is higher than Iowa and Missouri and Kansas and other places, but who wants to live there.

A bunch of Californians, "tired of the cost of living" moved to Nevada, now housing in Reno, Carson and Las Vegas is comparable to most of CA.

ok and I have trouble with your statement " Housing is higher than Iowa and Missouri and Kansas and other places, but who wants to live there."

ummmm, lots of people want to live there. have you been to the ozarks? it's gorgeous...in fact when we moved there, our first home away from ca, when i went to register my vehicle, the lady said that they have had SO MANY transplants from ca, more than any other state....so yeah, lots of people want to live in these places...ca isn't all that anymore...

[nmnita]

Originally Posted by Highnlite

I have trouble with these statements. The cost of living in CA is no more than in other desirable places.

Housing is higher than Iowa and Missouri and Kansas and other places, but who wants to live there.

A bunch of Californians, "tired of the cost of living" moved to Nevada, now housing in Reno, Carson and Las Vegas is comparable to most of CA.

Just thought you might want to know: 1-No overall Reno and Carson City (not Carson) are not as high as the metro areas of Calif, but yes, they are higher than many places in the USA. They always have been. Reno has always been higher than Vegas (yesrs past) I don't know about today.

Yes, the cost of living is higher, but this is another thread.

People who are middle income or blue collar workers can only afford 1/2 the house in CA they could almost anywhere else in the country. I know what my brother has, what it is worth and know, he could never afford his home in Simi Valley if he were to buy it today. He is blue collar. Hubby and I are anything but blue collar and would have a hard time affording property in most of Ca right now.

I don't think there are as many people who bash Ca as you think. Many of us are just honest. We see the good and the bad. I would not move back, for many reasons and no, I am not a right wing extremist. I am pretty much like
Curmudgeon, socially on the liberal side, fiscally to the right of center, but with the exception of a couple of issues I am not really rightwing.

Nita

[nmnita]

Originally Posted by breeze823

ok and I have trouble with your statement " Housing is higher than Iowa and Missouri and Kansas and other places, but who wants to live there."

ummmm, lots of people want to live there. have you been to the ozarks? it's gorgeous...in fact when we moved there, our first home away from ca, when i went to register my vehicle, the lady said that they have had SO MANY transplants from ca, more than any other state....so yeah, lots of people want to live in these places...ca isn't all that anymore...

I have said this about you before, you are one smart and honest lady. I can pretty well guess, he hasn't been very many places outside of Ca. There are a handful of posters here who know very little about other parts of the country but love to let the world know Calif is perfect.

It is a wonderful state in many ways, but no place is perfect. The same people take every single criticism personally and become totally defensives.

Nita

[Highnlite]

What precisely is wrong with honestly wanting to make things better?

Second, you're poll is a classic example of sampling bias. How about a category of "wanting what is best for California" category? There are several topics where I can either be left OR right of center.

A. Wanting to make things better is a far cry from complaining, which is what I see much of, here,
B. Yes, so? I had a sense that it was the conservative who complained mostly, the poll as unscientific as it is, has been running about 60 % conservative complainer. This fits, a conservative, by definition does not like change. Things Change, impermanence is the state of the world, so the Buddha figured out, it is the longing for permanence in an impermanent world that creates unhappiness.

If you extend this out globally, you can understand for instance the tea bagger movement, and other venues of conservative unhappiness.

Conversely, you can understand the overall comparative happiness of the left of center, those who typically do not fear change, but often create change.

I have traveled all over the world, there are places I prefer to particular places in California, but, no somewhat similarly sized place in the world has the variety of landscapes, people, cultures as California.

ummmm, lots of people want to live there. have you been to the ozarks? it's gorgeous...in fact when we moved there, our first home away from ca, when i went to register my vehicle, the lady said that they have had SO MANY transplants from ca, more than any other state....so yeah, lots of people want to live in these places...ca isn't all that anymore...

So, the Ozarks, like Nevada, and Montana are getting Californicated, sad. Sure the Ozarks are gorgeous, the remind me of the landscapes and people on either side of Highway 70 from Oroville to the Feather River Canyon, The big difference is the humidity and relative lack of open space.

I divide,( actually I did not make that divide, John Wesley Powell did, immortalized in Wallace Stegner's book, Beyond the 100th Meridian A must read for anyone who cares about the West) America into two sections, East and West, the dividing line is the 100th Meridian, for a sound reason.

One problem with the East for me, the East again, anything east of the 100th Meridian, is the lack of variety in the terrain and vegetation. If you were successively dropped into the Ozarks, or Georgia, or Virginia, or Maine, is that it is very difficult to tell any of these places from any of the others, now add in summer heat and humidity and winter gray gloom and brown leafless deciduous trees, plus, the small trees, the low hills instead of mountains, and you have a landscape that appeals to many, but not to me, or the rest of the too vast hordes that have moved west over the last 150 years.

Did you know, that the largest tree east of the Mississippi river is smaller than the first branch on the General Sherman Tree in Sequoia Park?