The Great California Exodus (build, jobs, kids)

[Woof]

CA gives the help, red staters receive the help.

[Curmudgeon]

Thank you kindly!

[Joy74]

The absolute worse traffic that I have ever been in was in Atlanta, GA. It was nonstop and unbearable traffic. That place is not big enough for all of those people. I was just visiting for the summer, and it was just a nightmare. Also, Southern humidity is just ridiculous. People on here talking about CA weather have no idea what hellish weather feels like. Texas, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Arkansas, Louisiana, Alabama, Georgia, Florida, etc. The humidity, the tornadoes, the hurricanes, hailstorms, etc. Take your pick. You are bound to experience these things just visiting these places, let alone live there. Someone brought up third world like living conditions in CA. That is comical. The trailer park poverty that exists in so many of the "cheaper" states would make a grown man weep. Sorry, I just can't buy the "cheaper cost of living pitch". Florida has came up quite a bit in this thread as being a much better option than CA. Well, my friend moved there three months ago. He is coming back to CA the end of this month. Apparently, Florida leaves much to be desired. Much. So for all of you leaving, enjoy the exodus. Many of you will want to come back. Most of you won't be able to. Hallelujah. Bye.

[Curmudgeon]

Originally Posted by Joy74

The absolute worse traffic that I have ever been in was in Atlanta, GA. It was nonstop and unbearable traffic. That place is not big enough for all of those people. I was just visiting for the summer, and it was just a nightmare. Also, Southern humidity is just ridiculous. People on here talking about CA weather have no idea what hellish weather feels like. Texas, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Arkansas, Louisiana, Alabama, Georgia, Florida, etc. The humidity, the tornadoes, the hurricanes, hailstorms, etc. Take your pick. You are bound to experience these things just visiting these places, let alone live there. Someone brought up third world like living conditions in CA. That is comical. The trailer park poverty that exists in so many of the "cheaper" states would make a grown man weep. Sorry, I just can't buy the "cheaper cost of living pitch". Florida has came up quite a bit in this thread as being a much better option than CA. Well, my friend moved there three months ago. He is coming back to CA the end of this month. Apparently, Florida leaves much to be desired. Much. So for all of you leaving, enjoy the exodus. Many of you will want to come back. Most of you won't be able to. Hallelujah. Bye.

Well now. Aren't you just the sweetest thing, bless your little heart. Don't look now, Little Merry Sunshine, but some of us have absolutely no intention, whatsoever, of returning to the likes of you.

[Fontucky]

Do you have a persecution complex? He/she said many of you, not all of you.

[Curmudgeon]

Originally Posted by Fontucky

Do you have a persecution complex? He/she said many of you, not all of you.

Nope! Just not crazy about the gross generalizations that preceded it.

[oldtrader]

Joy ---- The trailer park poverty that exists in so many of the "cheaper" states would make a grown man weep.

It is very apparent that Joy has not seen much of the U.S. like a lot of us on this thread have.

Talk about poverty. How about the West Fresno school district, where the last census found 44% of the kids living in homes below the poverty. Fresno, Modesto and Bakersfield-Delano areas are among the top five U.S. regions with the highest percentage of residents living below the poverty line. Over 15% of all Californians living in poverty.

A lot of those people, would love to move up to a decent trailer park.

Sorry, I just can't buy the "cheaper cost of living pitch".

Let's take two different cities involved heavily in IT industry. San Jose California, and
Austin Texas. A good example is the difference in cost of living is renting an average apartment.

One bedroom apartments in San Jose rent for $1608 a month on average and two bedroom apartment rents average $1904.

One bedroom apartments in Austin rent for $944 a month on average and two bedroom apartment rents average $1157.

In simple to understand language, it costs over 50% more to rent an apartment in San Jose as compared to Austin.

A popular destination for companies and people leaving California. One bedroom apartments in Phoenix rent for $625 a month on average and two bedroom apartment rents average $756.

It costs 150% more to rent in San Jose than it does Phoenix area.

Nearly everything costs more in California. That includes utilities, auto insurance, movie tickets, etc., etc., etc. If you do not understand the difference in cost of living, please open your eyes. The differential in wages, is not near as much as the cost of living differential, leaving workers with more disposable income in areas outside of California after living costs are covered.

This is one big reason that people are fleeing California.

Companies find the same thing. Operating in Los Angeles, is about 40% cheaper in many other parts of the country, and that 40% difference all goes on the bottom line.

[nightbird47]

Originally Posted by HereOnMars

Hellohole? Hardly. See post #530. There's good and bad in all states. People leave for various reasons but the weather and scenery sure isn't one of them.

Yes, California has some beautiful places. If you have a week you can drive up north and enjoy the Cascades, If you have the time, you have Mammoth. You can take a couple of weeks for a slow exploration up 101. And other options... but how many people actually get to do that? Maybe its a planned vacation, but you don't 'just decide' to go up to Shasta lake unless you live in Shasta county.

That's the thing about scenery. Its a trip. Its a treat. But ourside your door are houses and stores and stripmalls and other crap in endless sprawl in half the state, and its 600 miles from Riverside to Shasta. Not a spur of the moment thing.

The scenery in Oklahoma isn't as awe striking as parts of California. But we go to Stillwater and there's green covered rolling hills most of the way. In spring and summer a trip to Tulsa is beautiful, even into fall. The average family will take a trip like this a few times a year for practical reasons. The lure of open space is not how lush it looks, but that its open, that there are no houses or stip malls and a two lane road works fine.

And when a small state is compared to California, its always said we have so many acres of public land... okay but California is a huge state. A small state will never have that. Compare population density for a more meaningful overall figure. In my adopted state, 80 percent of the population, less than that of the City of Los Angeles, is in Tulsa and OKC or effective area. The other 20 percent is in the rest of the state. So there are LOTS of places where open space is found because the rest is concentrated in smallish towns that would be more like neighborhoods in a California city.

If I was to go to California for a visit, it would be brief and if I wasn't going home would go to one of these beautiful scenic places. I'd be out of socal as quick as I could. Its the rats maze of overpopulation and what it does to human behavior....

[USDefault]

Originally Posted by oldtrader

A good example is the difference in cost of living is renting an average apartment. One bedroom apartments in San Jose rent for $1608 a month on average and two bedroom apartment rents average $1904. One bedroom apartments in Austin rent for $944 a month on average and two bedroom apartment rents average $1157. In simple to understand language, it costs over 50% more to rent an apartment in San Jose as compared to Austin. A popular destination for companies and people leaving California. One bedroom apartments in Phoenix rent for $625 a month on average and two bedroom apartment rents average $756. It costs 150% more to rent in San Jose than it does Phoenix area.

Nearly everything costs more in California. That includes utilities, auto insurance, movie tickets, etc., etc., etc. If you do not understand the difference in cost of living, please open your eyes. The differential in wages, is not near as much as the cost of living differential, leaving workers with more disposable income in areas outside of California after living costs are covered. This is one big reason that people are fleeing California.

Everything you say is correct. California cost of living -- wealthkiller. Want some financial independence? Don't ever come to California. Want to retire early? Get out of California. Sales tax + income tax + gas tax + bond and property taxes, along with insane property prices and terrible transportation costs (car fees and taxes) are simply insane here, among the highest in the nation on all fronts.

I like Southern California scenery, like the people too. Government? No. We are likely going to be early retirees, and we will be joining the great exodus. Solid taxpayers with professional skills and liquid wealth, we are out of California to a no-income tax state where we are going to buy a nice home, spend money from our investments on local farmer's markets and local craftspeople, and contribute to the community. It's a shame we cannot do this in California, but the pension crisis and Proposition 30 were the last straws for us.

[Woof]

Originally Posted by Curmudgeon

Well now. Aren't you just the sweetest thing, bless your little heart. Don't look now, Little Merry Sunshine, but some of us have absolutely no intention, whatsoever, of returning to the likes of you.

Seems to me that you and Oldtrader have already returned to California to stay.