Anyone else ready to leave CA? (San Diego, San Marcos: section 8, crimes, school district)
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Any other areas we should be looking at that you would recommend?
You know, i really could not say only because i live about 30 min. from Charlotte in the Lake Norman area. I know nothing about Raleigh at all.
I do know this area is growing like crazy because of the lake and its close proxiemity to Charlotte. So whats here is Davidson,CorneliousMooresville,Huntersville. Denver and Troutman are taking off and getting a lot of attention these days to, as these areas get built out.
The good thing from reading your post is your skills in the healthcare industry.
Huge plus in this area.You can take that anywhere and have a job all day long.
Your words ring so true!!! Your points are so right on target!
Having lived in CA all of my life, almost 50 years, I've experienced the changes. I've tried to adapt. But it's getting Out Of Hand!!! And like I've said before, I Love California. It's my home. It's where I was born. It's where I grew up...my history is here. But enough is enough.
And quite frankly, I really resent having to leave my home & family just to find a better way of life.....the way it used to be. The way it should be. I guess it's because I'm not the one that changed the rules. I'm not the one that didn't.....well, I'd better leave it at that and get off my soapbox before I get more worked up than I already am. So I'll just say 'Ditto' what you said.
So to those leaving CA, I sympathize with you. And to those entering CA, good luck.
But one thing I will say before I leave...to those of you who say "just don't say you're from CA"....that'll never happen. I'm proud to be a full blooded American born in CA, and I always will be! God Bless America!
Understand completly. I think you just have to had or live in Calif. for a really long time to understand just how much it has changed, how ridiculous the home prices have become and you have to make at least $150k to survive.
Where i am now, reminds me of the good ole California days!
And me too, i love Calif. and always will but i just had to go away and make a change
I think the discussion is less about “California Vs. Other States” as it is one about Rurual Vs. Urban or Suburban lifestyles....
When I was younger, I needed cities because I needed the external stimulation to counter-balance all the turmoil that was inside me. Now that I’ve cross 50… the seasons have changed. Like many, many other Baby Boomers, I feel the call to a calmer, quieter lifestyle........
Damfinejoe, I hear you. The ability to create the kind of life I want is not open to me here. I still love many things about the place of my birth … but insanity is doing the same thing, over and over again… expecting different results. I have to face it, if I want a home, 3 or more acres of land … a few out buildings … I’m going to have to go where life is more affordable. In the process, I have to weigh out the pluses and minuses of each state and area …....
Veganwriter,
I enjoyed reading your post. You have a good way with words.
It appears we are looking for the same thing, and for very similar reasons. I only wish I could have put it as well as you have. Thank you.
Yes, those who have lived here a long time, native CA born or not - do see CA's changes. I also think that those who has lived away for a while, or who have family/close friends in a different state see these issues even more than the average Californian who has not been away. It is hard to contrast against something you do not know about. It is when you have lived away, traveled extensively or have friends and family in a different city/state and your observation of their lives that makes you start your questions about the issues surrounding you. Many native born Bay Area residents who struggle through the same life issues have learned to accept it as part of life rather than questioning as to where there is a better life elsewhere. The stress of dealing with high mortgages may get them down but they learn to deal with it as part of life. Those who don't fall into this category are ones who for whatever reason have decided to go research and talk to others about the possibilities of life elsewhere.
Change is inevitable in life & so, CA's changes are inevitable but its changes have not been in a positive direction. It is a problem when the average person cannot seek solace & comfort in their home city/state. It is a big social problem when in a very short time frame, you see a huge transition of race distribution to where you could walk into a post office and have it be completely dominated (patrons & workers) by a foreign race. These are very sensitive issues & few want to discuss about them for they do not want to be construed as being racist or politically incorrect. I am going to call a spade a spade. The reality is, the social repercussions of such a mass influx of foreign workers/outsiders & replacement of the core people in an area is devastating to the original social value structure of the area. The result of which is there would be a substitution of American values that we know of for Indian or Chinese based ones. I mention Indian and/or Chinese because the Bay Area is extremely dominated by immigrants from India, China, HK, Taiwan due to the technology industry. These are all issues that are occurring in real time today. As mentioned, schools here in many parts of the Bay Area are completely dominated by Indian & Chinese kids whose immigrants parents did not arrive here in the US to build it but to mine it for its opportunities. Most do not care about America or its values. They merely want to know that they will rake in all the cash and teach their children the same values. It's a materialistic culture gone nuts and don't even let it kid you that it's anything less. These are not the same types of immigrants who came in the past to Ellis or Angel Island. Like many people in the Bay Area's Silicon Valley tech industry, I've heard of & experienced the horror stories of working for Indian or Chinese run tech firms or bosses. The brow-beating that goes on is no joke. There are many blogs and boards that discuss about these issues. They bring the exact attitude and values from Asia here to the US. For those of you who have friends or even worked in Asia, you will know that the work culture & social attitudes are very different than here in the US. It's their pervasive culture there and they have their rights to do as they wish in their home country. It is problematic when these values clash with American values like a standardized work week, employee rights, etc. It is extremely problematic when immigrants come and try to change an area into their home city/home land instead of assimilating in with the core values of the area. I'm not advocating that anyone be ashamed of their race or culture or to forget. But it is problematic when you go to some parts of the Bay Area and you feel like you're in India or Manila & treated like you're in India or Manila.
I thought to myself the other day what would happen when this set of people begin to run for city/state office and are elected. What would they stand for & how can they represent an area/state/country of which they do not care about. How do they continue with the values of an area that has always prided itself as a proponent of civil rights or fairness, equality & dynamism?
The Bay Area's changes are not just in the astronomical home prices but of all the social issues that I've outlined. Even if you could bring in the money to buy a matchbox home for $700k, you can't change the surrounding social issues. You have to accept the materialistic culture that exists. Or be OK with working those crazy hours just to bring in your 40-hour pay check. (You get paid more here but if you factor in that you are working 60-70 hours a week for that 40-hour pay check, you're making less per hour than your counterparts in many other states.) You have to be OK with commuting in bad traffic to a job that is 30-50 miles away. You have to be OK with the hikes in amenities & infrastructure, for i.e. the bridge tolls here. It's now $4 to cross the Bay Bridge.
Last edited by speedoflight; 01-27-2007 at 10:10 AM..
[quote=speedoflight;310912]Yes, those who have lived here a long time, native CA born or not - do see CA's changes. I also think that those who has lived away for a while, or who have family/close friends in a different state see these issues even more than the average Californian who has not been away. It is hard to contrast against something you do not know about. It is when you have lived away, traveled extensively or have friends and family in a different city/state and your observation of their lives that makes you start your questions about the issues surrounding you. Many native born Bay Area residents who struggle through the same life issues have learned to accept it as part of life rather than questioning as to where there is a better life elsewhere. The stress of dealing with high mortgages may get them down but they learn to deal with it as part of life. Those who don't fall into this category are ones who for whatever reason have decided to go research and talk to others about the possibilities of life elsewhere.
Change is inevitable in life & so, CA's changes are inevitable but its changes have not been in a positive direction. It is a problem when the average person cannot seek solace & comfort in their home city/state. It is a big social problem when in a very short time frame, you see a huge transition of race distribution to where you could walk into a post office and have it be completely dominated (patrons & workers) by a foreign race. These are very sensitive issues & few want to discuss about them for they do not want to be construed as being racist or politically incorrect. I am going to call a spade a spade. The reality is, the social repercussions of such a mass influx of foreign workers/outsiders & replacement of the core people in an area is devastating to the original social value structure of the area. The result of which is there would be a substitution of American values that we know of for Indian or Chinese based ones. I mention Indian and/or Chinese because the Bay Area is extremely dominated by immigrants from India, China, HK, Taiwan due to the technology industry. These are all issues that are occurring in real time today. As mentioned, schools here in many parts of the Bay Area are completely dominated by Indian & Chinese kids whose immigrants parents did not arrive here in the US to build it but to mine it for its opportunities. Most do not care about America or its values. They merely want to know that they will rake in all the cash and teach their children the same values. It's a materialistic culture gone nuts and don't even let it kid you that it's anything less. These are not the same types of immigrants who came in the past to Ellis or Angel Island. Like many people in the Bay Area's Silicon Valley tech industry, I've heard of & experienced the horror stories of working for Indian or Chinese run tech firms or bosses. The brow-beating that goes on is no joke. There are many blogs and boards that discuss about these issues. They bring the exact attitude and values from Asia here to the US. For those of you who have friends or even worked in Asia, you will know that the work culture & social attitudes are very different than here in the US. It's their pervasive culture there and they have their rights to do as they wish in their home country. It is problematic when these values clash with American values like a standardized work week, employee rights, etc. It is extremely problematic when immigrants come and try to change an area into their home city/home land instead of assimilating in with the core values of the area. I'm not advocating that anyone be ashamed of their race or culture or to forget. But it is problematic when you go to some parts of the Bay Area and you feel like you're in India or Manila & treated like you're in India or Manila.
Boy did you say a mouth full and so dead on.You have explained it in a way that really puts its all in to perspective.
For us, yes it was visiting my son in North Carolina that made me see and think outside the box. I love Calif. for all its beauty and not to mention my family, friends and history of my own life but life can be about change and fors some, its a good thing.
On a different note as you have described certain ethnic groups bringing change to the work inviroment.
I have a friend who works for a very big banking corporation.
She was telling me not to long ago, in the public restrooms at work there is a sign printed in more than one language and it asks their female employees not to stand on the toilet to ( you know!) because certain cultures do that.
They have done away with Christmas parties and instead have a spring time celebration.This is certainly changing America as we see it.
So,, rather than complain, or run, since the problem you see is coming your way. Come up with an assimilation plan.
Nothing in your post was not said about the Irish in the 1840's and 50's or the Italians at the turn of the century.
Instead of complaining, why not figure out a way to assimilate our cultures.
Remember in the late 19th century asian immigration was banned, "the yellow peril" At the outbreak of WWII JapaneseAmericans were forcibly removed from their homes/farms/business and interned in prison camps.
Yet,,,
The Niseii Division, the American army division made up of the young men whose families were interned was one of the very most decorated US Army divisions to serve during WWII.
When you are critical of immigration, you are critical of what has made this country great.
In fact, you are critical of your own forebearers, who quite likely lived in ethnic ghettoes through the first generation.
You can't compare today's immigration issues with the previous century. People then did not come in by the millions, have babies, demand welfare, drivers licenses, refuse to learn English, and generally refuse to assimulate into the American culture. If a person sees that the laws of this country are impotent, then why bother with any of em? Pick and choose only the ones you agree with. But this is an issue for another forum.
This thread asks for reasons to leave. There are reasons to leave or stay anywhere. We choose to leave. One of the biggest problems for us is the immigration impact on the schools where we lived. In the San Diego area ,it's mainly illegals from Mexico. In our school district, 34 percent of the elementary age kids could not speak English. There is no way you're going to send your kindergartener in those conditions and have them work out an assimulation plan. Just the language barrier is bad enough. The cultural gap is huge, especially when parents are upset if their kids speak English. Some people might call me a racist, but if that many kids are not speaking your language, no matter what it is, the system is not as efficient. Yes, the district is trying to work with this problem. Some might not even see it as a problem. I guess that might be another problem in it self, IMO.
We might have stayed, because we love all great things about San Diego. Our older kids were done with high school and were on to college. Too many other negatives to keep us there.
BTW> Some, but not many of my relatives were interned during WWII. Luckily my parents were born and raised in Hawaii. My father was in the 442nd Army Division.
sure there are illegals, coming here to work hard and provide you with what you need. I teach illegals, legals, anglos, etc. They are all children, they are all people who will someday pay taxes and contribute to this country. I can tell you in the community I teach, there is a higher percentage of Mexicans gainfully employed, working hard and paying taxes than in the Meth/booze whites,, who complain incessantly about the illegals. I do work on assimilation, each day, all day.
These illegal Mexicans that are complained about, marry for life, raise their children in religious households, work hard and are a credit to their community.
When you make a salad tonight, consider that if it weren't for the hard working illegals you would be paying twice as much.
If you are Japanese, I would think that you would be a bit more understanding. We are building our new home on the site of a labor camp, where Japanese farmworkers were housed. Why Japanese? Because white farmers like our family could more easily take advantage of them.
Today their descendants, the Fuchiwakis' Sanbonmatsus' Ikeda's Hiyashis that I grew up with employ illegal mexicans for exactly the same reason.
Last edited by greatbasinguide; 01-27-2007 at 03:02 PM..
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Well Put
