Is over-population the cause of California's woes? (Nice: credit, home)

[West of Encino]

Originally Posted by Mr. Fantastic

Too many poor illegals.

California and America are too liberal.

[Mr. Fantastic]

Maybe a lot of Californians like Latino gangs and the graffiti they bring in their own neighborhoods. I'll pass.

[Des-Lab]

It's not overpopulation per se, although that should be taken into account.

The real issue-as already mentioned-is availability of resources.

More to the point. why in Gods name do we need 120+ golf courses in and around Palm Springs and the Coachella Valley? In what is among the most arid and hot regions in the world, never mind the US. With the nearest sources of water-the Colorado River and Gulf Of California each being more than a hundred miles away.

You have any idea how much water that consumes?

Oh wait.

Water flows uphill towards money. And who's living out there and filling a demand for said golf courses?

Never mind. Let's turn our attention elsewhere.

[Nomadicus]

Originally Posted by Des-Lab

It's not overpopulation per se, although that should be taken into account.

The real issue-as already mentioned-is availability of resources.

More to the point. why in Gods name do we need 120+ golf courses in and around Palm Springs and the Coachella Valley? In what is among the most arid and hot regions in the world, never mind the US. With the nearest sources of water-the Colorado River and Gulf Of California each being more than a hundred miles away.

You have any idea how much water that consumes?

Oh wait.

Water flows uphill towards money. And who's living out there and filling a demand for said golf courses?

Never mind. Let's turn our attention elsewhere.

I had never heard of outdoor AC until a colleague visited out that way....Just one of the elements of a very complex problem. Outdoor AC and people who will not allow new power plants to be built in their state to take care of the increasing population must be tied together. As the population increases from what ever source the light at the end of the CA tunnel will become dimmer.

[Gentoo]

Originally Posted by Des-Lab

It's not overpopulation per se, although that should be taken into account.

The real issue-as already mentioned-is availability of resources.

More to the point. why in Gods name do we need 120+ golf courses in and around Palm Springs and the Coachella Valley? In what is among the most arid and hot regions in the world, never mind the US. With the nearest sources of water-the Colorado River and Gulf Of California each being more than a hundred miles away.

You have any idea how much water that consumes?

Oh wait.

Water flows uphill towards money. And who's living out there and filling a demand for said golf courses?

Never mind. Let's turn our attention elsewhere.

You do make another good point here. WE also don't use our resources wisely at all.

[the city]

As a student city planner, I would say the decentralized california is not the problem. The over population if immigrants is. Our jobs are going to immigrants where as nation borns could use those jobs and pay off their debts. I am sorry to say it, but we need to get rid of people who are illegally here and get jobs back. Illegals are using up our funds.

BTW, most people prefer to live in suburban homes. Compact suburban big cities are more of a problem especially if you reach your city's capacity for water and transportation-LA's problem.

Also, to note California is building a high speed rail that will fix alot of our smog and transportation problem. Bad planning is not getting this project started earlier.

[Gentoo]

Originally Posted by the city

As a student city planner, I would say the decentralized california is not the problem. The over population if immigrants is. Our jobs are going to immigrants where as nation borns could use those jobs and pay off their debts. I am sorry to say it, but we need to get rid of people who are illegally here and get jobs back. Illegals are using up our funds.

BTW, most people prefer to live in suburban homes. Compact suburban big cities are more of a problem especially if you reach your city's capacity for water and transportation-LA's problem.

Also, to note California is building a high speed rail that will fix alot of our smog and transportation problem. Bad planning is not getting this project started earlier.

While I see where you're going with this, the problem of overpopulation is or still will be a problem. Let's say we give those who want single family suburban home what they want. As population continues to increase, we will just build more and more of them and spread farther and farther out. At some point, available space will be used up and you will end up with a huge sprawling mess. That's what LA's problem truly is. It went down this road and now has the worst of both; spread out residential and suburban types areas and too many people. It seems to make more sense to curb this tide early.

Now as far as your illegal immigrant status is concerned. I agree, yes I'm a liberal and agree that illegal immigration is out of control. It needs to be managed. But let me add that targeting the illegal (undocumented) people themselves is not the way to do it. Targeting employers is. I don't mean to turn this into another immigrant thread, however I felt I should explain my remarks.

[mateo45]

Originally Posted by the city

As a student city planner, I would say the decentralized california is not the problem. The over population if immigrants is. Our jobs are going to immigrants where as nation borns could use those jobs and pay off their debts. I am sorry to say it, but we need to get rid of people who are illegally here and get jobs back. Illegals are using up our funds.

BTW, most people prefer to live in suburban homes. Compact suburban big cities are more of a problem especially if you reach your city's capacity for water and transportation-LA's problem.

Also, to note California is building a high speed rail that will fix alot of our smog and transportation problem. Bad planning is not getting this project started earlier.

OMG, if that's what they're teaching in "City Planning" classes these days, then Cali schools must be in worse shape than we thought!

Apparently for some, "fewer immigrants" (and "more tax cuts") are the always the "answer" to everything. Or as the saying goes, "to the man who only owns a hammer, everything starts to look like a nail."

BTW, this isn't the first time we've had hordes of unskilled, uneducated, immigrant workers and their often large families, arrive here and "using up our funds". They were called "Oakies", and it was enough of a "problem" then, that they passed the "Anti-Oakie" law in 1937, making it a crime to bring any non-resident "indigent person" into the state. And ironically, alot of the loudest complaints today about "illegals", often come from the descendants of these very same Oakies & their kin.

[Nomadicus]

That law sounds very unconstitutional to me.

[mateo45]

Originally Posted by Nomadicus

That law sounds very unconstitutional to me.

Yeah, it was eventually struck down by the Supreme Court.