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Actually, from what I have read about California fire departments, a lot of them require firemen to have a paramedic certificate of some sort because they often get to accident scenes first.
I think our police and fire departments earn every cent they get. They are expected to put their lives on the line everyday. They also have a lot of challenges in this state that other states don't face. (Search and rescue, swift water rescue, earthquakes, forest fires in high mountains, huge high rise buildings, floods, mudslides, etc.) I've read that our firefighters are some of the best trained in the world.
I agree with you but thats why they are paid well with benefits & pensions. The paramedics do go with the firemen on calls. They sure rip you big time if you gotta go to the hospital. How they get away with ill never undestand. I have been paying a ripoff paramedic fee for years. I dont even want it cause my health insurance covers me fully.
All this is true, but after living in 5 states in the past 20 years, I think most of this is true in just about every state today, maybe not so many Asians but otherwise it holds true in NM, VA, CA, TX and AR. Actually even the Asian population is in almost every state, but not quite to extent of CAlif.
Nita
Yep. So true.
As of 2008 census:
Asians
The Asian population rose by 2.9 percent, or 434,000, between 2006 and 2007. California (5 million) had the largest Asian population on July 1, 2007, as well as the largest numerical increase during the 2006 to 2007 period (106,000). New York (1.4 million) and Texas (915,000) followed in population. Texas (44,000) and New York (33,000) followed in numerical increase. In Hawaii, Asians made up the highest proportion of the total population (55 percent), with California (14 percent), and New Jersey and Washington (8 percent each) next.
The single-race Asian population in 2007 had a median age of 35.4, compared with the population as a whole at 36.6.
Asians were the largest minority group in Hawaii and Vermont.
Anyways, I agree. Every state has its own pros and cons. Has some hippie area, high/low taxes, political corruption, tranquil area, nature area, rude and nice people, etc. Someone can complain about someone else's treasure and vice-versa.
First, no complaints from me about what cops and firemen make. Cops don't make enough in my opinion for having to deal with the human sewage in our society every day. We actually need more police officers since it seems like a new gang is spawned every day.
On California vis a vis other states, personally, if I could afford it, I would still be living there. But the chance to cash out and buy a brand new home lock, stock and barrel drew me to Washington, where I'm not happy, but that is more because of my personality than the nature of the culture up here. Everyone has different sensibilities.
As someone who spent the first 40 or so years of his life in CA, it has gone downhill and unfettered immigration as well as just the sheer incompetence and corruption of our politicians are the main culprits. What were once nice virtually crime free working class communities are either becoming, or have become, either gang ridden war zones or are so rundown it is depressing and ugly. And the population has just gotten so out of hand that new freeway construction is already overcrowded before it is even finished.
If they could just ameliorate the gang problem and devise workable mass transit (like Japan's) so that we wouldn't be so car dependent, that would go a long way toward halting the skid the state is now in. But neither is going to happen in my lifetime, unfortunately.
Even with all that, CA is still a great state and there is just so much to do. But you have to put up with a lot more nowadays to continue to live there and some folks have decided it is in their interest to leave. And I hope they have all found surroundings that add to their happiness.
But if there is one thing that all the CA detractors who grew up there have in common, it is probably that they remember how it used to be, when it wasn't so crowded, crime infested and in debt. They don't hate CA for CA's sake, they are grumbling about what it is now. And I have to sympathize with them to a great extent, sad to say.
First, no complaints from me about what cops and firemen make. Cops don't make enough in my opinion for having to deal with the human sewage in our society every day. We actually need more police officers since it seems like a new gang is spawned every day.
On California vis a vis other states, personally, if I could afford it, I would still be living there. But the chance to cash out and buy a brand new home lock, stock and barrel drew me to Washington, where I'm not happy, but that is more because of my personality than the nature of the culture up here. Everyone has different sensibilities.
...
But if there is one thing that all the CA detractors who grew up there have in common, it is probably that they remember how it used to be, when it wasn't so crowded, crime infested and in debt. They don't hate CA for CA's sake, they are grumbling about what it is now. And I have to sympathize with them to a great extent, sad to say.
Rob, I agree with you about the police and I'll add in firefighters as well. Both risk their lives and provide a valuable service to their communities.
We have relatives who are CA natives who moved to WA near Vancouver & Portland. They love it up there. We visited the area and almost moved to Portland. What a beautful part of the country. And yes it is more affordable up there. However I was surprised to see that the more upscale neighborhoods such as Fisher's Landing where they live is almost as expensive as CA now. Our favorite part of Portland was West Linn and Lake Oswego, also pretty pricey.
Now jobs were a different story. Jeesh, not much of anything to speak of in Vancouver WA. PDX has more with the Silicon Forest. But the economy is getting hit pretty hard up there right now as well.
For us coming back to CA after moving away for a time to CO made more sense. And jobs were better. But I think I would have taken a pay cut to live up there in the beautiful GREEN PNW if my wife didn't want to be closer to family in CA.
Anyway I think the bottom line is no place is perfect including CA, the PNW, the South, MidWest, etc... It really boils down to personal preferences and trades offs one is willing to make for a certain quality of life. And living here in Monterey is really nice, possibly one of the nicest parts of the state. So it works for us right now even with all the wacky stuff going on in Sac.
Of course I remember what CA was like growing up as a child. Man's footprint isn't always pretty, especially in LA, OC, SD and SF. But there are still nice parts of the state to enjoy. And I think ppl who are fed up with the increasing crowds, smog, crime, etc... should move from those impacted regions. The effects on the environment and ppl are obvious and not good. Why live somewhere you are not happy jam packed in with eveyone else on those freeways? Get out of the concrete jungle and explore! There are many other nice places to live in the US including smaller towns in CA.
Derek
Last edited by MtnSurfer; 07-24-2009 at 11:22 PM..
MtnSurfer, you're right on. These native-born Californian's complaining who've never been much further out of state than the Las Vegas strip are clueless. I've been all over the country (and several others) and am absolutely convinced that our state has more opportunity and quality of life that most of the other states combined. California is the epicenter of cool, design and most social trends. I'd even go so far as to suggest that if GM had a design center here instead of Detroit (!), they'd still be making money!
The eyes of the world are on what happens here which explains why every forest fire, slide, flood, (and yes) unbalanced budget generates breaking news across the country. All the same things happen in the other states, I know because I've lived in several, but they don't make the news because people only seem to care about what's going on here.
I just drove 1900 miles from the Central Coast up one side of the state and down the other. Oceans, redwoods, mountains, national parks, great cities and towns, and eye-popping scenery.
Our only problem is our crazy politicians who need to be marched into the ocean. They're not bothering me enough to make me move to Omaha!!!!!
MtnSurfer, you're right on. These native-born Californian's complaining who've never been much further out of state than the Las Vegas strip are clueless. I've been all over the country (and several others) and am absolutely convinced that our state has more opportunity and quality of life that most of the other states combined. California is the epicenter of cool, design and most social trends. I'd even go so far as to suggest that if GM had a design center here instead of Detroit (!), they'd still be making money!
The eyes of the world are on what happens here which explains why every forest fire, slide, flood, (and yes) unbalanced budget generates breaking news across the country. All the same things happen in the other states, I know because I've lived in several, but they don't make the news because people only seem to care about what's going on here.
I just drove 1900 miles from the Central Coast up one side of the state and down the other. Oceans, redwoods, mountains, national parks, great cities and towns, and eye-popping scenery.
Our only problem is our crazy politicians who need to be marched into the ocean. They're not bothering me enough to make me move to Omaha!!!!!
I agree about the scenery & politicians. I say we just put the ca legislature on a one way (coach) plane ride to Afganistan. Ill chip in a few bucks.
I agree about the scenery & politicians. I say we just put the ca legislature on a one way (coach) plane ride to Afganistan. Ill chip in a few bucks.
Yep, and another Surprise for those enlightened natives looking to flee CA because of the politicians. Guess what, other states have problems with their politicians as well. I was looking to move to Oregon at one point in spite of the political mess they are in up there. And the East Coast, South and MidWest are no strangers to political corruption and mismanagement of resources as well. CA just happens to be in the spotlight right now. But that doesn't mean it has a monopoly on political buffoons. They are numerous and dispersed throughout the country. So I don't give the politicians that much control over my destiny including which state I will live in. And if you think where you are escaping to is politically correct then what will you do if the politics go bad, run away again?
Derek
Last edited by MtnSurfer; 07-25-2009 at 10:47 AM..
Actually, from what I have read about California fire departments, a lot of them require firemen to have a paramedic certificate of some sort because they often get to accident scenes first.
I think our police and fire departments earn every cent they get. They are expected to put their lives on the line everyday. They also have a lot of challenges in this state that other states don't face. (Search and rescue, swift water rescue, earthquakes, forest fires in high mountains, huge high rise buildings, floods, mudslides, etc.) I've read that our firefighters are some of the best trained in the world.
I disagree. I work in the public sector. The cops and firemen have gotten greedy. Cops & Firemen in CA are paid significantly more than cops & firemen in other high cost areas. They typically get raises that are higher than the other public sector unions.
A recent example is that most unions where I work took no pay increases this year (including most high level management--although a few did). Yet the cops and firemen are still taking their raises, even though payroll for cops & firemen is 85% of the General Fund budget. It's a similar story in most jurisdictions.
I hope all of you who think cops & firemen are worth their pay don't mind seeing your parks, libraries, and other city services close down, or paying extra taxes to keep them open...because that's what it's going to come down to if their power continues to go unchecked.
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I was looking to move to Oregon at one point in spite of the political mess they are in up there. And the East Coast, South and MidWest are no strangers to political corruption and mismanagement of resources as well. CA just happens to be in the spotlight right now. But that doesn't mean it has a monopoly on political buffoons. They are numerous and dispersed throughout the country. 
So I don't give the politicians that much control over my destiny including which state I will live in. And if you think where you are escaping to is politically correct then what will you do if the politics go bad, run away again? 
