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Nita, never thought you didn't care about this state. Can't say I know personally of anyone who has moved away to hate this state and or wish for its failure. If people aren't saying how great it is here all the time it is seemed to be strange. What is happening to this state and our economy we all have to get together to fix the problem.
Sassberto, wish I could be so eloquent. You hit the nail on the head.
Maybe you just have lower standards for schools or something b/c I don't think it's a stretch at all to call some of these schools horrible and others mediocre. There is a reason why parents don't want their kids going to YV. There is a reason that Northgate High and other schools in the Mt Diablo School District in Walnut Creek are trying to leave the Mt Diablo School District to join either WCUSD or Acalanes UHSD. Sorry but looking at test scores, facilities, programs, and curriculum those schools are NOT "good" and most are not even decent.
Maybe you have trouble admitting what a sorry state Ca's K-12 schools are in but it's reality. CA has bad public schools overall and that is NOT an exaggeration, it's a fact. And sugar coating or pretending it doesn't is not helping the situation at all. Study after study keeps showing our schools to be failing in comparison and we need to do something about that.
Not sure what you consider horrible if you call those schools "horrible" JFK , Richmond High , McClymonds would fit the "Horrible" category, not suburban high schools that graduate the majority of their students that end up going to college. If you do well in those schools which the numbers show the majority do, you'll get into a good college. So if that's horrible I wish I would have gone to a horrible high school even though I was able to complete high school school, go to college and finish medical school but not do a residency, I may go back and do it but do not have the time. You apply yourself in school you'll make it. Period.
Well now lets' see? I know most do realize the problems, but you seem to live in a bubble. You say you have a good life,apparently have no financual problems and are just content with life. At least that is pretty much what you are saying. I was wondering how you could have your eyes closed living in Oakland. Now you say you do not have them closed.
The lack of jobs is much more prevelent in Ca than in most states, but not all. Texas has an unemployment rate around 7.5 as does OK. AR is barely 7% It was 7.5% NM might even be lower as are many states. So it is much worse in California which is one of the reasons the state is in such bad condition, but only one reason.
You say houses are cheap in the better schools district? Have you checked places like San Marino or Arcadia, even Glendora? All outstanding schools districts in So Ca as well as So Pasadena? I don't know enough about the school districts in the bay area to judge.
I am not one that is blasting your state. I do understand how you feel, I feel the same way when people get the idea AR is nothing but a bunch of rednecks who marry their cousins and have 10 cars parked on their front lawn. Most of those people have never been to AR. I think many of us are simply saying, Calif may not every return to the status it once had. You are the one that said nothing stays the same.
There was a time when the New England states were the place to live and remember when no one wanted to live in the south. Colo was just a little state sorta in the middle of the country and Phoenix, what was that city all about? How many people thought of relocating to Or or Wa? And how about Idaho? All these states as well as Texas and Ok are attracting big companies. GTE left Ca and settled in Dallas. Pennys and AA both left NYC and relocated to Dallas.
As for the schools I don't know much about So Cal it's so spread out and populated down there. I 'm not familiar with their school system.
Again, I do know why you are so defensive, like I said I am the same about NWA and I wasn't born here. People don't realize all we have here. That being said, I don't know why you think those of us who no longer live in the state would want to see the state go under. I think you can not accept anything that might differ a little from your thoughts, or that is how it seems. Maybe I am wrong.
Nita
Because my life is good does not mean others are as well, I said me, not the entire city or state. I can't worry about everybody else all the time, I can only worry about my family and do what I can to help the less fortunate, but I'm not going to stress myself out over whether or not others are struggling to make it, when I have to struggle myself to maintain what I have achieved.
As for the other states, I've been to most of them and I really am not the type of person that would enjoy living there. I'm a coastal person for one. I'd pick cities most people are scared of over anywhere in Idaho or texas. I've lived in Kentucky, Florida, New Jersey, New York. Only New York and maybe Miami as a vacation spot would catch my interest again. I had a girlfiend from New Mexico and she never saw a Black person before moving to California. No thanks. She was Mexican by the way.
Cityboy, when kids can't do basic arithmetic and or have problems with reading when they graduate from high school I'm not sure you can call the system a good one. School does come down to the institution and when you don't give your kids the proper foundation to develop their talents they give up. Today's schools are much different from when I was growing up and certainly are not up to par with the schools I had a chance to visit in Virgina or Texas. Not to mention many good programs are being cut from schools here in CA. Don't know how these kids and be kids and it becomes more apparant when you visit and live in other places.
I don't think CA, MI, or any other state will ever "fail" in the spectacular way some folks imagine. NYC almost hit the wall in 1975, but it's not like the actual place would have disappeared ala Hollywood disaster movie.
I think the more likely, and in some ways more cruel scenario, is that the state will try to hang on until the next economic bubble "Solves everything" and repeat that over and over again. Meanwhile, the vast majority of the state begin to become like a Second world country where rich elite areas exist walled off from an increasingly decrepit, crowded and degraded low-to-working class enviorment, which most areas of the US are becoming.
I think CA is holding out and is trying to plead its case for more Federal funding. Paying with IOU's hasn't been constant and goes in waives. Also, I believe all of the other points mentioned here are very valid as well. We are still making money but spending it inappropriately.
Cityboy, when kids can't do basic arithmetic and or have problems with reading when they graduate from high school I'm not sure you can call the system a good one. School does come down to the institution and when you don't give your kids the proper foundation to develop their talents they give up. Today's schools are much different from when I was growing up and certainly are not up to par with the schools I had a chance to visit in Virgina or Texas. Not to mention many good programs are being cut from schools here in CA. Don't know how these kids and be kids and it becomes more apparant when you visit and live in other places.
You're speaking about inner city schools for the most part. Do you really think those schools I mentioned in Concord graduate the majority without knowing how to read or do arithmetic? Of course we have problems with our schools, bad problems, but alot of this has to do with the large amount of ESL students and lack of funding for city school. The majority of kids In California's best colleges are from California. Alot of the programs being cut first are athletics. While it's a bad thing it's not the worst that can happen. I'd rather the school not have a football team than no biology lab etc.
Cityboy, knowing how to read they do arithmetic nope. I'll give you the ESL and lack of funding but it is not just a city school thing. I have little ones in school and I am very concerned with what they are learning, how they are being taught, and the sincere dedication and motivation the teachers have. The teachers in Walnut Creek are very motivated but what I've experienced across the bay was (is scary). I use to pay for private school and it truly was a waste of money. The education my child received in another state truly does not compare to what we get here in CA (it reminded me of what we use to get when I was growing up in CA). The high school drop out rate is increasing to high levels in CA (I posted about this some time ago).
The kids in California's best colleges are from CA, well of course they are. Most people from Florida will go to school in Florida as well as residents of NY will most likely attend college in NY. The kids today in CA are they going for advanced degrees? Colleges now a days IMHO have lower standards when accepting applicants for entry to their colleges. College has turned out to be a huge money maker for the institution and a scam for those buried in debt by the time they graduate.
Some of the programs that other states have and that some schools here in CA had and dropped have been science classes, guidance counselors, tutors, after school programs (use to be free now cost an arm and a leg), PE, shop, art, dance, orchestra/band, geography (ask students here if they know where some countries even states are they can't tell you and they know less about their history as well), etc. I'll have to ask my mother but I don't think she ever donated as much money and or supplies as I have for public school. If other places are able to provide sport teams why can't we?
The prime example of a failed state is Michigan. California hasn't attained quite that level of failure.
Yet.
It is very sad to see the great State of California slowly drown but the writing was on the wall for the past 2 decades. The State is anchored down with cascading exorbitant entitlement packages and sadly Public Education is paying for that.
Beyond that, the government of California is a perfect example of why so many social programs fail. For instance, in Northern California there is the Bar Area Air Resources Board. Last I looked this Board has a Mega Million $$$ payroll for doing absolutely nothing! Northern California's Pollution 30 years ago and today is no different, as the weather patterns in the Northern CA bay Area act like a huge fan blowing away most of the time the possibility of any stagnant pollution. The board's redundancy is a perfect example of why California is Broke! Here you have a state which has the strictest auto pollution control in the country and still millions are being paid to a worthless redundant organization.
In other words the government of California is way too massive and needs someone like Meg Whitman to fire no less than 50% all state employees (sparing teachers). The landscape of the Assembly and Senate definitely need to change as well. First , quit paying them and elect voluntary statesmen and second make them accountable. No more lies and lobby bribes!
Because my life is good does not mean others are as well, I said me, not the entire city or state. I can't worry about everybody else all the time, I can only worry about my family and do what I can to help the less fortunate, but I'm not going to stress myself out over whether or not others are struggling to make it, when I have to struggle myself to maintain what I have achieved.
As for the other states, I've been to most of them and I really am not the type of person that would enjoy living there. I'm a coastal person for one. I'd pick cities most people are scared of over anywhere in Idaho or texas. I've lived in Kentucky, Florida, New Jersey, New York. Only New York and maybe Miami as a vacation spot would catch my interest again. I had a girlfiend from New Mexico and she never saw a Black person before moving to California. No thanks. She was Mexican by the way.
I don't know what part of NM she lived in, but it must have been in the middle of nowhere and she must have never traveled out of her little town, not to have seen a black person. No one is asking you to live somewhere else or even accept somewhere else, this doesn't change the fact people are moving out of Ca to other places in the country and other places are becoming the "in" place to live. I am saying Ca has serious problems and it will take years to recoup. I can't think of any other way to explain it to you. It is very simple. End of story!!!
Nita
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Once the Golden State now the Red State
