Newsweek: Despite Its Woes, California's Dream Still Lives (taxes, living)

[Screw Sacramento]

Originally Posted by Steve97415

Interesting how this essay retools "the dream" as something held by "California" as a personified collective and not by "Californians" as living individuals. Whatever the subsequent rise of California as a metaphor, it is clear that the ability for average citizens to make a solid middle-class living by working at prevailing wages is gone in many many areas of the state. Yes, the rich and the poor will stay, but for the middle class, living in California has become a pass-through experience.

In some ways it's toughest on the middle class. Kind of like the health care and food stamp dilemma-you're just over the income threshold to collect anything for free but can't quite afford to pay for it without going under.

I respect Arnold and could not be happier he's there given the current situations, but I really think in some ways he's immune to what most Californians are going through. He's a businessman, a movie star, a politician, and has so many venues for employment that makes it easy to remain optimistic about what the average Joe might be experiencing.

I haven't known a person here, myself included, that hasn't been touched by this. My 35 year old friend, whose grown up in San Jose, just found out her family has to relocate to somewhere, Iowa. The job the father held for over 20 years has closed down it's California office and he's got to relocate the family or lose it.

I plan to leave, but have to rent my house for a couple hundred less than what it rented for in 98-01. My daughter's elementary school sent out numerous notifications increasing in severity; first they had to raise the price of lunches and cut some benefits (no biggy), then a bunch of teachers were getting laid off in the district and class size was increasing, then the district couldn't afford to offer anyone summer school. Now, today, they announced that an entire school is closing due to the "California budget crisis".

Remain optimistic if you can afford it (emotionally and financially), but it's impossible not to notice all these in-your-face instances of the state breaking down.

[BayAreaHillbilly]

Originally Posted by JetJockey

I can't agree with you there. My company is slated to become one of the largest 'green' certified buildings in California, we're giving lots of people work (installing and maintaining solar panels, waste water recycling for landscaping etc etc.) and being the guinea pigs for a few new 'green' technologies. In my industry being 'green' isn't common...so we're trying our best to set a good example through what we do.

If you can't see the technology and where it's going.... you may need to open your eyes a little wider.

You assume that I have no "green cred" myself. If only you knew. Back when people were singing "the future's so bright I gotta wear shades" I was involved in one of the earlier examples of a real, functioning, so called "sustainable living" demonstration site. I did "green" years before it was cool.

Don't tell me I need to open my eyes.

My assessment is that of an earlier adopter.

Y'all who are into this now are just the following herd.

Clue - there is life beyond "green."

[Rhenzanite]

Originally Posted by BayAreaHillbilly

You assume that I have no "green cred" myself. If only you knew. Back when people were singing "the future's so bright I gotta wear shades" I was involved in one of the earlier examples of a real, functioning, so called "sustainable living" demonstration site. I did "green" years before it was cool.

Don't tell me I need to open my eyes.

My assessment is that of an earlier adopter.

Y'all who are into this now are just the following herd.

Clue - there is life beyond "green."

So is my family. Sustainable agriculture and living spaces, organic farming etc etc where I grew up in Germany that goes back many generations. That's what I grew up with, my parents grew up with and my parents parents grew up with. I know it's nothing new, but it's simply mainstreaming itself.

As long as people are trying it, and developing new technologies I think it's a good thing. Negativity isn't my thing. If you want to bash everything then so be it...don't drag the rest of us down with you.

[Clarks]

I wonder if I can paraphrase this a little bit, and kick it back as if it were written in 1909;

You assume that I have no "horseless carriage cred" myself. If only you knew. Back when people were singing "the old gray mare, she ain't what she used to be" I was involved in one of the earlier examples of a real, functioning, so called horseless carriage. I did "horseless carriage" years before it was cool.

Don't tell me I need to open my eyes.

My assessment is that of an earlier adopter.

Y'all who are into this now are just the following herd.

Clue - there is life beyond "horseless carriages."

And as you all know, that 1909 poster was right, that darned horseless carriage thing was just a passing fad.

[BayAreaHillbilly]

"Green Tech" is anti progress, anti science and anti human endeavor. It would ultimately result in a new type of feudalism. Go ahead and throw rocks Clark Kent. You are a 20th Century latter day liberal dinosaur.

[clongirl]

Originally Posted by BayAreaHillbilly

You assume that I have no "green cred" myself. If only you knew. Back when people were singing "the future's so bright I gotta wear shades" I was involved in one of the earlier examples of a real, functioning, so called "sustainable living" demonstration site. I did "green" years before it was cool.

Don't tell me I need to open my eyes.

My assessment is that of an earlier adopter.

Y'all who are into this now are just the following herd.

Clue - there is life beyond "green."

Yes, but we could have said the same about computers and technology..following the herd mentality. Who could have known that typing class and Sony "Walkmen" in high school would be a thing of the past.

Whether or not you think the "green" thing is uncool now (since you've already been there done that) it's still happening. That "herd mentality" still means more jobs for California.

Even my child's middle school is using solar energy (in fact, so popular that several were already stolen ((obviously even the criminals noted the benefits))

As for the Prius being some sort of lame way of gaining "green-cred" even my staunch flag pole owning Republican neighbors have one. I hardly think they're trying to impress anyone with a liberal political statement. Saving money on gas when you have to commute is hardly a bad idea either.

[Clarks]

"Green Tech" is anti progress, anti science and anti human endeavor. It would ultimately result in a new type of feudalism. Go ahead and throw rocks Clark Kent. You are a 20th Century latter day liberal dinosaur.

I am just a poor dirt farmer, scratching my living from the soil, spraying herbicides, injecting chemical fertilizers, hardly a liberal, merely a rationalist. You may have missed the minor fact that there is an 's' on Clarks, please pay attention.

Here, let me try a minor paraphrase

"horseless carriage" is anti progress, anti science and anti human endeavor. It would ultimately result in a new type of feudalism. Go ahead and throw rocks Clark Kent.

It would ultimately result in a new type of feudalism.

I would love to know how this will result.

[Lakewooder]

If California goes down the tubes all Americans are the poorer for its demise.

I do think some of CA's permisiveness (I am a fiscal conservative but libertarian/liberal on a lot of personal rights for citizens) has backfired - namely letting millions of illegal aliens take over -- but then the federal government is mostly to blame for that..

[UB50]

I read the article and I felt it was right on the money.

There is something about living here that always makes me think that anything is possible. (Considering the Pet Rock was also invented here along with all the wonderful things mentioned in the article, I think I'm right.)

[Lycanmaster]

You have to be a pretty big optimist to believe that right now, I can tell ya that....