Are people REALLY jealous of California? (San Diego: condo, move to, housing) - (CA) - Page 29 - City-Data Forum

Fontucky · 06-26-2010, 10:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bluenoter

LA is like a third world country. It's great if your a millionaire. If you make average money, you'll live in a bad area & basically impoverished.

And everyone in Arkansas are gap-toothed Bible pounding Christians who are married to close relatives, live in 40+ year old single-wide mobile homes, sport big old mullets, and drive old pickup trucks with the Stars & bars emblazoned on the back window, assuming the back window is still installed.

See? I can play that silly generalization game too.

Fontucky · 06-26-2010, 10:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bluenoter

Why are you jealous of Arkansas?

I'll be waiting for you to tell me how you got "jealous of Arkansas" out of "I despise the South and Midwest in the Summer".

You can begin your explanation at any time.

Gentoo · 06-26-2010, 10:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fontucky

And everyone in Arkansas are gap-toothed Bible pounding Christians who are married to close relatives, live in 40+ year old single-wide mobile homes, sport big old mullets, and drive old pickup trucks with the Stars & bars emblazoned on the back window, assuming the back window is still installed.

See? I can play that silly generalization game too.

Well, we're waiting for you to generalize...you just told the truth LOL

Just messing around...maybe

Curmudgeon · 06-26-2010, 10:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bluenoter

What's with all the Californians moving to the Ozarks in Arkansas & Missouri?

Quote:

Originally Posted by caliguy19

you know, maybe if some of the people here would try to be serious and actually explain why they don't like it and I don't mean because of what you hear or what you think, but you're experience. and no being here for a week or less than a year really doesn't give you any idea how the state is. Don't be like Texass up there, and be obnoxiously annoying. actually use your brain and explain.

Couple of things. First of all, for you Caliguy, no need to be belittling, especially as you know not whereof you speak and have a tendency to generalize. I'm a native Californian, born in San Diego, raised in Newport Beach and have lived in Southern, Central and Northern California for 50 of my 64 years. I have a pretty good idea of what CA is and especially its politics in which I was directly involved for 19 years in Sacramento as a state legislative analyst. My wife worked in the same field for 15 years and we're both state retirees with a total of 40 years between us. By the way, my wife is also a native, having been born and lived in Northern California for at least 50 of her 62 years. Like me, politically, she also knows where the skeletons are buried.

Bluenoter and Caliguy, here are your answers as ONLY pertain to us. I would not presume to speak for other CA "expats" whether here in the Ozarks or elsewhere.

Almost 17 years ago I was divorced from a wife of 25 years, lost pretty much everything in the divorce and was hit with significant spousal and child support obligations which I met without fail. I also lost half my state retirement at the time as the ex got it by federal law. That, coupled with raising five children on a single income -- mine -- resulted in me being dead broke with no ability to buy an house. My wife was also divorced and had been for almost 20 years, spending the bulk of them raising two daughters with absolutely no support from their father. She, too, was dead broke when we married after five years of friendship due, primarily, to our mutual work in politics for the state.

Fast forward to 2002! My wife had to retire early due to medical issues. I continued working until the end of 2008 when I retired.

We started looking at and researching other states in which to retire. AR and MO were high on the list based upon topography, societal issues, tax burden, housing costs, overall cost of living, weather (four distinct seasons, not particularly harsh) and other factors. Back in the 70s my wife lived in the NW AR Ozarks for seven years and loved the area. I'd been through MO on military moves and also fell in love with the Ozarks.

Fast forward to 2009! After much research we narrowed our search to SW MO. We bought a home on the shore of a huge and beautiful lake that would easily have cost us 4-5 times more in CA and our property taxes are well below $1,000 each year. Property owner association fees are a walloping $205 a year and include an association center for all 212 families of us and a lovely pool. Food, and just about everything else, runs about a third less than it did in CA. Patriotism is overt and obvious, we're not over-crowded and where we are, crime is negligble -- one attempted burglary in 30 years and the home owner drove them off by loudly declaring he was going to shoot them which he would have done; secure in the knowledge that the state has a strong "castle doctrine." That means that if they're in your house without your consent you can shoot them. You're within your rights to do so and can't be sued by their survivors.

Is the state a bit backwards by CA standards? Of course! Do we see that as a bad thing? Absolutely not! It's kinda like having moved back to America, compared to progressive CA, and is especially managable on our retirement incomes.

By the way, illegal immigration is minimal, English is the preponderant language and but for national companies that have punked out and capitulated, there is no "For English press 1" here.

If that upsets the more "progressive" of you, so be it. This is America! We're happy to be back.

Does that answer your questions?

For the record, we love California and still have, between us, five children and six grandchildren living there -- two and three, respectively living in other states (CO, OH & ME).!

Curmudgeon · 06-26-2010, 10:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fontucky

And everyone in Arkansas are gap-toothed Bible pounding Christians who are married to close relatives, live in 40+ year old single-wide mobile homes, sport big old mullets, and drive old pickup trucks with the Stars & bars emblazoned on the back window, assuming the back window is still installed.

Dammit! Ya fergot the gun rack!