So do you love LA or hate LA? (Los Angeles, Beverly Hills: income, living)
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An important thing to keep in mind is unemployment rates vary a lot even within California. In L.A as of Aug 2013, it is 11.3%..that's pretty bad!
SF is 5.6%, San Diego 7.4% . Many states are doing a lot better than us.
Regarding unemployment I see it as a serious issue beyond what people usually think of. People not having a job. It also effects an area too as people are not working /being productive and paying taxes,etc.
If you want to talk about big cities , Houston is the 4th Biggest in the USA and their unemployment rate is 6.2% as of the same period Aug 2013..
I know many will say "but they don't have as many fancy tech jobs or entertainment biz jobs as us" well at least more people are actually WORKING versus living off the government.
LA area is more like 8.5 unemployment. Where did you get 11.3? That was way back in 2010. The unemployment rate keeps falling little by little.
Also, Houston? Come on now. The jobs pay pretty crappy over there and the benefits are not very good. I've looked into it. Sure, it's cheaper, but that's just settling in life. No thanks.
LA is the NBA and Houston is like the Chinese Basketball League. Why settle for second or third rate?
An important thing to keep in mind is unemployment rates vary a lot even within California. In L.A as of Aug 2013, it is 11.3%..that's pretty bad!
SF is 5.6%, San Diego 7.4% . Many states are doing a lot better than us.
Regarding unemployment I see it as a serious issue beyond what people usually think of. People not having a job. It also effects an area too as people are not working /being productive and paying taxes,etc.
If you want to talk about big cities , Houston is the 4th Biggest in the USA and their unemployment rate is 6.2% as of the same period Aug 2013..
I know many will say "but they don't have as many fancy tech jobs or entertainment biz jobs as us" well at least more people are actually WORKING versus living off the government.
Well but Texas and Houston in general is unique. It has an extremely diverse economy; oil, energy, construction, medical, law, ports, shipping, retail, etc. Not to mention a relatively low cost of living for a major city of its size and amenities. That's unheard of and it's mostly due to three things:
Abundant flat land ripe for development, which keeps costs low
No spending on social services, occupational and health safety, education, infrastructure to the level seen in California. So less taxes which attracts business.
Oil prices and diverse economy to withstand recessions.
So california, or heck any state cannot replicate all that. Must other states aren't as flat and have near endless land to develop. CA is mountainous and is already very developed. Its economy isn't as diverse and there no wat in hades you're going to get the State to do away with more than half of the programs to reduce taxes and attract business. Quality of life would drastically sink in CA.
So the TX miracle Rick Perry is touting is disingenuous. Texas is only doing well in certain sectors but in the end they're going to experience worse problems than CA because they neglected to improve the quality of life for people through robust government initiatives like cleaner air, health and safety, infrastructure, and education.
If it wasn't for the federal government helping ppl at the bottom poorer texans would be SOL. But Texans don't think about those things like Californians do. Texans think if you can't get yours in the market place then you don't deserve a quality of life so pull yourself out of misery and get in on the Texas gravy train .
In the end CA will win out. They just have to weather this storm. CA values will win over this phony texas miracle.
I'm joining in late on this party. But there are many things I love and hate about LA .
For such a beautiful location and scenery, the vast majority of the city and county just looks dumpy with boring looking tract homes that lack character. I'm talking about places that aren't really talked about on this forum like Florence-Firestone, Lynwood, Hawthorne, San Fernando, Van Nuys, South Los Angeles, Pacoima, Willowbrook, Harbor Gateway etc. These areas make up a very large portion of LA.
The other thing I really dislike about LA is the crappy economy to go along with the high price of living. A lot of people I know here work in 2 jobs just to make ends meet.
And the main issue I have with this city is the transportation problem. LA's public transit is improviing, but still has a lot of catching up to do. Especially in parts outside of the main transit lines, where it would take an hour to go to Hollywood from the South Bay.
Now where I love LA is in the vibracy of Koreatown, Hollywood, West Hollywood, Santa Monica and the diverse range of things to do there. And if I'm tired of that. I can go to the beach cities of the South Bay like Manhattan Beach, Hermosa Beach, and Redondo Beach to kick back and enjoy the beach life.
Another thing I love is the diverse range of food options from various cusines around the world.
And the eclectic mix of people from the dreamers who are looking to "make it", to the artists, and the musicians, and the recently arrived immigrant which gives this city a unique character onto itself.
So there's a love/hate relationship about this city from me.
Again, in NY the ultra-wealthy are basically just as boring & dull as the middle class, besides the fact they have a lot of money.
If anything, the "old money" thing makes them very boring.
Yes, but that poster was saying that NYC is now a playground for the rich and that LA actually has free ways to entertain oneself...so low income can still somewhat enjoy life. That's what I took from the statement. I don't know NYC well enough to say (but that comment wasn't related to the fact that ultra wealthy are uninteresting, wheras in LA they are interesting to the media/photogs. Though, those are more 'famous' people who are an attraction, not uber wealthy. Most actors and celebs don't make *that* much money, actually. A good living, sure, but they are not the top earners. They are not sought after for their wealth but for their fame. I think that point of distinction is an important one-b/c the OP implied that people with money in other cities are not known or interesting. But in LA, it's not the people with money, it's just celebrity personalities who happen to have some money.)....
I'm not a CA native, but I absolutely love the egalitarian nature of beach and outdoor access here. I mean, there are towns on the CT coastline that have no public parking; the beaches are essentially private for their towns. And in many states [apparently OR, too, which I was surprised to learn], private ocean front property is an option. Not in CA. Public resources are for the public, and the public uses/enjoys them. That, plus the year round mild weather in LA gives more options for someone who's poor to still enjoy activities. I'm not comparing that factor to other cities/places, just saying that in LA [and in SD] this is true in my experience.
I'm still new to LA but I'm absolutely in love. My only problem is the narrow streets, particularly in my neighborhood. It can be a hassle and I'm always terrified that my dream car('76 Stingray) will get scratched to hell when I have let another car pass me on the one-way roads. I really underestimated how annoying it would be. But I'll take this over living in another city. I've lived in Chicago, Pittsburgh, NYC and several smaller cities and none of them compare to LA for me. Everyone always complains about LA's public transport and praises NYC for theirs but the public transportation in NYC is a nightmare. The subway is disgusting and you never know what will happen. And NYC stinks 9 months out of the year. I love pizza, nightlife and walking as much as the next guy, but the city stinks of urine. Plus, its not like you get anywhere faster in NYC than in LA. You're just not driving yourself in NYC so it's not as aggravating. But I love driving, listen to music/podcasts and not having to worry about missing my stop or being in the same train as a homeless masturbator.
Well but Texas and Houston in general is unique. It has an extremely diverse economy; oil, energy, construction, medical, law, ports, shipping, retail, etc. Not to mention a relatively low cost of living for a major city of its size and amenities. That's unheard of and it's mostly due to three things:
Abundant flat land ripe for development, which keeps costs low
No spending on social services, occupational and health safety, education, infrastructure to the level seen in California. So less taxes which attracts business.
Oil prices and diverse economy to withstand recessions.
So california, or heck any state cannot replicate all that. Must other states aren't as flat and have near endless land to develop. CA is mountainous and is already very developed. Its economy isn't as diverse and there no wat in hades you're going to get the State to do away with more than half of the programs to reduce taxes and attract business. Quality of life would drastically sink in CA.
So the TX miracle Rick Perry is touting is disingenuous. Texas is only doing well in certain sectors but in the end they're going to experience worse problems than CA because they neglected to improve the quality of life for people through robust government initiatives like cleaner air, health and safety, infrastructure, and education.
If it wasn't for the federal government helping ppl at the bottom poorer texans would be SOL. But Texans don't think about those things like Californians do. Texans think if you can't get yours in the market place then you don't deserve a quality of life so pull yourself out of misery and get in on the Texas gravy train .
In the end CA will win out. They just have to weather this storm. CA values will win over this phony texas miracle.
You are right about the flat land in Texas and that's about it. I love Los Angeles but a lot of those CA values you profess will win out are the only thing I can't stand. California has just as diverse of an economy as Texas does, if not more. Plenty of oil businesses were headquartered here, energy business, some of the largest technology companies, financial industry, construction, ports, aaaaaand agriculture. A state with this great of weather and the green belt of Central California has a great potential for agriculture. It amazes me that a state with so much appeal and resources has been driven to the point of near bankruptcy. This is life, you don't get medals for trying, California needs to realize that and take the initiative to bring business back to the state versus catering its laws to degenerates and will nots. I can't believe you feel that California's infrastructure, and education programs are better than Texas. You don't HAVE to send your kids to private schools there to give children a shot at success. I love California and worked my whole life to get here and will WORK to be successful. Hopefully I can be one of the citizens to help to bring the state back to its former glory. This amazing place has so much to offer and I hope I will never leave, just wish the government didn't make it so hard to earn an honest buck.
I'm still new to LA but I'm absolutely in love. My only problem is the narrow streets, particularly in my neighborhood. It can be a hassle and I'm always terrified that my dream car('76 Stingray) will get scratched to hell when I have let another car pass me on the one-way roads. I really underestimated how annoying it would be. But I'll take this over living in another city. I've lived in Chicago, Pittsburgh, NYC and several smaller cities and none of them compare to LA for me. Everyone always complains about LA's public transport and praises NYC for theirs but the public transportation in NYC is a nightmare. The subway is disgusting and you never know what will happen. And NYC stinks 9 months out of the year. I love pizza, nightlife and walking as much as the next guy, but the city stinks of urine. Plus, its not like you get anywhere faster in NYC than in LA. You're just not driving yourself in NYC so it's not as aggravating. But I love driving, listen to music/podcasts and not having to worry about missing my stop or being in the same train as a homeless masturbator.
What a great post! lol. So succinct yet so descriptive....And very clearly your opinion/experience rather than emphatic 'this is the way it is universally' type of post that one sees so often.
You are right about the flat land in Texas and that's about it. I love Los Angeles but a lot of those CA values you profess will win out are the only thing I can't stand. California has just as diverse of an economy as Texas does, if not more. Plenty of oil businesses were headquartered here, energy business, some of the largest technology companies, financial industry, construction, ports, aaaaaand agriculture. A state with this great of weather and the green belt of Central California has a great potential for agriculture. It amazes me that a state with so much appeal and resources has been driven to the point of near bankruptcy. This is life, you don't get medals for trying, California needs to realize that and take the initiative to bring business back to the state versus catering its laws to degenerates and will nots. I can't believe you feel that California's infrastructure, and education programs are better than Texas. You don't HAVE to send your kids to private schools there to give children a shot at success. I love California and worked my whole life to get here and will WORK to be successful. Hopefully I can be one of the citizens to help to bring the state back to its former glory. This amazing place has so much to offer and I hope I will never leave, just wish the government didn't make it so hard to earn an honest buck.
Do you mean even 'more' potential for agriculture? B/C CA already is one of the largest producers/exporters of produce and other agriculture [milk, almonds] in the country. Also, Gilroy for garlic. Avocados and grapes are major products, etc. Imperial valley in so cal is also a big producer, besides the central valley. California remained the number one state in cash farm receipts with 11.3 percent of the US total. The state accounted for 15 percent of national receipts for crops and 7.1 percent of the US revenue for livestock and livestock products. Exports totaled $18.18 billion in value which represents an eight percent increase over the previous year.
California’s agricultural abundance includes more than 400 commodities. The state produces nearly half of US-grown fruits, nuts and vegetables. Across the nation, US consumers regularly purchase several crops produced solely in California. Source: CDFA > STATISTICS
Just to prove how important California agriculture is to the United States, I pulled together some fun and interesting facts. Some of these facts may surprise you
California is the world’s 5th largest supplier of food, cotton fiber and other agricultural commodities.
California is the largest producer of food in the U.S. yet has less than 4% of the farms in the U.S.
The unique Mediterranean climate allows us to grow over 450+ different crops.
Some of these crops are exclusive to California: almonds, artichokes, dates, figs, kiwifruit, olives, persimmons, pomegranates, pistachios, prunes, raisins, clovers, and walnuts
California is the largest exporter of almonds in the world
California is the number 1 dairy state in the U.S.
California produces over 86% of all the lemons consumed in the United States.
California is the 4th largest wine producer in the world and produces over 90% of the wine in the U.S.
70 to 80% of all ripe olives are grown in California
California accounts for 94% of the processed tomatoes in the U.S.
California is the nation’s leading producer of strawberries, averaging 1.4 billion pounds of strawberries or 83% of the country’s total fresh and frozen strawberry production.
The value of the California strawberry crop is approximately $700 million with related employment of more than 48,000 people.
California produces 25% of the nation’s onions and 43% of the nation’s green onions.
It seems that CA has indeed maximized its agricultural potentials-
Well but Texas and Houston in general is unique. It has an extremely diverse economy; oil, energy, construction, medical, law, ports, shipping, retail, etc. Not to mention a relatively low cost of living for a major city of its size and amenities. That's unheard of and it's mostly due to three things:
Abundant flat land ripe for development, which keeps costs low
No spending on social services, occupational and health safety, education, infrastructure to the level seen in California. So less taxes which attracts business.
Oil prices and diverse economy to withstand recessions.
So california, or heck any state cannot replicate all that. Must other states aren't as flat and have near endless land to develop. CA is mountainous and is already very developed. Its economy isn't as diverse and there no wat in hades you're going to get the State to do away with more than half of the programs to reduce taxes and attract business. Quality of life would drastically sink in CA.
So the TX miracle Rick Perry is touting is disingenuous. Texas is only doing well in certain sectors but in the end they're going to experience worse problems than CA because they neglected to improve the quality of life for people through robust government initiatives like cleaner air, health and safety, infrastructure, and education.
If it wasn't for the federal government helping ppl at the bottom poorer texans would be SOL. But Texans don't think about those things like Californians do. Texans think if you can't get yours in the market place then you don't deserve a quality of life so pull yourself out of misery and get in on the Texas gravy train .
In the end CA will win out. They just have to weather this storm. CA values will win over this phony texas miracle.
California's economy is just as diverse as TX-including many/most of what you listed as part of Houston's diverse economic industries.
Also, boom bust cycles are always a factor. While we could argue that Houston will be strong for awhile due to oil, the city has obviously expanded and invested in developing a more diverse economy, indicating that the adage of 'not putting all of your eggs in one basket' is indeed good advice. I think people seem to look at economies and economic health in a linear fashion, very western style of thinking. These things tend to be cyclical, however. People also get short sighted and forget about history, historical trends and that today will become the past and is not a reality that is set in stone. Trying to make choices for tomorrow based on today is pretty short sighted [though admittedly is all we've got!] But just pointing out that criteria and variables WILL change; it's not an IF. Science will change. Society will change. If we are talking the next 20-30 years only, there still could be huge shifts. Though I expect that Houston will remain strong and so will the metro areas of CA.
The one huge factor, IMO, that is often mentioned in passing often but not really given the weight that it holds: Global investment. The number of millionaires and even middle/upper middle class folks, not just from china and india, but around the world-brasil, iran, korea, etc etc who are investing or moving to US urban areas is going to continue. The world's new found wealth, in many of these countries, means there's money to burn. For some: the US looks like an absolute bargain: Clean, sterile suburbs with infrastructure and public safety services, funded schools that are free, etc. etc. [And I"m not talking about 'welfare immigrants at all, btw.] What is the term? Minting new millionaires every day? Several countries are doing just this. Heck, the US is cheap to many europeans, as well. Cheap to travel or live. I'm not sure CA and TX need to be compared, maybe contrasted. But I don't think they are in competition. They are the largest states, population wise, each with their own style that is rooted in very different histories (despite a few parallels). Time will tell....
Oops-totally off topic for a love or hate LA thread. Sorry, OP!
lrmsd you are correct, sorry I should have phrased that differently. I was just getting at what an impressive state it is and the fact that it is capable of far more. It's GDP output used to rival many large countries in the 80s, it is still impressive but has slipped. I was just pointing out that Texas has no edge over California other than it's politics. Anyway back to the thread! That was the one thing I dislike but the positives far outweigh the one negative in my opinion.
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