Why I want to leave San Francisco (Marina, Blythe: crimes, neighborhoods)

[SoCal67]

As a conservative Republican living in California, I totally understand your frustration. I also work for the Department of State Hospitals, which means I work with the criminally insane. We have seen an absolute population explosion in response to Cali's insane welcome to homeless and concomitant dedication to eliminating community psych beds. We know. Most of our newer patients have extensive arrest histories and are 'unsheltered homeless' at the time of their arrest. You're not imagining anything: even down here in SoCal we are seeing it and suffering as well.

As for finding a place with a fast(er) pace but lower population, I love Tucson. I don't think it would be a great fit for you since you seem not to like the heat, but University towns often have a lot of amenities (touring bands, great restaurants, shopping) that you don't see in other similarly-sized towns. I wish you the best of luck in your quest to leave - and can't wait to leave myself. Sad, since I have lived here most of my life.

[Finper]

Originally Posted by SoCal67

As a conservative Republican living in California, I totally understand your frustration. I also work for the Department of State Hospitals, which means I work with the criminally insane. We have seen an absolute population explosion in response to Cali's insane welcome to homeless and concomitant dedication to eliminating community psych beds. We know. Most of our newer patients have extensive arrest histories and are 'unsheltered homeless' at the time of their arrest. You're not imagining anything: even down here in SoCal we are seeing it and suffering as well.

As for finding a place with a fast(er) pace but lower population, I love Tucson. I don't think it would be a great fit for you since you seem not to like the heat, but University towns often have a lot of amenities (touring bands, great restaurants, shopping) that you don't see in other similarly-sized towns. I wish you the best of luck in your quest to leave - and can't wait to leave myself. Sad, since I have lived here most of my life.

Wow are we alike. I'm a republican Cali native who can't wait to leave the state. I also love Tucson and Oro Valley.

[sfca30]

Originally Posted by SoCal67

As a conservative Republican living in California, I totally understand your frustration. I also work for the Department of State Hospitals, which means I work with the criminally insane. We have seen an absolute population explosion in response to Cali's insane welcome to homeless and concomitant dedication to eliminating community psych beds. We know. Most of our newer patients have extensive arrest histories and are 'unsheltered homeless' at the time of their arrest. You're not imagining anything: even down here in SoCal we are seeing it and suffering as well.

As for finding a place with a fast(er) pace but lower population, I love Tucson. I don't think it would be a great fit for you since you seem not to like the heat, but University towns often have a lot of amenities (touring bands, great restaurants, shopping) that you don't see in other similarly-sized towns. I wish you the best of luck in your quest to leave - and can't wait to leave myself. Sad, since I have lived here most of my life.

Originally Posted by Finper

Wow are we alike. I'm a republican Cali native who can't wait to leave the state. I also love Tucson and Oro Valley.

Thank you! I am moving next week to New Hampshire. Very much looking forward to it. Happy I finally made the choice to get out of SF and out of California, and found a nice community to live in in New England.

[Finper]

Originally Posted by sfca30

Thank you! I am moving next week to New Hampshire. Very much looking forward to it. Happy I finally made the choice to get out of SF and out of California, and found a nice community to live in in New England.

Good for you!! Good luck in your new state

[SoCal67]

Best of luck to you in your new state! I'm envious!

[golgi1]

Originally Posted by smashystyle

There just was a panel on this topic at one of the big economics conferences: https://www.aeaweb.org/conference/20...QytDVyvgEX7Clm

The studies are a mixed bag, with some showing no effects on employment and others showing a moderate effect. It probably depends to a large extent on the local economy. Regardless, I don't think the minimum wage is likely much to blame for pet stores going out of business in SF. I would look first at competition from Amazon, rent costs, etc. Any minimum wage job (even at $15) will have trouble drawing applicants in SF. Even teachers and much higher wage jobs have trouble getting applicants, given the cost of living and the option for many workers of living in suburbs with lower COL and the same pay.

I agree that the reasoning may be multi-variable, but you can't discount the effect f a minimum wage hike - especially when such a discount is based on conjecture that somehow these stores were not getting applicants at the prior wages.

If these sores were not getting applicants at the lower wages, and they needed workers, they would have raised the wage or prior eliminated the job. That the job existed at the lower wage means that there were applicants and workers at the lower wage.

A higher minimum wage will work to eliminate jobs, as a fact of economics. You don't have to observe this to occur. It will occur statistically, even if its for jobs that are out of your perception. Though, you will likely also see this occur for jobs for which you are aware as well. The trick will to not rationalize away the reasoning for their diminished quantity. It won't be the primary reason for all jobs that you see disappear, but it will be for many.

The net end result of a higher minimum wage will be diminished storefronts, consolidated services, consolidated retail, and a consolidated job market in general (a lesser quantity of higher paid lower skill employees taking the place of a prior higher quantity of lesser paid lower skill employees - implying less availability of low-skill work), and an out-migration of lower socioeconomic populations.

In other words, the region will become less diverse, more corporate, and there will be less amenities available.

The replacement infill of higher paid employees, as a function of the housing needs of the corporate sector, will also raise prices over the medium term; negating any effect of the minimum wage increase. The "good" news is, at this point, storefronts and amenities should again begin to return.

This was always likely to be the future of SF. It's merely ironic that the social justice sentiment of a minimum wage hike will likely have the inverse net effect of the original intent that was to make the area more livable for the lower socioeconomic tier.

Its very difficult and, beyond basic employment rights assurances, generally inadvisable to attempt to game a fast growth economy. The economic growth, itself, tends to be the strong-arm in that game - winning out over regulation and attempts to limit its effects.

[golgi1]

Originally Posted by sfca30

I find the atmosphere to be unpleasant all around. Political correctness and passive aggressiveness also out of control over here.

The grass is not always greener. NE cities are hyper liberal and will be a culture shock for you and not in a good way.

NYC is isolating, even for long-time residents.

DC is literally as liberal as SF, but with more crime and worse weather.

Philly (my hometown) is not recommended on the grounds that its too gritty (read: vast swaths of ghetto and a bad culture).

Boston is an upscale Philly in a way, but also ultra liberal. Though, perhaps it would be your overall best bet on the NE coast. For a small-town feel near Boston, try Barnstable Town.

Why not try relatively more conservative areas of California, like Sacramento?

If you want to come East and don't have to be in the NE or a major metropolis, then Charleston SC would be my top recommendation for you.

If you wish to stay west, I'd try either Dallas or Austin on for size.

Fly to any or all of these before making a decision.

[golgi1]

Originally Posted by BlinkingBlythe

The homeless situation here has always been bad. But in recent years, it has gotten progressively worse with no signs of ebbing.#######

It's like that all over the United States now, and cities more often than not try to
criminalize homelessness, even though it costs LESS to give them an apartment rather
than incarcerate them.

This brain-dead and malicious thinking by "city councils" is doing a big part in pushing us closer and
closer to a full-on police state and if we don't reverse course, now, America will be
a very ugly place to be in 20 years.

Shelter is the primary issue, but giving the each homeless person an apartment would not solve the issue and would create many more.

For instance, if the homeless were to each get an apartment, what would stop every high school kid or dissatisfied adult from camping on the street for a week to get an apartment? Who is going to pay for, build, and own these apartments? Where are we going to designate these apartments?
What would stop these apartment buildings from devolving due to the other habits and mental health issues of the homeless that, mostly, led to their homelessness in the first place?

A large rehabilitation / life-skills / mental health / detox facility seems like it would be a little more realistic, but what to do with the population that exceeds its limit? At what point do you discharge?

Civilization is unlikely to be rid of the homeless issue, and moreover the issue is likely to continue o get worse with increasing drug legalization.

The only question is where you want them to congregate. Regions that are more lenient and offer more resources will realize greater accumulation of the homeless population, especially given nicer weather.

[Scorpion3510]

Originally Posted by jade408

go wine tasting in lodi - less traffic, friendlier people.

+1

[SoCal67]

Mmmm, less traffic, friendlier people, AND wine tasting????