Is California un-governable? (Los Angeles, Orange: standard of living, pollution, smog)

[majoun]

Originally Posted by NorCal Dude

California is 2nd world. It is governable but not functionable.

It is very easy to sink from 2nd world to 3rd world.

It is very difficult to get from 2nd to 1st world

And yet middle income countries do become high income countries.

Look at South Korea, Chile, the Czech Republic, and Slovenia as examples. And, in the future, Brazil most likely.

[paladinking]

i think NO,,,

[BluSpark]

Originally Posted by NorCal Dude

California is 2nd world. It is governable but not functionable.

It is very easy to sink from 2nd world to 3rd world.

It is very difficult to get from 2nd to 1st world

California is NOT 2nd world.....that is a crazy statement.

2nd world is Russia, Kazakhstan, developed parts of China maybe, etc.

3rd world is Venezuela, N. Korea, etc.

I think someone needs to buy you a plan ticket for Bejing or something.

[NorCal Dude]

California is very second world. California is very similar dysfunction like russia and corruption too, pollution like china (arsenic in drinking water in central valley, smog, etc.)no fiscal responsibility like greece. California is a 2nd world bufferzone between 1st world usa and third world mexico

[BluSpark]

Originally Posted by NorCal Dude

California is very second world. California is very similar dysfunction like russia and corruption too, pollution like china (arsenic in drinking water in central valley, smog, etc.)no fiscal responsibility like greece. California is a 2nd world bufferzone between 1st world usa and third world mexico

If you truly believe all that nonsense...then maybe it's time for you to move?

There are parts of Appalachia that are closer to the 2nd world than California....

The world bank did a complilation of the most polluted (air quality) cities in the world.

1. Cairo, Egypt
2. Dehili, India
3. Kolkata, India
4. Tianjin, China
5. Chongquin, China
6. Kanpur, India
7. Lucknow, India
8. Jakarta, Indonesia
9. Shenyang, China

[mysticaltyger]

Originally Posted by Boompa

You have to be kidding, California on it's own is the 7th largest economy in the world. If they could print their own money they could inflate it 10% and be even. The per capita income is higher than anywhere else in the country. I'd sooner live in a broke California than about 45 other states

Yeah, that's nice talk. I wonder if you actually would if it happens. Talk is cheap.

[mysticaltyger]

Originally Posted by BRinSM

really? state government controls housing prices? i always thought the market controlled housing prices. boy was i way off .

Yes, actually the state and local government have a lot of control over the housing market. Prop 13 as well as restrictive zoning laws effectively limit the building of new housing, restricting supply...and driving up prices.

The notion that we have anything close to a true free market in housing is a joke. The housing market is very much distorted by goverment laws/regulations. The worst part about it is that since those laws/regulations are invisible to most people, many, like yourself, are under the illusion that we have a free market in housing.

[mysticaltyger]

Originally Posted by BluSpark

The article posted by the OP references this 1991 Time Magazine article called "The Endangered Dream" questioning if the golden state had lost its luster.

The Endangered Dream - TIME

I don't mean to minimize the many challenges the state faces but it does point out that we've been down this road before.

More like we've been on the same road since 1991 (actually, probably longer than that). The dot com boom and then the housing boom obscured a lot of the unhealthy trends that were happening, but they've been there all along.

[mysticaltyger]

Originally Posted by Lifeshadower

I don't think California is ungovernable..I mean, after all, there was a time that California was physically able to be governed without as many problems as we do today. There was a time when economic problems were a LOT worse than they are now (back in the 1930s), but there weren't nearly as much coming out about the United States being ungovernable back then.

The biggest problem today, I feel, is voter apathy. It seems that no matter how bad the state is doing, it seems that anyone rarely cares about what goes on. You can see this when you see how many people turn out to vote in any gubernatorial election (for 2006, it was 39.89%, in 2002, it was 36.05%) and for the midterm elections. I mean, compared to a whole lot of other democracies, America as a whole has a problem with voter apathy, but its especially acute here in California.

Judging by what you see posted on this forum, and what people talk about in person, its not extremely surprising why. Everyone has a complaint, but it seems that no one has a prescription. Everyone is quick to blame the other side, but don't exhibit enough criticism toward their own side.

Once upon a time, people were able to vote on their feet; IE: run away to another place that has a better economy. But in the days of a globalized economy, where everything seems to be outsourced anyways, that's becoming less and less of a possibility.

As AMERICANS, not just as Californians, Texans, Alaskans, New Yorkers, or whatever, we need to quit this attitude of running away from our problems. What kind of country are we if all we seem to be adept at doing is running away? We need to honestly look at the problems for what they are, and meet them head on. No amount of hiding the issues, minimizing the issue, of avoiding the issues can change the fact that there is something seriously wrong with the way the US economy is structured, the political system is stymied, and the uptick of social problems.

Just one persons opinion.

You nailed it, Lifeshadower!

[mysticaltyger]

Originally Posted by hoffdano

In 2009 California ranked 10th in per capita income, not 1st.

BBER-UNM: United States: Per Capita Personal Income

I'd add that California hasn't been 1st in per capita income for a long time, if ever.