How/when did California become "the place that conservatives love to hate"? (Sonoma: unemployment rate, schools)

[mateo45]

Seems like you can't hardly find a CA thread anymore where you don't fairly trip over someone, usually of the ''conservative'' persuasion, talking as though the state has become the ''poster child'' for everything wrong in the country these days.... ''illegals'', ''hippies'', ''gays'', ''libruls'', morality, the economy, you name it.

What's that all about, is there any truth to it, and how did this ''perception'' come to be?

[Natural510]

Cos California has castrated the Republican Party in the state, making it completely irrelevant. The right-wing can't allow California to get away with that and look good as a result, or else it shows how unnecessary they are as a party.

[Harrier]

Just look around you.

Unemployment is high, small business are leaving the state in droves, we spend more money on prisons than for schools, and schools do less with more than practically any state in the republic, illegal immigration is rampant, our legislature can't pass a budget, unions control our capital, and pensions are going broke, as are Californians who can't afford to live in this liberal utopia any longer.

I could go on and on - but the one common stream that these negative things have is - they are the product of liberals and the Democratic Party in California - who has transformed the once Golden State into the disaster zone that it is today.

[Charles]

Ever since we Californians send pictures like this in February to our relatives in Buffalo, Chicago, etc.

[nightlysparrow]

California is as far away from the "old" part of the country as one can get in the continental US (or the "old country" of Europe). It has always attracted those who want a new way of living. California has also been the first "test area" for new ideas. Those ideas seldom succeed in action the first time around.

As Arthur Schopenhauer, German philosopher (1788–1860) said, "All truth passes through three stages. First, it is ridiculed. Second, it is violently opposed. Third, it is accepted as being self-evident." So California takes the flack for being first. However, the ideas don't die out, but get picked up by and succeed in other states (gay marriage, for example).

[Harrier]

Originally Posted by Charles

Ever since we Californians send pictures like this in February to our relatives in Buffalo, Chicago, etc.

The foreground distracted me so much from the background - I almost didn't realize how pretty that entire picture actually is.

[mateo45]

Originally Posted by nightlysparrow

California is as far away from the "old" part of the country as one can get in the continental US (or the "old country" of Europe). It has always attracted those who want a new way of living. California has also been the first "test area" for new ideas. Those ideas seldom succeed in action the first time around.

As Arthur Schopenhauer, German philosopher (1788–1860) said, "All truth passes through three stages. First, it is ridiculed. Second, it is violently opposed. Third, it is accepted as being self-evident." So California takes the flack for being first. However, the ideas don't die out, but get picked up by and succeed in other states (gay marriage, for example).

Good post. Kinda like Machiavelli's advice from the Prince...

"'And let it be noted that there is no more delicate matter to take in hand, nor more dangerous to conduct, nor more doubtful in its success, than to set up as the leader in the introduction of changes. For he who innovates will have for his enemies all those who are well off under the existing order of things, and only lukewarm supporters in those who might be better off under the new.''

Originally Posted by Harrier

Just look around you.

Unemployment is high, small business are leaving the state in droves, we spend more money on prisons than for schools, and schools do less with more than practically any state in the republic, illegal immigration is rampant, our legislature can't pass a budget, unions control our capital, and pensions are going broke, as are Californians who can't afford to live in this liberal utopia any longer.

I could go on and on - but the one common stream that these negative things have is - they are the product of liberals and the Democratic Party in California - who has transformed the once Golden State into the disaster zone that it is today.

Every state has its share of problems these days.... but calling this a "disaster zone" seems a mite extreme. Care to be more specific why we're so "special", or are we just gonna repeat unquestioned political "dogma"?

[Vergofa]

It is not so much hate, as it is hysterical laughing.

[zdg]

Originally Posted by Harrier

I could go on and on - but the one common stream that these negative things have is - they are the product of liberals and the Democratic Party in California - who has transformed the once Golden State into the disaster zone that it is today.

I'm sorry, it was freakishly difficult to read this post with the glare of the blue skies and sun off my screen, the view of the Sonoma County mountains behind the vineyards in my peaceful 71-degree backyard, the delicious fresh veggies I bought from the farmers down the street, the MP3 player of local jazz artists on the speakers, and the grill lighting up for a BBQ tonight in March.

You people are ridiculous. Haiti after an earthquake is a disaster zone. Southeast Asia after a tsunami is a disaster zone. New Orleans after Katrina is a disaster zone. California is one of the most civilized first world places in the entirety of the Americas. Your fact-free political beliefs will never change the fact that California is one of the most desirable places on Earth to live. There are plenty of awful places for you to go live where the government acts exactly how you wish ours would - where you are free to delude yourself into believing you had it as good as you did when you still lived in California.

To answer the OP - people hate California for the same reason this guy I just responded to does; people insecure about their own situation like to blame others for their own problems. Don't like that you believe entirely in a system that only benefits the wealthy but find yourself not being one? Well, hell, just blame the Democrats for giving "everything away!" Whatever. Who cares? Enjoy your bitter hate, haters -- I'm going to spend the rest of the day enjoying my expensive, high taxed, left-wing, gorgeous, unbeatable piece of Heaven.

[Tex?Il?]

Originally Posted by Harrier

Just look around you.

Unemployment is high, small business are leaving the state in droves, we spend more money on prisons than for schools, and schools do less with more than practically any state in the republic, illegal immigration is rampant, our legislature can't pass a budget, unions control our capital, and pensions are going broke, as are Californians who can't afford to live in this liberal utopia any longer.

I could go on and on - but the one common stream that these negative things have is - they are the product of liberals and the Democratic Party in California - who has transformed the once Golden State into the disaster zone that it is today.

No.

Since I've moved here just over a year ago, I have met more people that are self-employed, contractor types more than any other state. The state is full of small businesses, more so than I've seen elsewhere. What you do have more of, are large businesses, that make the official headquarters in another state, to take advantage of lower taxes, yet only takes a fraction of the jobs in the proccess.

Schools have gotten their budgets cut more than just about any other state. Class sizes have increased. California has resorted to austerity measures in its schools, that is only very recently begun to see a break.

Illegal immigration is an issue for the simple fact that the state is adjacent to Mexico, and has as its number one economy, agriculture that requires manual labor that native born Americas are going to do.

The reason for the budget problems is simply that the recent recession was the housing crash. Those places that experienced a housing crash, experienced that because they experienced a housing boom. The states that weathered the recession without much issue, like the Dakotas, did so because they did not experience a housing boom because no one wants to live there, and therefore you did not see inflated housing prices. Also, since these are states that you would have to pay most people to live there, the unemployment rate is low. California is a state where people are willing to weather a period of unemployment, and tighten their belt temporarily because there's truly something for everyone.

I do agree that there needs to be pension reform, etc. but no where is without problems.