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View Poll Results: Is the American Dream Impossible to Achieve in California?
Yes 21 38.89%
No 33 61.11%
Voters: 54. You may not vote on this poll

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Old 06-09-2014, 07:57 PM
 
Location: California → Tennessee → Ohio
1,608 posts, read 3,055,730 times
Reputation: 1249

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Is the American Dream Impossible to Achieve in California?
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Old 06-09-2014, 08:03 PM
 
Location: Earth
17,440 posts, read 28,474,646 times
Reputation: 7472
Quote:
Originally Posted by caliguy92832 View Post
Is the American Dream Impossible to Achieve in California?
Definitely, for a variety of reasons. High property values, overregulation, an insane tax structure in which property taxes are super-low and all other taxes are super-high, excessive fees, sky-high fines, a prison-industrial complex hellbent on putting as many people behind bars as possible, a parasitic public sector, and a general nanny-state attitude. Prop 13 has created a hereditary landed aristocracy in the state.
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Old 06-09-2014, 08:08 PM
 
Location: East Bay, San Francisco Bay Area, CA
23,291 posts, read 23,667,542 times
Reputation: 23715
Not impossible, but hard unless you have a good career, or are wealthy. A good career would start with coming from the right family/connections, or having a good education and then selecting a good career.
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Old 06-09-2014, 08:16 PM
 
Location: On the water.
21,596 posts, read 16,091,646 times
Reputation: 19631
Define "the Dream" please.
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Old 06-09-2014, 08:22 PM
 
Location: Los Altos Hills, CA
36,630 posts, read 67,178,829 times
Reputation: 21164
Actually, California is one of the BEST places to achieve the American Dream.


Top Metro Areas for Upward Mobility, 2014 Harvard University
1 Salt Lake City
2 Pittsburgh
3 San Jose
4 Boston
5 San Francisco
6 San Diego

7 Manchester, NH
8 Minneapolis
9 Newark
10 New York
11 Los Angeles
16 Sacramento


http://obs.rc.fas.harvard.edu/chetty/mobility_geo.pdf

As far as children born into the lowest income quintile who as adults are in the highest income quintile, California metro areas do VERY, VERY WELL.

Also, there was an article in the Mercury News a while back specifically talking about how immigrants in California are far less deterred by our high home prices than native-born citizens are.
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Old 06-09-2014, 09:02 PM
 
Location: I'm around town...
764 posts, read 2,025,174 times
Reputation: 979
Of course it's not impossible. It might be more difficult in some parts of the state than in others, but in no way is it impossible.
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Old 06-09-2014, 09:10 PM
 
Location: Arvada, CO
13,824 posts, read 29,788,732 times
Reputation: 14418
Not impossible, because they are still coming.

Ridgecrest, the Central Valley, the coasts if you want to work hard. Bring your wealth from somewhere else. Totally possible.
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Moderator for Los Angeles, The Inland Empire, and the Washington state forums.
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Old 06-09-2014, 09:15 PM
 
Location: California
37,048 posts, read 41,979,600 times
Reputation: 34850
Like people say, it depends on 'the dream'. Don't pretend it's the same today as it was when the phrase was coined. Nothing is. Even my own kids don't want what I wanted and that's just one generation.
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Old 06-09-2014, 09:31 PM
 
Location: Between Mid-South and West Coast, lol
43 posts, read 94,572 times
Reputation: 32
Quote:
Originally Posted by caliguy92832 View Post
Is the American Dream Impossible to Achieve in California?
IMHO ...

Short answer: NO

Long answer: Dreams need no generalized blanket definition, they are as individual as each one dreaming them, and are always possible if one makes them into goals and works toward achieving them. I think this is true no matter where you are.

Now for a specific "American Dream", well, yeah, that kinda does need to be defined a bit more. lol

If meaning an American with a dream, then I stand by my answers. If meaning a dream of becoming an American, then I stand by my answers. If meaning pretty much anything, I still stand by my answers and opinions. lol

Any dream is as impossible as it is possible, depending on the dreamer willing to help themselves make it a reality.

With the exception of course being the rainbow unicorn that flew me among the stars in my dream last night.
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Old 06-09-2014, 09:34 PM
 
Location: Southwest
2,589 posts, read 2,282,485 times
Reputation: 1973
majoun has good points. It seems the American Dream is very difficult in California for a person from a lower-middle class or lower economic background, even with motivation and hard work.

I knew an accountant originally from the Southwest who lived in Cal. He moved back to the Southwest because after he paid his bills, he didn't have any money left.

Off Topic: Why are they "hellbent on putting as many people behind bars as possible"?
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