Why do people say California is so bad ? (Los Angeles, San Diego: 2014, low crime)

[Adrini]

I don't live in California, actually, I don't even live in the USA, but I see a lot of people on this forum saying "California is super expensive, full of immigrants, no jobs, high poverty etc.." but yet, people keep moving here (according to Wikipedia) so there must be something good if people keep moving here. So, what is it ?(except the weather)
I'm not here to accuse anybody but some people seem like italians (I live in Italy) that say "oh my god I hate working so much (7-8 hours a day) and I'm poor, Italy sucks. (most of italians go on vacation in other european countries 2-3 times a year, especially during summer). What do you think ?

[wehotex]

Originally Posted by Adrini

I don't live in California, actually, I don't even live in the USA, but I see a lot of people on this forum saying "California is super expensive, full of immigrants, no jobs, high poverty etc.." but yet, people keep moving here (according to Wikipedia) so there must be something good if people keep moving here. So, what is it ?(except the weather)
I'm not here to accuse anybody but some people seem like italians (I live in Italy) that say "oh my god I hate working so much (7-8 hours a day) and I'm poor, Italy sucks. (most of italians go on vacation in other european countries 2-3 times a year, especially during summer). What do you think ?

I live in Los Angeles three weeks- month at a time and then go to work in San Antonio for a few weeks. As a gay man, I appreciate that Calif is much more progressive than Texas in many ways incl worker protection, civil rights, etc. Of course, I seriously have a love affair with the weather and the many activities that are avbl here in SoCal. What I don't like is the phenomenal costs of living and/or buying a home here in a place where I would WANT to live. This was MUCH easier in the 1990s until EVERYONE decided that a home should not be an INVESTMENT rather than a place to live. The TRAFFIC is also unbearable. A Friday afternoon trip from Woodland Hills to San Diego takes me 6-7 hours. I know that it wasn't so bad before back when I lived in SoCal in the 90s. Yes, there are TOO MANY immigrants here!!! Calif is already so crowded without adding more welfare dependent people to the state. The Calif gov't is always working against the taxpayers here and do their level best to aid the illegals. Home prices keep homes unattainable to many in. San Francisco, Los Angeles.

[mstnghu2]

California is a huge and very diverse state both culturally and geographically. The natural beauty in many parts of the state is unsurpassed. The state is home to large, highly-populated urban areas as well as large areas that are completely rural and undeveloped.

California is almost a country unto itself due to its vast size and population. Basically any generalization that's made about CA is in some cases true and in many not true at all. The desirable parts of CA are very expensive to live in. Cost of living in my opinion is the state's biggest drawback. Many people also don't care for the pervasive liberal extremist political views that many of the state's leaders possess. I'm not hugely political though, so that aspect doesn't really have much influence on my day to day life.

[Tulemutt]

Originally Posted by wehotex

Calif is already so crowded without adding more welfare dependent people to the state. .

California is too overcrowded without adding ANY kind of people, from anywhere, of any color (including white).

[pch1013]

Originally Posted by Adrini

I don't live in California, actually, I don't even live in the USA, but I see a lot of people on this forum saying "California is super expensive, full of immigrants, no jobs, high poverty etc.." but yet, people keep moving here (according to Wikipedia) so there must be something good if people keep moving here. So, what is it ?

It's the fact that California is seen as a liberal state, and conservatives love to portray it in the worst possible light because they think that proves the correctness of their political viewpoint.

[tetka_grunya]

Maybe because many people in California like to say “As California goes, so goes the nation.”
But the results of the politicians' actions here are not that rosy

interesting article here

California's Economic Collision Course: Immigration and Water - Forbes

[nslander]

Nobody goes there anymore. It's too crowded.

[wehotex]

Originally Posted by Tulemutt

California is too overcrowded without adding ANY kind of people, from anywhere, of any color (including white).

LOL- you got that right!!! People from the outside might look at a map and think that Calif is a physically large state. But much of it is arid desert or the boonies, where many people do not want to live in. There are already water sustainability problems as well as long time residents of cities that are being evicted because mega-rich people want to take over those properties. Calif must have been such a wonderful place at one time. I wish that I could have visited it in that era.

[Mr5150]

Originally Posted by wehotex

LOL- you got that right!!! People from the outside might look at a map and think that Calif is a physically large state. But much of it is arid desert or the boonies, where many people do not want to live in. There are already water sustainability problems as well as long time residents of cities that are being evicted because mega-rich people want to take over those properties. Calif must have been such a wonderful place at one time. I wish that I could have visited it in that era.

Only 15% of CA is desert.

Only 2% of CA is crowded/semi-crowded.

97% of CA is rural or Wilderness.

When people talk about how bad the traffic is, the polluted air, high crime they usually are only seeing CA from the perspective of LA, where such conditions are the norm, LA is not CA. The greater LA area covers way less than 1% of the land area of CA

I live in CA and traffic is almost never an issue for me, unless I drive to the SF Bay Area at the wrong time of day. Low crime, clean air and forest for miles and miles. It snows, lots.

No mega rich folk taking over properties.

[nslander]

Originally Posted by wehotex

LOL- you got that right!!! People from the outside might look at a map and think that Calif is a physically large state. But much of it is arid desert or the boonies, where many people do not want to live in. There are already water sustainability problems as well as long time residents of cities that are being evicted because mega-rich people want to take over those properties. Calif must have been such a wonderful place at one time. I wish that I could have visited it in that era.

That has the enduring myth of CA, and the West in general, since Helen Hunt Jackson published Ramona. You just missed the good old days. The perpetuation of this fantasy has helped cloak the always-present water and sustainability limits, while causing useful political diversion for those vested interests adept at popular and political manipulation. To wit: 80% of the state's water goes to corporate agribusiness, which sells most of its product out-of-state, but which actually comprises a small percentage of the state's overall economy. Instead of honestly addressing that reality at ANY point in our history in ANY meaningful way, our conditioned response has been limited to endless political ****-shows involving peripheral canals, water tunnels, desalination, north-vs south, left v right, white vs brown, environment v jobs, delta smelt, snail darters, bond measures and whether yellow is actually mellow.

The hills were fragrant with Orange blossoms. Heaven, unless you were an Okie starving for work, many of whom already viewed their new home as Paradise Lost.

LA was a suburban paradise. Except when the smog was so thick, parents were reluctant to let the kids play outside and were nervous about the neighborhood “changing”.

The good old days are now, and we need to act that way.