How was California in the 50's, 60's, 70's, 80's? (Sacramento: buy, living in)

[Mouldy Old Schmo]

Originally Posted by thisplacesucks

I remember my uncle in the 1960's was married, 3 children, wife did not work, he was a welder, and they owned a house...in Berkeley. Try THAT now...

Even more incredible if he was conservative.

[expatCA]

Originally Posted by Mouldy Old Schmo

Even more incredible if he was conservative.

Yesterdays Liberals are today's conservatives.

[Exitus Acta Probat]

Originally Posted by bigdumbgod

Laws regarding immigration and citizenship are often specious at best (quaint, even!), especially for a country that was built by immigrants. Isolationist policy only sets those economies back in globally competitive markets.

Why is it always a false dichotomy with you people? A moratorium on immigration does not equate to isolationism, so you can take the WSJ prattle and use it elsewhere because we're not falling for that.

[oldtrader]

And it's not just that real estate values have skyrocketed, but wages have plateaued more or less since the 80's, in spite of improved productivity. That's just not right.

Nation wide stagnant pay is a problem, but it isn't as serious an issue as it is in the bulk of CA, due to lower COL in the majority of the US. Now the population issue is a non issue as it is a beautiful State to live in, just expensive and over regulated which takes away from what it used to be.

The real problem is, every business has to face competition. One place that has held down wages is in manufacturing, etc. Those companies, have to compete with other businesses when they sell their products to people.

It is estimated that it costs up to 40% more to run a manufacturing plant in Los Angeles than it does in places like Dallas. There is no way that companies can pay wages that would give the same standard of living in Los Angeles as in Dallas, and be able to compete in the marketplace. They would go broke trying it.

California wages are often higher than in other states. Problem: Cost of living as the second quote covers is much higher in California which gives the people in other states more buying power. And taxes are higher in California, another thing that holds down wages due to competition with things made in other states.

Lets compare the median income for California against other states after the incomes have been adjusted for cost of living and taxes. California is in 41st [place for buying power. This same cost of living differential is what also makes California the leader as the state with by far the highest poverty level.

Things are a lot different than when we bought our first home in Cupertino for $13,750 in 1956, nothing down V.A. loan on one income. Over the next 10 years, we traded up twice getting every bigger and nicer homes the last in Saratoga. A real difficult thing for the young people just starting out to do today.
New State-Level Price Data Shows Smaller State Real Income Differences | Tax Foundation

[waffleiron1968]

In patches. The Mexican gangs seem to be everywhere these days.

[expatCA]

Originally Posted by oldtrader

The real problem is, every business has to face competition. One place that has held down wages is in manufacturing, etc. Those companies, have to compete with other businesses when they sell their products to people.

It is estimated that it costs up to 40% more to run a manufacturing plant in Los Angeles than it does in places like Dallas. There is no way that companies can pay wages that would give the same standard of living in Los Angeles as in Dallas, and be able to compete in the marketplace. They would go broke trying it.

California wages are often higher than in other states. Problem: Cost of living as the second quote covers is much higher in California which gives the people in other states more buying power. And taxes are higher in California, another thing that holds down wages due to competition with things made in other states.

Lets compare the median income for California against other states after the incomes have been adjusted for cost of living and taxes. California is in 41st [place for buying power. This same cost of living differential is what also makes California the leader as the state with by far the highest poverty level.

Things are a lot different than when we bought our first home in Cupertino for $13,750 in 1956, nothing down V.A. loan on one income. Over the next 10 years, we traded up twice getting every bigger and nicer homes the last in Saratoga. A real difficult thing for the young people just starting out to do today.
New State-Level Price Data Shows Smaller State Real Income Differences | Tax Foundation

Humm, CA near the bottom and DC at the top. Well we pay the people to be there and in CA people pay to be there.

[Mouldy Old Schmo]

I wonder how many contemporary Californians can relate to the state the Beach Boys sang about.

[MItoBH]

I love watching movies and tv shows of California/LA from the 70s and 80s. Traffic on the roads was so much lighter back then. there's not a lot of crazy foot traffic, and the disparity between the haves and the have nots were not as striking as they are today.

[expatCA]

Originally Posted by Mouldy Old Schmo

I wonder how many contemporary Californians can relate to the state the Beach Boys sang about.

Those of us who grew up in the 60's. No one moving to CA orf born here today for sure.

[Mouldy Old Schmo]

Originally Posted by MItoBH

I love watching movies and tv shows of California/LA from the 70s and 80s. Traffic on the roads was so much lighter back then. there's not a lot of crazy foot traffic, and the disparity between the haves and the have nots were not as striking as they are today.

That's what happens when film and TV crews block off traffic and hire actors to play poor people.