CA Is A Poor State (section 8, income, living)

[RuggedAlpha]

I don't think it's doom and gloom. It's simply truth. I find a lot of people (especially leftist) find it hard to actually confront the truth.

Right now California has huge unfunded liabilites.

California has a huge U6 unemployment rate.

California's private sector growth is anemic.

California's regulatory environment becomes more restrictive every year.

These are facts, and people can either choose to confront them or not, but the reality still remains.

Well I'm not really arguing against any of that. I was really responding to Caliguys statements that success can still be had in CA if you work hard. I find that true based on my personal experience and those of the people around me.

Though I do perceive a lot of doom and gloom on the CA forums here on City Data. Many of the criticisms of the state tend to come down to big city vs. rural living. People complain about massive traffic, high cost of living, crime, etc. that is not confined to CA cities, but basically most big cities in US. You can avoid this if you live in a small town. I don't have to do deal with those issues because I live in a small town. I definitely enjoy rural living.

[expatCA]

Originally Posted by RuggedAlpha

Well I'm not really arguing against any of that. I was really responding to Caliguys statements that success can still be had in CA if you work hard. I find that true based on my personal experience and those of the people around me.

Though I do perceive a lot of doom and gloom on the CA forums here on City Data. Many of the criticisms of the state tend to come down to big city vs. rural living. People complain about massive traffic, high cost of living, crime, etc. that is not confined to CA cities, but basically most big cities in US. You can avoid this if you live in a small town. I don't have to do deal with those issues because I live in a small town. I definitely enjoy rural living.

You are correct that it is common in most big cities. In SoCal for sure and some parts of NorCal, where the majority of people live, it isn't just the cities, it is whole counties. Like OC.

You leave the city, except in OC, and in most places the traffic gets lighter. In OC you barely know when you leave one city for another. Ditto LA County in most places.

[StanleysOwl]

Originally Posted by payutenyodagimas

and do you expect to be successful if you don't have drive to succeed? if you are contented just earning minimum wage, do you expect to buy your dream house?

Being successful may be the result of personal drive. It can also be the result of luck. It can be the result of fortunate and easy connections. It can be a natural consequence of natural talents or inheritance or support not commonly avaliable to all. In any case simply having a drive to succed doesn't guarantee that result. If it did nearly everyone would be rich and famous and no one would clean toilets.

[expatCA]

Originally Posted by StanleysOwl

Being successful may be the result of personal drive. It can also be the result of luck. It can be the result of fortunate and easy connections. It can be a natural consequence of natural talents or inheritance or support not commonly avaliable to all. In any case simply having a drive to succed doesn't guarantee that result. If it did nearly everyone would be rich and famous and no one would clean toilets.

Drive however is the most important. Without even rich people .... fail.

[oldtrader]

Drive however is the most important. Without even rich people .... fail.

Drive is just one part of the equation, and only one part. There are several others, and drive is not even the most important part of it.

[payutenyodagimas]

perseverance, hard work is followed by luck..

don't you remember the saying " do your best and God will do the rest" anymore?

although there are really lucky people, they are the exceptions

MJ, Kobe are just one of those who worked hard then got lucky by having multi million dollar endorsements

[StanleysOwl]

Originally Posted by expatCA

Drive however is the most important. Without even rich people .... fail.

Originally Posted by oldtrader

Drive is just one part of the equation, and only one part. There are several others, and drive is not even the most important part of it.

OldTrader is corrct. Luck, talent, connections, support systems are all bigger factors than simple drive. Anybody can have drive. Without talent and luck and connections it may pproduce something but more often nothing much at all.

[expatCA]

Originally Posted by StanleysOwl

OldTrader is corrct. Luck, talent, connections, support systems are all bigger factors than simple drive. Anybody can have drive. Without talent and luck and connections it may pproduce something but more often nothing much at all.

And that view is why so many fail. Luck happens, you can know people and even have talent, but if you sit around you go nowhere. Yes talent is needed, but most talent is acquired as you have to learn to be talented and learning takes .... drive. No one is born with a knowledge of anything, they must learn. Then work harder to develop the talent and use it. Now simple drive is vastly different than "Drive". "Simple" implies a mild interest in growing. Kinda like the Freeway, "drive" at 40 and it takes longer, drive at 70 and it is almost twice as fast to get there. Drive is not the only thing, but without it you, well ... walk, and that takes far longer to get anywhere.

[StanleysOwl]

Originally Posted by expatCA

And that view is why so many fail. Luck happens, you can know people and even have talent, but if you sit around you go nowhere. Yes talent is needed, but most talent is acquired as you have to learn to be talented and learning takes .... drive. No one is born with a knowledge of anything, they must learn. Then work harder to develop the talent and use it. Now simple drive is vastly different than "Drive". "Simple" implies a mild interest in growing. Kinda like the Freeway, "drive" at 40 and it takes longer, drive at 70 and it is almost twice as fast to get there. Drive is not the only thing, but without it you, well ... walk, and that takes far longer to get anywhere.

Most in your response is not reality. Lots of people are born with talents. Lots of people work hard and never get anywhere with or without talent. Lots of people with both drive and talent have crappy or strange personalities and no luck, can't appeal to the right connections or are ugly or fat in a culture hat rewards beauty and never get anywhere. In fact many more people fit that description than become successes at anything. You are describing the common american dream fantasy.

[payutenyodagimas]

Originally Posted by StanleysOwl

Most in your response is not reality. Lots of people are born with talents. Lots of people work hard and never get anywhere with or without talent. Lots of people with both drive and talent have crappy or strange personalities and no luck, can't appeal to the right connections or are ugly or fat in a culture hat rewards beauty and never get anywhere. In fact many more people fit that description than become successes at anything. You are describing the common american dream fantasy.

its not fantasy. you just have to direct your dream/drive to where the money is.


no matter how driven you are if you got the wrong tools, it wont get you anywhere (generally). like now, the money is in tech, healthcare, they say plumbing also, fire, police. if you are starting, you have to direct your efforts to acquire degrees in these industries. now if you take liberal arts major in ethnic studies, then you are putting yourself in a difficult situation. am not saying you wont succeed because THERES ALWAYS ROOM AT THE TOP