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Old 03-12-2017, 10:13 AM
 
281 posts, read 309,130 times
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I just wish someone can help me understand why a town that produces so much oil can still be so poor? Why wasn't something worked out long ago to ensure oil proceeds helped out at least the town, if not individual citizens? I can't imagine any area of similar in size in the world producing any more oil than this area, yet there's almost nothing to show for it!
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Old 03-12-2017, 02:40 PM
 
1,999 posts, read 4,874,797 times
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That's like asking why The United States which is supposedly the wealthiest country on earth has poverty

Quote:
Originally Posted by Troy Troy View Post
I just wish someone can help me understand why a town that produces so much oil can still be so poor? Why wasn't something worked out long ago to ensure oil proceeds helped out at least the town, if not individual citizens? I can't imagine any area of similar in size in the world producing any more oil than this area, yet there's almost nothing to show for it!
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Old 03-14-2017, 08:25 AM
 
Location: Business ethics is an oxymoron.
2,347 posts, read 3,333,808 times
Reputation: 5382
Quote:
Originally Posted by Troy Troy View Post
I just wish someone can help me understand why a town that produces so much oil can still be so poor? Why wasn't something worked out long ago to ensure oil proceeds helped out at least the town, if not individual citizens? I can't imagine any area of similar in size in the world producing any more oil than this area, yet there's almost nothing to show for it!
You just answered your own question. Connect a couple dots here. Bakersfield is an oil town. And the oil business is a Conservative, "Good Ol' Boy" business. Meaning only the small, inner circle of people actually reap in any of the rewards.

Extrapolate that into City Hall, and the preference for sprawl type development becomes much clearer: auto dependent. Meaning: more fuel and oil consumption.

Also. It's easier, cheaper, and much more profitable to build on flat, open land than it is to infill and gentrify.
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Old 03-14-2017, 08:35 AM
 
6,329 posts, read 3,616,289 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Des-Lab View Post
You just answered your own question.
Actually, Californiaguy2007 answered the question perfectly. Like our entire country in general, there are wealthy, upper middle class, middle class, working class and poor in Bakersfield. There are nice areas and not so nice areas.
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Old 03-14-2017, 10:28 AM
 
3,437 posts, read 3,286,809 times
Reputation: 2508
Quote:
Originally Posted by Troy Troy View Post
I just wish someone can help me understand why a town that produces so much oil can still be so poor? Why wasn't something worked out long ago to ensure oil proceeds helped out at least the town, if not individual citizens? I can't imagine any area of similar in size in the world producing any more oil than this area, yet there's almost nothing to show for it!
the oil companies own the land and the oil. its not like Alaska that the oil companies needs to pay royalties or what kind of taxes that they can distribute to the residents of Alaska. even those agri lands, the farmers just lease it from the oil companies
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Old 03-15-2017, 06:32 AM
 
Location: U.S.A., Earth
5,511 posts, read 4,475,764 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Majin View Post
What I don't understand is why 373,640 people live in bakersfield
It's yet another tradeoff....


For a city that size, they seem to lack some amenities (some online reviews complained about no decent dive bars, etc. that they should have, but you'd need to go elsewhere for, like at LA). Jobs seem to be tied heavily into the oil industry, but some folks do commute to Tehachapi, which I hear has quite a few prison jobs.


OTOH, it does has the usual stuff like a Trader Joes, Costcos, decent selection of food. Since it's inside Kern county, stuff like insurance and taxes are cheap. Also, if you go north, you save some time since you're closer to there vs. other cities.
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Old 03-17-2017, 07:08 PM
 
22,661 posts, read 24,594,911 times
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I too wish Bakersfield was better.

I was living in San Diego and really liked it......but the COL was too much.

I read about various areas, looking to move. Well, after doing some reading about the trashiness, poor air-quality and long, broiling summers of Bakersfield........yeah, I scratched that off my list.
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Old 03-17-2017, 09:31 PM
 
Location: Type 0.73 Kardashev
11,110 posts, read 9,812,975 times
Reputation: 40166
Quote:
Originally Posted by SOON2BNSURPRISE View Post
People live in Bakersfield because the homes cost a lot less than on the coast. The home we own in Oxnard was built in 1962 and supposedly is worth $477,000 or so depending on who you ask. Here are some examples of homes that you can have built in Bakersfield.
Right.

The homes are cheaper.

The same reason some people live in trailer parks and Toledo.
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Old 03-20-2017, 09:08 AM
 
478 posts, read 691,111 times
Reputation: 546
Quote:
Originally Posted by tickyul View Post
I too wish Bakersfield was better.

I was living in San Diego and really liked it......but the COL was too much.

I read about various areas, looking to move. Well, after doing some reading about the trashiness, poor air-quality and long, broiling summers of Bakersfield........yeah, I scratched that off my list.
Well I hope you never considered moving to AZ, TX or Las Vegas/NV

Common place for many who escape the bay area, but I feel leaving CA already puts them in a worse situation. And their climate can be just as bad if not worse.
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Old 03-20-2017, 07:31 PM
 
22,661 posts, read 24,594,911 times
Reputation: 20339
Quote:
Originally Posted by Moddedintegra56 View Post
Well I hope you never considered moving to AZ, TX or Las Vegas/NV

Common place for many who escape the bay area, but I feel leaving CA already puts them in a worse situation. And their climate can be just as bad if not worse.



LOL, you are right............I moved to Spokane, WA, pretty much a trailertrash'ish Turdwallop.
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