CALIFORNIANS.... Do you like living in Houston, TX? (Dallas, San Diego: shop, pool)

[CAHomeschoolMom]

What other kind of societies are acceptable/agreeable to you besides free-enterprise based ones?

[CAHomeschoolMom]

Oh, and I'm not a Boomer. That was my parent's generation. I somehow escaped the brainwashing so prevalent among my generation in the public indoctrination centers ( aka Public Schools).

[BarcelonaFan]

Originally Posted by CAHomeschoolMom

What other kind of societies are acceptable to you besides free-enterprise based ones?

Seems like a loaded question. You're acting as though I am suggesting we be like Cuba or something.

I was talking about cities like Oslo, Copenhagen, Melbourne, Santiago, Chile, Dublin (before the crash).

These cities are pretty booming (not Dublin), and attract a lot of business but at the same time these cities invest back into themselves. Singapore heavily invests a lot into it's city, A LOT, yet it's probably one of the most business friendly areas in the world.

These cities are also very expensive, but Houston is in a unique position because it's economy is extremely diverse. It can foster the best of the both worlds and be an economic powerhouse.

So why are asking me loaded stuff like this as though I am the red diaper baby bolshevik you think I am?

[CAHomeschoolMom]

Originally Posted by BarcelonaFan

I also think that it speaks volumes about the political discourse in this country that one has to assume free enterprise as a staple in order to not be red baited.

People like me not only see a free enterprise system as a staple, but the best and only acceptable economic system. Anything else is going to result in big government, with a guarantee of ever-decreasing personal freedom. Not only that, but without free enterprise, and the rewards it can bring, where is the incentive to work hard and accomplish great things? It is so elementary, yet, it seems that the left misses these things completely.

We can go on and on like this ad infinitum, and this discussion will only have the effect of digging our heels into our chosen soil all the more firmly. Anyway, my only point was that many of us in CA are anxious to leave here, for a place of greater opportunity, much like my fore bearers did when they came West during the dust bowl. And, the reasons why CA is but a shadow of her former self is the leftist thinking and policies ( both fiscal and social) that have so infested this beautiful place.

[BarcelonaFan]

Why are you guys acting like this boom has been so beneficial for everyone? Like I said, all this boom will do is create an uneven econonomic development epidemic and an even more unequal geographical development problem.

Houston poverty up, but so is income across the city - Houston Chronicle

"It reminds us that macro-economic indicators used to measure general well-being are no longer reliable," said Stephen Klineberg, a Rice University sociology professor who closely follows the city's economic and demographic trends through his annual surveys. "It's a new kind of economy that produces good jobs for the highly skilled and low-pay jobs, no-benefits jobs, for the unskilled. And there are few jobs in between."

The gap, he says, is driven by disparities in education and skills. Many jobs in Houston are concentrated in the engineering, health care and oil and gas industries that pay well and require education.

So why isn't the city of Houston creating initiatives to make this growth more even? It's because of conservative people like you who tend to think that this is just life and some people will miss out on the good things because you can't make things equal or whatever other BS you guys spew. Apparently, they just need to pull themselves up by their boot straps and start taking the initiative right? Cus that's what it takes?

Seriously, you're full of right wing presumptions. A debate with you would be useless. Instead I offer the facts of an uneven economic growth that's being spun so out of control in the media that it's overlooking it's chronic issues. Underneath the curtains you will see high crime, high poverty and an uneven geographical landscape that's getting worse.

Like I said before, relying on development to be solely in the hands of private enterprise is limited. It will only go so far.

[CAHomeschoolMom]

Barcelona, I do like your bright-eyed enthusiasm and optimistic spirit. We just disagree on how large a role government should take to provide for it's citizens, and the ramifications of such in either direction. I have this same argument with my brother in L.A. , and he sees things your way. At the end of the day, I hope both sides can see each other as people with valid viewpoints and experiences which shape how they see things politically. The demonizing/dismissing/mis-characterizing people on both sides of this debate is not helpful. I believe that at least, is something we can both agree on!

[BarcelonaFan]

Yes, CAMom, I agree. I apologize for the mischaracterization.

[CAHomeschoolMom]

Me too! I have been guilty of that quite a bit .

[taydigga]

Originally Posted by CAHomeschoolMom

I'll say this much for you, you have been well-indoctrinated! .

Or you have...

[taydigga]

Originally Posted by RonnieJonez

It really amazes me the lengths some Texans will go to justify how much they dislike CA. You simply don't see Californians writing paragraph after paragraph in the same thread to expound their hatred for Texas. It just doesn't happen.

End of the day, CA is a much cooler state. Blame MTV, blame Hollywood, whoever.

Having spent time in both cities...there are differences.

LA is actually zoned fairly well for being such a huge city. Houston has always tried to spin the lack of zoning as a good thing, but it just looks messy.

LA is one of those cities like NYC/London/Paris - that you know you're somewhere important and culturally significant when you're there. Houston is important as well, but LA is arguably better-known than NYC across the world because of the movie industry. It's just not a fair comparison, there is a reason the cost of living is so high in LA, people want to live there, opposed to moving there because of affordability.

As a person that has lived in both Texas and Cali, I totally agree with this. I don't get Texas' hate for Cali. People in Cali let Texas be for the most part. But it's like when I was visiting my sister who lives in Ft. Worth and called up a running group out there so I can keep my training up for a marathon. I met the group and immediately this lady started giving me a hard time because I lived in LA. I could tell it was a projection and she was stereotyping me but I run into a lot of Texans like that. It's ridiculous! Too much negativity built in from comparing.