It's just getting too expensive in Los Angeles (Orange, Stanford: transplants, how much)

[NyWriterdude]

Originally Posted by UKWildcat1981

That as well I agree but the LA has a more diverse work force and its a magnet worldwide for international relocation its not a fair fight. What makes a city better is not higher real estate if anything that only caters to the super rich so thats why most LA natives are mad and making these posts complaining about LA.

Poor LA natives.

If your parents were at least civil servants in Los Angeles they are property owners and you would inherit property from them.

LA is better and people are willing to pay more for it than Alabama because of better weather (no humidity, on the ocean) and because of the various industries in Los Angeles (entertainment, education, tourism, energy, shipping, finance, etc). There's the scale of work opportunities you have that you don't have in Alabama. LA has one of the biggest seaports in the nation and LAX is a major international gateway. And it is priced accordingly. You get what you pay for.

[expatCA]

Originally Posted by seain dublin

My statement is not false, I have lived both in CA and FL. FL pays among the lowest salaries in the nation, this includes professional jobs such as nurses and teachers.

I noticed in FL many people having a full time job, and than a part time job. Because when you're making $9 an hour as an office manger, you have to work a couple nights and weekends as a server. They weren't doing this for fun. While housing is much cheaper in FL, homeowner's insurance is very expensive, as is car insurance, and groceries.

My car insurance in CA is cheaper by $500 with a newer car, than in FL. WHY????? FL is LOADED with uninsured drivers(and I don't just mean like in CA with illegals), these are American born people who drive with no insurance(in FL all they get is ticket if they get pulled over for say speeding and have no car insurance, and drive off, so no incentive to have insurance). It is rampant there, so those who have car insurance pay for it.

Instead of saying I'm making false statements(have you lived anywhere besides CA?). Try educating yourself. I have something to compare it to as I have lived in a few states.

I got sticker shock when I first walked into a Publix(the Vons of FL) with the prices. And no discount cards either, every once in awhile they would do a buy one get one free, but the prices were more, so what if there was no state tax, you're still paying more.

Look it up.

Yes, CA is more expensive in some ways, but the salaries are higher.

Yes, I agree it is cheaper to live in TX and AZ. And I'm sorry if you got laid off.

I would suggest you take one of those offers and go to TX or AZ if you can't find a replacement job in your former salary range in CA. In your situation that might be what is best for you.

Good luck.

When you figure in cost of living, including taxes on salary and property, FL is a lower COL place. The lower wages are more than offset by the much higher COL in CA. More money in your pocket in FL than in CA. Then we have other States that are even better than FL for COL, though not as good as to weather as FL or CA.

[NyWriterdude]

Originally Posted by jm1982

What about social security? Isn't that a forum of socialism? Do you think we should do away with that?
Personally I'd rather do away with it and I feel I would of done better with the money invested but a lot of older people rely on that to get by.

Even the hardcore right wingers know that voters don't want their social security messed with.

Also to not look outside and look at how other countries are doing things and to borrow ideas that are working is pretty closed minded.

It's a social safety net. So it is somewhat socialist.

With that said SS will remain and it isnt' going ANYWHERE. Otherwise we would have a massive older HOMELESS population.

And be honest with yourself. If you live long enough to collection social security you will be collecting your check.

[NyWriterdude]

Originally Posted by 8to32characters

This attitude is exactly the reason why places in "flyover country" like Birmingham, et al. are dirt-cheap.

Generally speaking, beyond the coastal areas of this country (e.g., South, Midwest, Southwest), there's an aversion to progressive ideals and movements because people tend to be more provincial, narrow-minded and conformist. This attitude/mindset is the result of lower educational attainment levels, less interest in travel and upward social mobility, etc.

Plain and simple, these places don't attract corporations and the well-educated, talented professionals they employ.

Even if a multi-national corporation decided to set up it's corporate headquarters in Birmingham, what would happen to that professional if the corporation went under, or if the individual themselves was laid-off, desired a more competitive salary or wanted a promotion? They have very few options because there isn't a preponderance of comparatively compensated positions in the metro area, so salaries are less inherently less competitive. Supply and demand.

That, plus the more educated and higher income you are, the more picky you tend to be about where you hang your hat. That's why call centers and manufacturing plants are often located in cities like Birmingham as opposed to corporate operations, which are often headquartered in high-cost, highly desirable markets like LA among others (e.g., NYC, SF, Boston, Seattle, et al.).

Because of that, the COL is low, salaries are accordingly low and opportunities for career advancement in most fields as well as general upward social mobility is limited to non-existent. This fosters less of a competitive ethos. Corporations are very much aware of that.

That's one of the biggest reasons why things are "cheap" in Birmingham and "expensive" in LA.

+1. Agreed.

[UKWildcat1981]

Originally Posted by NyWriterdude

Poor LA natives.

If your parents were at least civil servants in Los Angeles they are property owners and you would inherit property from them.

LA is better and people are willing to pay more for it than Alabama because of better weather (no humidity, on the ocean) and because of the various industries in Los Angeles (entertainment, education, tourism, energy, shipping, finance, etc). There's the scale of work opportunities you have that you don't have in Alabama. LA has one of the biggest seaports in the nation and LAX is a major international gateway. And it is priced accordingly. You get what you pay for.

I agree with what you wrote, that was basically what I was saying.

[PDR2015]

Originally Posted by HyperionGap

That's definitely not true.

Chicago or Northwestern's MBA programs are definitely more prestigious than anything on the west coast with the exception of Stanford.

HyperionGap - good examples, and the list of elite programs probably doesn't go much further than that. I assume that the OP does not have a graduate degree, is not in a high paying industry, and has not been out of school for that long (work experience >> degrees after a few years). If he was top notch in a high paying field, I assume he would be making enough to afford $2-3k mortgage/rent.

Those who are not in higher paying industries and have the ability to relocate but choose to not do so (maybe they were born here or have other attachments) are simply paying a premium to live in LA. Give the OP credit for going back home where he can actually have a higher standard of living.

[crouching_tiger]

Originally Posted by PDR2015

HyperionGap - good examples, and the list of elite programs probably doesn't go much further than that. I assume that the OP does not have a graduate degree, is not in a high paying industry, and has not been out of school for that long (work experience >> degrees after a few years). If he was top notch in a high paying field, I assume he would be making enough to afford $2-3k mortgage/rent.

Those who are not in higher paying industries and have the ability to relocate but choose to not do so (maybe they were born here or have other attachments) are simply paying a premium to live in LA. Give the OP credit for going back home where he can actually have a higher standard of living.

LA is not that expensive in my mind. It's about the same as Seattle. I am in SF and would love to relocate to SoCal cause its getting crazy expensive up here and I prefer SoCal.

[NyWriterdude]

Originally Posted by Tourian

Alabama has been able to attract some industry as of late. Mainly in production. Cheap land, low COL, willing pool of labor. Mercedes, Honda, Hyundai and Toyota all have plants here. Airbus and Boeing are here too. Hyundai is looking for a second and Aston Martin is considering coming here. Birmingham's main industries are banking, healthcare and construction. On order of assets, Birmingham is in the top ten of financial centers of this country. According to this (3 year old) list it is ahead of LA:

Birmingham still among top 10 banking hubs - Birmingham Business Journal

So what I'm getting at again is, Birmingham has industry. It has professionals. It has progressiveness. It is but one small fish in a big pond with a lot of hungry mouths to feed. So it isn't so simple as saying, we just need to be more liberal and boom, 10 million people will move in along with all the F500 HQs to support them. We need to be better, yes, but it isn't that easy. There's plenty other cities in the country that have a low cost of living that are bigger and more progressive and more successful than Birmingham - they still don't come anywhere close to the hopeless and oppressive situation some middle class people face living in SoCal.

You are making the point that Birmingham is not desirable. All those manufacturing jobs are performed by a poor and a poorly educated workforce! If you get a lot of industrial plants that means businesses regard you as a China or Mexico (cheap illiterate labor).

Real middle class people are not in an oppressive hell in So. Cal. Poor people who make little money and who refused to admit poverty are.

If you came from a middle class family in So. Cal they would be homeowners. Upon entering the workforce, you could stay with your parents and save up your money until you can move out. Having established parents in a place like LA helps out big time.

It would be difficult to move from Alabama to LA without money or great connections and establish yourself (particularly if you don't have a good education). But that doesn't mean the middle class is in hell or whatever.

[NyWriterdude]

Originally Posted by PDR2015

I hate to be blunt with saying this, but there are no elite schools in the Midwest. There are good schools and even some great ones, but the cream of the crop schools (either by ranking or job prospects) are found on the two coasts. Even if the OP went to an ivy or similar caliber university, that doesn't make him very special in this competitive city, especially if he's not in an industry where degrees matter less than aptitude.

The OP is right though, his degree will be more valuable back home. He can be a big fish in a small pond and be better off than the other small fish like himself who don't want to give up yet.

University of Chicago and Northwestern outrank nearly all California schools except Stanford and California Institute of Technology.

And yes going to top universities can make a huge difference in fields like law, academia and in various aspects of the corporate world. I met plenty of Californians who come to the East Coast to get degrees from Ivies.

[crouching_tiger]

Originally Posted by PDR2015

Good luck to you and your "superior midwest education".

People from midwest will complain yet not leave. LA is not that much more expensive than Chicago and for that you get a lot much more, especially outside.

Its like going back from a Audi R8 to a VW Jetta. Its cheaper but doesn't really feel the same.