LA Times: "Why is liberal California the poverty capital of America?" (wage, border)

[SportyandMisty]

LA Times: "Why is liberal California the poverty capital of America?"

Why is liberal California the poverty capital of America? - LA Times

Guess which state has the highest poverty rate in the country? Not Mississippi, New Mexico, or West Virginia, but California, where nearly one out of five residents is poor. That's according to the Census Bureau's Supplemental Poverty Measure, which factors in the cost of housing, food, utilities and clothing, and which includes non-cash government assistance as a form of income.

It's not as though California policymakers have neglected to wage war on poverty. Sacramento and local governments have spent massive amounts in the cause. Several state and municipal benefit programs overlap with one another; in some cases, individuals with incomes 200% above the poverty line receive benefits. California state and local governments spent nearly $958 billion from 1992 through 2015 on public welfare programs, including cash-assistance payments, vendor payments and "other public welfare," according to the Census Bureau. California, with 12% of the American population, is home today to about one in three of the nation's welfare recipients.

The generous spending, then, has not only failed to decrease poverty; it actually seems to have made it worse.

[volosong]

It's just history repeating itself. Something for nothing, (or practically nothing). One example from the distant past: the Oklahoma Land Rush. "We" never learn.

[majoun]

Excellent article. Surprised the LA Times ran it. One of the most accurate depictions of California's ills. Instead of "resisting" the state needs to get its **** together, but that is not easy to do in what is not only a one party state but a state in which one faction of that party is increasingly squeezing out the rest.

On a side note, now I know where the think tank, the Niskanen Center, got its name:

"Self-interest in the social-services community may be at fault. As economist William A. Niskanen explained back in 1971, public agencies seek to maximize their budgets, through which they acquire increased power, status, comfort and security. To keep growing its budget, and hence its power, a welfare bureaucracy has an incentive to expand its “customer” base. With 883,000 full-time-equivalent state and local employees in 2014, California has an enormous bureaucracy. Many work in social services, and many would lose their jobs if the typical welfare client were to move off the welfare rolls."

And, all those employees of the welfare bureaucracy are members of public sector unions....

[Finper]

Excellent article and I think my blood pressure just went up 20 points

My lucky HS middle class friend is off to N Carolina. They bought a house on acreage for cash with their equity.

[Tulemutt]

Originally Posted by Finper

My lucky HS middle class friend is off to N Carolina. They bought a house on acreage for cash with there equity.

Good to hear. The more people who leave, the better Calfornia will become.
"Make Calfornia Great Again: Move Away!” ... Texas and North Carolina are calling, bless they sweet lil’ ole’ hearts ...

[Finper]

Originally Posted by Tulemutt

Good to hear. The more people who leave, the better Calfornia will become.
"Make Calfornia Great Again: Move Away!” ... Texas and North Carolina are calling, bless they sweet lil’ ole’ hearts ...

I agree!! it's way over populated here and some people from south of the border don't seem to believe in birth control

[Vision67]

My kids live in San Fran. They asked us to move there.

No Way!

The cost of living there is way beyond our means. We just visit whenever we can. A rt ticket on Southwest from DEN to SFO is just $260.

I'll gladly continue to enjoy low tax Colorado.

[phantompilot]

Originally Posted by Tulemutt

Good to hear. The more people who leave, the better Calfornia will become.
"Make Calfornia Great Again: Move Away!” ... Texas and North Carolina are calling, bless they sweet lil’ ole’ hearts ...

Yes, productive people who work move out leaving Third World Welfare Mooches....
Who's gonna pay for all that?

The liberal utopia.

[Tulemutt]

Originally Posted by phantompilot

Yes, productive people who work move out leaving Third World Welfare Mooches....
Who's gonna pay for all that?

The liberal utopia.

Except census and other suverys show it is the poor who are leaving in greatest numbers. Which makes obvious sense.

[aslowdodge]

Originally Posted by phantompilot

Yes, productive people who work move out leaving Third World Welfare Mooches....
Who's gonna pay for all that?

The liberal utopia.

Tulemutt hasn't thought that far in advance. It's like the people that want to secede from the US and think they will get to keep all the federal tax money they send out not realizing that it will have to go to supporting the infrastructure of the nation of California.
But I'm sure he'll pony up more in taxes to support the non working people of Ca.