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dogma
XYZ
Premium Member
join:2002-08-15
Boulder City, NV

dogma

Premium Member

California; explaining the seemingly inexplicable

Not that is anybody left here in our forum to actually read this...but here goes.

Summary of a short article in the OC Register yesterday: »www.ocregister.com/opini ··· ior.html

• California [consist of] two radically different cultures and landscapes with little in common, each equally dysfunctional in quite different ways. Apart they are unworldly, together a disaster.

• [The] narrow coastal corridor runs from San Diego to Berkeley, where the weather is ideal, the gentrified affluent make good money, and values are green and left-wing.

• In the hot interior of blue-collar Sacramento, Turlock, Fresno and Bakersfield, [the Inland Empire] well over half the incoming freshman in the California State University system must take remedial math and science classes. Unemployment is well over 15%.

• In postmodern Palo Alto or Santa Monica, a small cottage costs more than $1 million.

• Two hours away, in premodern and now-bankrupt Stockton, a bungalow the same size goes for less than $100,000

• ...More than 2,000 upper-income Californians are leaving per week to flee high taxes and costly regulations, yet California wants to raise taxes even higher; its business climate already ranks near the bottom of most surveys.

• [California's] teachers are among the highest paid on average in the nation, but its public school students consistently test near the bottom of the nation in both math and science.

• California's [public] retirement systems are underfunded by about $300 billion.

• The state wishes to borrow billions of dollars to develop high-speed rail [between] Fresno and Corcoran – a corridor already served by money-losing Amtrak. Apparently, coastal residents like the idea of European high-speed rail... at others expense.

• The state population grew by 10 million from the mid-1980s to 2005, its number of Medicaid recipients increased by 7 million during that period; 33% (one-third) of the entire nation's welfare recipients now reside in California

• In the Never-Never Land of Apple, Facebook, Google, Hollywood, [coastal Orange County] and the wine country, millions live in an idyllic paradise. Coastal Californians can afford to worry about the state's trivia – as their legislators seek to outlaw foie gras, shut down irrigation projects to save the 3-inch delta smelt, and allow children to have legally recognized multiple parents.

• But in the less feel-good interior, crippling regulations curb timber, gas and oil, and farm production. For the most part, the rules are mandated by coastal utopians who have little idea [or give a rats ass] where the gas for their imported [German] cars comes from, or how the redwood is cut for their decks, or who grows the ingredients for their [hoity-toity] Mediterranean lunches of arugula, olive oil and pasta.

There is a corridor along the California coast that extends from San Diego up through North San Francisco. It runs only about 6-7 miles inland. There are about 150,000 - 200,000 residents along this strip. This is where 96% of the California's most wealthy reside.

The other 39 Million live in the rest of the state.

FutureMon
Dude Whats mine say?

join:2000-10-05
Marina, CA

FutureMon

Click for full size
There may be other "pockets" of exceptions elsewhere but I thought I'd mention that the area where I am now living, which includes the following small cities:

Marina, CA
Seaside, CA
Sand City, CA
Monterey, CA

Are all coastal cities within the 7 mile radius you mentioned, yet are all pretty well impoverished (with the exception of downtown Monterey due to it's tourist section). Reason being that Fort Ord closed down.

And even though they are impoverished, they still act like they live in Beverly Hills. Heck, they even pronounce Rodeo as if it were pronounced like the same-named famous street in Beverly Hills. "Ro-Day-Oh" Sheesh!

Streets are small. Gangs are prevalent. Everywhere. Homes are in disrepair, yet they still want to charge $1600-1800/mo for a studio cottage of about 500 square feet in size.

As far as the tax question goes - it reminds me of one of those older glass coffee makers (pic shown) The top circular disc is taxes, and the bottom circular disc is what is holding the people. As the top is raised, so is the bottom, and when the rim of the container is reached, the coffee spills out (aka people leave). The higher taxes go, the more people leave. Until there's nothing left.

Ya I probably put way to much effort into explaining it that way but hopefully it will draw a mental picture for you.

- FM

dogma
XYZ
Premium Member
join:2002-08-15
Boulder City, NV

dogma

Premium Member

Yep (that's a French press BTW), that seaside wealth corridor gets thinner in less populated areas, and widens out dramatically in higher density areas.

However, the current average home value in Monterey is $474,000. So "poverty" is relative. In terms of what you pay for rent up there (which is the premium added for living in California - and landlords charge it because people are willing to pay it) will BUY a 3,500 sq.ft. home here ... and you would have the founder of EBay - Pierre Omidyar, Mike Tyson, and Jerry Lewis as neighbors within 1/4 mile.

So now that you've been up there for a while, the real question is what is your quality of life experience there vs. Colorado?

FutureMon
Dude Whats mine say?

join:2000-10-05
Marina, CA

FutureMon

Colorado = WAY BETTER. So much more to do without looking like (and paying like) a tourist.

However, Job here = WAY BETTER than any job I've ever had.

Salinas is the closest major city center around (in that they have everything major city centers do, like malls, restaurants, theaters, etc), and they are 20 miles away - but you're literally taking your life into your own hands if you're caught there after dark.

- FM

TheRul
Why Not You?
Premium Member
join:2007-09-18
Monterey, CA

TheRul

Premium Member

Yep. I agree with FM. The job is great, but where I live is nicer than FMs. But again, I am willing to commute a little (40 min now, as apposed to the hour+ in SoCal) for the quality of life.
I would leave California if I could (I got out of SoCal and into the "corridor"), but people would have to die first, and they are not cooperating.
banner
Premium Member
join:2003-11-07
Long Beach, CA

banner to dogma

Premium Member

to dogma
Its interesting how so much is concentrated close to the coast.

Steinbeck was great but never granted his affinity to Monterey County in my brief visits.

Think this prop 37 GM food initiative will pass and raise our food prices.

bobrk
You kids get offa my lawn
Premium Member
join:2000-02-02
San Jose, CA
·SONIC

bobrk

Premium Member

said by banner:

Its interesting how so much is concentrated close to the coast.

It's pretty demonstrable that the further you get from the coasts, the more crazy you become. Look at where all the mass shootings happen for one example.

dogma
XYZ
Premium Member
join:2002-08-15
Boulder City, NV

dogma

Premium Member

said by bobrk:

said by banner:

Its interesting how so much is concentrated close to the coast.

It's pretty demonstrable that the further you get from the coasts, the more crazy you become. Look at where all the mass shootings happen for one example.

Depends on what one considers "mass shootings". One person can shoot 75 people, or 75 people can shoot 75 other people. The distinction may be 1 really crazy person, or 75 nominally crazy people. The victims odds are the same.

California is #20 out of 50 when it comes to murder rates (Colorado is #38 out of 50, New Hampshire has the lowest murder rate per capita).

Just sayin'.
banner
Premium Member
join:2003-11-07
Long Beach, CA

banner to bobrk

Premium Member

to bobrk
said by bobrk:

said by banner:

Its interesting how so much is concentrated close to the coast.

It's pretty demonstrable that the further you get from the coasts, the more crazy you become. Look at where all the mass shootings happen for one example.

I would say "all" the mass shootings, this one wasn't that long ago.

A gunman opened fire on an elementary school playground in the San Diego suburb of Carlsbad, Calif.

»www.cbsnews.com/2100-348 ··· 101.html

Bloominite
Premium Member
join:2004-04-17

Bloominite to bobrk

Premium Member

to bobrk
said by bobrk:

said by banner:

Its interesting how so much is concentrated close to the coast.

It's pretty demonstrable that the further you get from the coasts, the more crazy you become. Look at where all the mass shootings happen for one example.

And this one:
»en.wikipedia.org/wiki/20 ··· shooting
supertbone
join:2002-04-04
Pleasant Grove, UT

supertbone to dogma

Member

to dogma
Though I am a Californian at heart my home is in Utah. When the economy went south and I lost my job in 2008, we left.

Having lived in both areas I would say Dogma is spot on with his observations. Some big California based companies like eBay, Adobe, Intel, and some big defense contractors have expanded their operations in Utah with good paying jobs because the cost of business is cheaper. Plus there are many smaller companies and larger outfits from NY that have expanded here. It helps to have a business friendly environment.

With so many LA transplants here it is cool to go to Jazz - Lakers games. The Laker fans drown out the Jazz contingent. Now that the University of Utah is in the Pac12 I still get to see USC and UCLA come into town. Since the Angels' AAA team is in Salt Lake I get to see the up and coming players before they arrive in Anaheim. Both Trout and Trumbo played here.

I miss California. The weather is awesome there. But there is no way I would be able to have the same standard of living I have now down there.