"What is the future of this very large and populous state? Bleak at best. It has gone from the Golden State, to the Goal DONE State."
There are many things to be thankful for by living in America. That is, only for those of us who do not live in California. Not living in California is one of the things for which I am most thankful. Now before some think that I am piling on California when they are going through some very tough fires, I am not. However, it seems that some part of California is usually ablaze. And why? Bad location, or bad land management practices? Still being debated. In any event, the constant state of living under threat of fire is a major reason for not wanting to live there.
When I was in the work a day world, the west coast was my second most frequent destination for travel. Washington DC was always my first. I have not been to California since I have retired - that is, except at the end of our "through and through" visit to the Panama Canal a couple of years ago. Our cruise ship docked in Long Beach and we then took a bus over to LAX. I could not believe how crappy LA looked. It looked beat up, old and very, very dry. Panhandlers on just about every corner. I could not wait until our plane was wheels up heading back home.
Living in California can be a brutal experience. The entire state is ultra gentrified. The very, very well fixed people live in the Hills of Beverly. People like the lecher Weinstein. Then there are the hidden and not so hidden, poor. The homeless. Over 100,000 homeless, of which a large majority are un-sheltered. It is by far and away the largest homeless population in the country.
Don't worry however - Governor Moonbeam, the worst Governor in the country, is opting to make California a "sanctuary state". The whole state! It will be a safe haven for criminal aliens. Maybe let them vote and drive. Oh, come on now! The number of criminal aliens can't be that high! Try 1.4 million illegals and growing. Chain immigration is endemic. So rather than face this problem head on, Moonbeam is going to surrender to it. Make the entire state off limits to ICE. And the rest of the people who came here legally and are paying the freight? Tough toenails.
To pay for all this nonsense in the state which no longer works, Moonbeam has imposed the highest state tax in the country - about 13% for top earners. Why not? Californians don't mind paying sky high taxes - or do they?
Last year, 110,000 more people left California than moved in. Hello, exodus! And the state planners where glad to see some of them go. Why? Many have been a rare bird in California - conservatives. They moved to Texas, Arizona and Nevada. And according to IRS records, they took (since 2010), $36B of income with them. That's okay. The progressives will just tax the ones who remain at an even higher rate.
One final thing about this once fine state. According to the California Policy Center, California's government debt is 52% of its gross state product. That would be a debt (as of June 15, 2015) of $1.3T. I would imagine as of June 15, 2017, it is even higher. This state debt makes other states look like misers.
What is the future of this very large and populous state? Bleak at best. It has gone from the Golden State, to the Goal DONE State. All I can say is this - if you live there, leave now. And don't let the door hit you on the backside.
Since you have blogged about what is bad about California, I will comment about what is good about California.
ReplyDeleteEverything.
The weather is the best, it's a Mediterranean climate in the most populated parts of the north, it's more dry in the south. It's almost never humid.
The food is incredible, there are thousands of ethnic restaurants in even the smaller communities.
It is diverse, a real melting pot of cultures and countries. It's high tech, and has some of the best employers (Google, Uber, Facebook) and highest rated colleges (Berkeley, Stanford, Cal Poly) in the world.
It's large and you can go from the beach to the snow and still stay in California.
It's one of the largest agriculture producing regions in the world.
It is filled with generally friendly , good natured people.
Since we choose to live in the second most liberal state in the country, we should understand the attraction to California. All the same things we experience are there, only better and more.
And one additional comment on tax reductions for corporations to stimulate the economy and job growth...........
ReplyDeleteIn 2012, Kansas Governor Sam Brownback famously embarked on what he called “a real live experiment,” pitting pure trickle-down theory against economic reality.
Unfortunately for Kansans, reality won.
Kansas has dramatically underperformed its neighboring states and the nation as a whole both in economic growth and in job creation since slashing taxes on individuals and corporations to as low as zero.
Compare that to California, which in 2012 elicited the usual apocalyptic warnings from trickle-downers by daring to raise its top income tax rate to a highest-in-the-nation 13.3 percent.
By 2015, California had the fastest-growing economy in the nation.
Kansas? Dead last.
Its all yours Dave and Jane. Your ownership of La La Land will go uncontested.
DeleteThanks, we will not move there, but we do like to visit. Especially San Diego area. We stay at the Navy Lodge, right on Breakers Beach on Coronado Island and wander about the many attractions.
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