Welcome to big city California Land

[Zacha341]

How can a place with 58,000 homeless people continue to function?

http://www.latimes.com/opinion/edito...htmlstory.html

From article:

Consider the pairs of thick gloves that George Abou-Daoud has stashed inside the nine restaurants he owns on the east side of Hollywood. When a homeless person accosts his customers, Abou-Daoud says, he can no longer count on the police for help; unless there’s an imminent threat to safety, he contends, they don’t respond quickly and can’t just haul the person away. So he’s had to take matters into his own hands, literally, by physically ejecting problematic homeless people himself. That’s why he has the gloves — to keep his hands clean.

Abou-Daoud’s gloves are a particularly bleak symbol of the relationship between the homeless and the non-homeless. But everyone’s got a story of one sort or another. Day in and day out, Metro riders step into trains with homeless people on them — often visibly disturbed or threatening, prompting nervous passengers to edge away or change cars.

Parts of San Francisco dirtier than foreign slums, UC Berkeley infectious disease expert says

https://www.sfgate.com/news/article/...s-12627779.php

[Richard]

“When you add the $550 million for public safety and nearly $500 million for healthcare, the total cost for illegal immigrants to county taxpayers exceeds $1.6 billion dollars a year,” Antonovich said in a statement. “These costs do not even include the hundreds of millions of dollars spent annually for education.”

http://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2013/09/16/undocumented-la-county-parents-projected-to-receive-650m-in-welfare-benefits/

^ And that is just related to DACA

It is expensive to be a sanctuary city where Americans become second in line.

They do have a solution though,a company there has developed a park bench that has retractable spikes in it.

When you want to sit down, pop a quarter in for 10 minutes,the spikes retract,when your time is coming up a little buzzer sounds to warn you that the spikes are getting ready to pop back up.

The girl that organized the million student march had a solution of taxing the 1% at a 90% rate would solve all of our problems,of course when she was reminded that doing that would only fund medicade for 3 years and nothing would be left over for anything else,she had not other solutions other then it would work.

That is what they learn in collage.

[oladub]

U.S. News Best States Rankings

California comes out #32 in this ranking. It's economy is rated 4th. in the Country while it ranks #50, dead last, for quality of life. This article credits high tech for the good economy. I would add that California also benefits greatly by being the center of so much Asian trade; linking Asian manufacturing and cheap labor with its U.S. market.

California has the 7th. worst income inequality in the U.S.. Its 1% averages $1.4M and its bottom 99% average $49k of income annually. It voted 62% Clinton and 33% Trump.

[aj3647]

California has the 7th. worst income inequality in the U.S.. Its 1% averages $1.4M and its bottom 99% average $49k of income annually. It voted 62% Clinton and 33% Trump.

And if you broke down those Clinton and Trump voters by income level, what do you think you might find?

Fox News exit poll for California, 2016:
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/elec...dent&filter=CA

Trump performed best with Californians who make over 100K a year. Hillary performed best with those who make less than 50K a year.

[oladub]

And if you broke down those Clinton and Trump voters by income level, what do you think you might find?

Fox News exit poll for California, 2016:
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/elec...dent&filter=CA

Trump performed best with Californians who make over 100K a year. Hillary performed best with those who make less than 50K a year.

aj, It doesn't matter, California is a one party state. California policies and laws are made by Democrats. If California has very low income equality, you an hardly infer that it is because Republicans get outvoted there all the time. Of the 10 states listed with the most income inequality, 6 were blue CA, NJ, NY, CT, MA, IL, 2 were purple NV, FL, and 2 were Republican TX and WY. NY has the most income inequality of any state. Republicans aren't responsible for income inequality in CA; Democrats are.

New affordable housing in Santa Cruz where the median home value is $860,000.

[aj3647]

aj, It doesn't matter, California is a one party state. California policies and laws are made by Democrats. If California has very low income equality, you an hardly infer that it is because Republicans get outvoted there all the time. Of the 10 states listed with the most income inequality, 6 were blue CA, NJ, NY, CT, MA, IL, 2 were purple NV, FL, and 2 were Republican TX and WY. NY has the most income inequality of any state. Republicans aren't responsible for income inequality in CA; Democrats are.

New affordable housing in Santa Cruz where the median home value is $860,000.

Yes, California has high income inequality...because the richest people in America choose to live there for a wide variety of reason [[good weather, ocean coast, work in Silicon Valley, etc.). Is it really better to say that West Virginia or Alabama or Mississippi are better off than CA because those states are more uniformly poor and thus have less income inequality? Which party runs those states again?

[Richard]

And if you broke down those Clinton and Trump voters by income level, what do you think you might find?

Fox News exit poll for California, 2016:
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/elec...dent&filter=CA

Trump performed best with Californians who make over 100K a year. Hillary performed best with those who make less than 50K a year.

If you notice in California the Hillary supporters were largely in the inner large cities so why is there so much income inequality in the inner cities that are under democrat control ?

[Zacha341]

So beyond the debate as to which party/ worldview rules, can California continue on this track? Does a germ plague [[btw, microbs care little about your political affiliation) need to happen before they address this problem? I think even rank-and-files liberals are getting angry about this down-turn of their cities, especially parents with children living in such conditions.

Well, as long as the taxpayer working stiffs pay the power-elite [[insert whichever party/ politicians you love or hate) can continue looking the other way [[as they have for decades). They can afford to. Pacific Heights, Haight Ashbury and Potrero Hill etc. are far away enough yet from the dirt and filth. It does not affect them in a direct manner. Not yet.

[Zacha341]

Because the left elite are behaving like the republican elite when they get their turn, apparently.

Oh drats, the regular folks 'the people' remain on the bottom looking upward -- still hopeful -- to the high places of endorsed power -- who'd have thought! **sarc**

If you notice in California the Hillary supporters were largely in the inner large cities so why is there so much income inequality in the inner cities that are under democrat control ?

[Richard]

^ money knows no political boundaries.

Thats why I like your mayor,even though he is a dem,with his 20% requirements for housing mix,he is planning now for the future.

California has a massive pension fund issue that is going to be a game changer so their ride downhill is gaining momentum.

[Zacha341]

Exactly--! The money may run out before the rhetoric... I have family there and very concerned!

^ money knows no political boundaries.

[GMan]

So beyond the debate as to which party/ worldview rules, can California continue on this track? Does a germ plague [[btw, microbs care little about your political affiliation) need to happen before they address this problem? I think even rank-and-files liberals are getting angry about this down-turn of their cities, especially parents with children living in such conditions.
..............................

Don't worry. It will all get better when California succeeds from the Union.

All kidding aside, how long before Cali exports their problems to the surrounding states?

[Richard]

I think half of the state wants to succeed from the other half.

They remind me of some of the immigrants from other countries,you moved from a place that clearly was not working out for you and then want to change the place that you moved to,into what you left.

If I want to eat red meat and do not want to drive a Prius everywhere,that is my business and I do not need some government regulation telling me I have to.

That is their favorite thing,do not like something,get the government to pass a mandate or law to stop it.

The political map is the major cities are blue, the rest of the state is red but the 3 major cities try and control the whole state,thank god for the electoral vote when it comes to presidential elections.

[canuck]

I certainly hope it doesn't succeed in seceding.

[Richard]

Who knows maybe they will hook up with Mexico and help them get their land back.

It would probably look good on paper to them.

[canuck]

Who knows maybe they will hook up with Mexico and help them get their land back.

It would probably look good on paper to them.

As long as they get rid of the typos.

[oladub]

Yes, California has high income inequality...because the richest people in America choose to live there for a wide variety of reason [[good weather, ocean coast, work in Silicon Valley, etc.). Is it really better to say that West Virginia or Alabama or Mississippi are better off than CA because those states are more uniformly poor and thus have less income inequality? Which party runs those states again?

aj, California is a one party state in which that Party allows income inequality. Whether or not rich people choose to live there for good weather as you claimed, the US News article lists California at the bottom for quality of life. That is after averaging California's 1% into the mix. It is still #50. If billionaires moved to Norway for skiing or job opportunities, I doubt that Norway's government would condone California's income differential and homelessness. Scandinavian social democrats and California Democrats created different outcomes.

[Zacha341]

Yep! Well stated. The dems and far left own California's politics and free fall social dysfunction.

Even if you're a loyal dem, Cali's dystopia is that 'Uncle Fester' you really wanna to keep in the basement when company comes over!

It's getting harder to hide craven Fester, and justify what far left policies are doing to California.

The fix in part is for the citizens of that state, dem and repub, to rise up against their high and mighter handlers and demand more accountability. NOW!

It's pretty incredible. Pelosi etc. steadily pandering to illegal immigrants when they don't even have the fiscal and social infrastructure for their existing populations. It takes a few visits to know daily life in like say S-Fran. Incredibly bad once you get off their ever-shrinking areas of touristification.

They even have no-go zones for visitors avoid -- due to the filth and squalor.

Good that their news media is finally coming forth to tell the full truth of how bad it is. Finally.

Scandinavian social democrats and California Democrats created different outcomes.

[Zacha341]

That might assuage the ever-present guilt of some to do so. LOL! Well except for the current mutant power ranger-elite, heels dug-in. I guess they'd have to finally relinquish their palaces, rarefied posh living, and big money.

They did NOT quite want to go that far -- it will be argued. Hah!

Who knows maybe they will hook up with Mexico and help them get their land back.

It would probably look good on paper to them.

[Pam]

We live in an oligarchy. Both parties cater to the rich and the corporations and neither cares enough to fix the problems. The Dems might give lip service to caring but don't do enough.

Heckler Confronts Pelosi "Whats Your Net Worth!?!?" -

https://youtu.be/vGwZpoxQJpA

[bust]

Yep! Well stated. The dems and far left own California's politics and free fall social dysfunction.

Even if you're a loyal dem, Cali's dystopia is that 'Uncle Fester' you really wanna to keep in the basement when company comes over!

It's getting harder to hide craven Fester, and justify what far left policies are doing to California.

The fix in part is for the citizens of that state, dem and repub, to rise up against their high and mighter handlers and demand more accountability. NOW!

It's pretty incredible. Pelosi etc. steadily pandering to illegal immigrants when they don't even have the fiscal and social infrastructure for their existing populations. It takes a few visits to know daily life in like say S-Fran. Incredibly bad once you get off their ever-shrinking areas of touristification.

They even have no-go zones for visitors avoid -- due to the filth and squalor.

Good that their news media is finally coming forth to tell the full truth of how bad it is. Finally.

California was mostly republican until relatively recently. There were only 4 Democratic governors in California during the entire 20th Century. There have only been 3 the past 50 years [[Jerry Brown served twice). It's not until the past 20 years that there have been more terms served by democrats than republicans, and even then a republican served 2006-2010.

A lot of "progressive" democrats live there now too. And not-so-progressive democrats [[including some who call themselves "progressive"). But quite a few republicans and "conservatives" remain -- especially in the valley, the rural areas, and the south of the state.

Of the three big cities only San Francisco is overwhelmingly democratic. LA is mostly democratic, but elects republicans too. San Diego and Orange County are mostly republican.

I know San Francisco fairly well and don't consider anywhere a no-go zone. It's an incredible place to live. But I agree it has problems. Especially the income inequality and segregation that run rampant there. It seems to me those are related to the fake progressivism that characterizes quite a few. And the powerful influence of real estate interests. Especially when it comes to NIMBYism with regard to affordable housing [[which brings us back to income inequality). I find it especially disingenuous when "progressives" fight affordable housing anywhere close to their own homes. [[Usually they say it is "incompatible with the character of the neighborhood.")

But that's a problem in wealthier neighborhoods across the whole country. Marin County, Westchester County, the Detroit area too.

And yes, the definition of "affordable" is often ridiculous.

The grossly outsized influence of real estate developers and landlords in local politics is also to blame.

Those run-down blocks in San Francisco's Tenderloin? Maybe that's where you mean by "no-go zone". I don't vouch for any of these suggestions, but this shows it clearly isn't. And we can almost entirely blame the landlords, real estate developers, and the local government officials they've bought for the problems that exist there. I doubt they'll last much longer, though -- true to their plan.

Regarding the US News measure of quality of life, it seems air quality plays a hugely disproportionate role in their rankings. No wonder the top states by their measure are rural northern states with small populations. I don't buy it. Cities cause air pollution. [[Thanks, petroleum-fueled cars.) Especially when they're surrounded by mountains and get lots of sun. But that doesn't mean people don't enjoy living in and around cities, especially ones with mountains and sun. It's often quite the opposite, isn't it?

List of Governors of California
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_o..._of_California

Historical List of US Representatives from California
https://ballotpedia.org/List_of_United_States_Representatives_from_Califor nia#1900s

California’s Political Geography
http://www.ppic.org/publication/cali...cal-geography/

[oladub]

Bust, California IS [[that's present tense) a single party state. California voted 62% Clinton and 33% Trump. 39 of its 53 U.S. Representatives [[72%) are Democrats. Its Governor and both of its U.S. Senators are Democrats. Democrats own the homelessness and income inequality in California. Laws and progressive taxation can reduce those problems. I'm not recommending anything but what are Democrats waiting for? The US News article based its quality of life, California #50, rating on two general areas; environmental based on clean air, sewage treatment, and clean drinking water [[CA=#44) and states' ability to provide for well being[[CA=#47). California also scores 44th. out of 50 in its 8th. grade educational achievement scores [[2013). This is a state with, according to US News, the 4th. best economy in the country that has the 6th. worst public schools in the country; another example of inequality.

[bust]

Bust, California IS [[that's present tense) a single party state. California voted 62% Clinton and 33% Trump. 39 of its 53 U.S. Representatives [[72%) are Democrats. Its Governor and both of its U.S. Senators are Democrats. Democrats own the homelessness and income inequality in California. Laws and progressive taxation can reduce those problems. I'm not recommending anything but what are Democrats waiting for? The US News article based its quality of life, California #50, rating on two general areas; environmental based on clean air, sewage treatment, and clean drinking water [[CA=#44) and states' ability to provide for well being[[CA=#47). California also scores 44th. out of 50 in its 8th. grade educational achievement scores [[2013). This is a state with, according to US News, the 4th. best economy in the country that has the 6th. worst public schools in the country; another example of inequality.

Let's consider California's supposedly terrible quality of life.

Would you rather live in North Dakota or California? North Dakota ranked first for quality of life according to US News, California last.

If North Dakota, I don't think I'm reaching when I say I'm sure your opinion is in the tiny minority. Almost everyone would disagree. California has 52 times North Dakota's population in an area 2.3 times as big.

Mind you, I agree California has lots of problems. But quality of life isn't among them. There are reasons so many prefer to be homeless in LA instead of Fargo. Like so many others they've produced, this US News ranking is highly suspect.

That said I agree with you the powers-that-be could be and should be doing more to address inequality. But as is often the case, on a local level, those powers-that-be are real estate developers and landlords, and the local government officials they've bought.

I don't have any science to support my hypothesis, but I don't think most influential landlords and developers, even in San Francisco, are democrats. President Trump, his [[still for now) Senior Advisor Jared Kushner, and their families are major players who belong to that class.

Decades-Old Housing Discrimination Case Plagues Donald Trump
https://www.npr.org/2016/09/29/49595...imination-case

Maryland Attorney General investigating Kushner-owned apartments
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/mar...030-story.html

[jcole]

Yep, terrible:

Buoyed by tax increases passed under his administration and a strong economy, Mr. Brown said Wednesday that the state is projecting a $6.1 billion surplus for the next fiscal year, which begins July 1.
The governor proposed socking most of the money away in a rainy-day fund whose creation he pushed for in 2014. Nearly 70% of the state’s projected revenue of about $135 billion next fiscal year is derived from personal income taxes, according to the governor’s office.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/jerry-b...nia-1515624022

[Zacha341]

Cool, information and feedback Bust. Yes, one should not forget that Cali is a huge state, with no doubt much beauty and amenities and the repubs have had a hand in the politics, spending and policy making too. Still, the dems charge as of late have allowed far too much to go in LA and SFran and the question remains as to what to do with 50K+ homeless population? Where do they start?

....List of Governors of California
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_o..._of_California

Historical List of US Representatives from California
https://ballotpedia.org/List_of_United_States_Representatives_from_Califor nia#1900s

California’s Political Geography
http://www.ppic.org/publication/cali...cal-geography/