Whats so bad about calfornia?

[ewhac]

...the water crisis wasn't solved or even really addressed while I was living there. [ ... ]

Ah, yes, the water problem. You are correct in that it hasn't really been addressed. I believe Redwood City has a moratorium on all new construction not replacing existing construction, as their water allotment is exhausted. KTEH's mini-series, "Cadillac Desert" covered California's story of water very well.

The solution, of course, is to insist the largest water users be more efficient. That would be the agricultural users in the Central Valley, and they have pushed back on any such suggestions forever. (These are the same straw hats that hire predominantly undocumented workers with one hand, and then try to deny them access to public services with the other (Prop. 187).)

 

[ReverendJ]

I just moved here, and I hate it. This place is the epitome of style over substance. The coastline is dotted with the remains of million dollar houses that have fallen into the ocean and houses inhabited by people too stupid to sell and move inland before it happens to them. Too much money, not enough sense, and a general superior attitude for their dumb-ass hippie ways.

Seriously, these are people who think that a sign on a window will prevent someone with blood on their mind from shooting up the joint. "Oh, wait, I'm not allowed to bring my gun in here... Shit. I guess I'll just engage in my spree-killing somewhere else."

On the upside, quasi-legal pot. You need it to deal with the stupid, but it's one of those vicious circle things...

 

[Variable X]

I live here and hate it. It's summer for 90% of the year, horribly bright and sunny, rent and housing prices are to damn high, The proposition system is just horrible and makes some stupid laws, For all it's political correctness people are still rather unsavory, Job market is horrible (but that true for the rest of the country), oh and did I mention it's always freakn hot. Chinatown/Japantown/Embarcadero in SF and Sonoma and the Sierras are pretty kickass though.

 

[Nouw]

Well my friend's in California and she says it's fine. Of course she's a tourist so what can you expect!

I guess it's their Anti-Gaming Law which I have really no idea about but caused a big stir.

 

[ewhac]

New Jersey has absurd real estate values and high property tax, so there!

We have cheap gas though, and you don't even have to pump it. Of course, New Jersey has better schools and we weren't hit as bad by the housing market collapse because of the high property tax rates.

Unfortunately, you also have Chris Christie as Governor.

 

[Scde2]

Pretty much what has been said here.

It gets too fucking hot.
It's expensive.
Shitty schools.

 

[loc978]

That said, it's not all that bad if you stay away from the major cities and military bases. much of the coastline is still rural, and absolutely gorgeous.

Spoiler: image

Oooo! Where's that? It reminds me of the area around San Gregorio State Beach, but it could honestly be anywhere...

I believe we were lost while making our way back to 101 on our way back from Shelter Cove at that point. I may be misremembering, though.
a few more images from the same area (I think):

Spoiler: closer view of the beach

Spoiler: turtle tracks on said beach

Spoiler: cows graze really close to the road there...

aaand the reason we were lost:

Spoiler: GPS failure

 

[Dags90]

Unfortunately, you also have Chris Christie as Governor.

It's unfortunate, but not surprising. Corzine really messed up his campaigning, too many negative ads. But seriously, I'm glad I'm pretty close to graduating from public university, they want to increase the price by 30% because of incoming funding cuts.

I did love the fat joke ad though, that was pretty funny.

 

[SturmDolch]

I live in Canada, and I view California as a place that has everything. You can go surf on the beach, you can go party in town, etc. You have LA, San Diego, San Francisco, Disneyland, Legoland, Universal Studios, Hollywood, kick-ass wineries, beaches, pro sports teams, great music, and more.

I think people are just jealous. California is the first place I would want to move if I moved out of Canada.

 

[Wolfenbarg]

...the water crisis wasn't solved or even really addressed while I was living there. [ ... ]

Ah, yes, the water problem. You are correct in that it hasn't really been addressed. I believe Redwood City has a moratorium on all new construction not replacing existing construction, as their water allotment is exhausted. KTEH's mini-series, "Cadillac Desert" covered California's story of water very well.

The solution, of course, is to insist the largest water users be more efficient. That would be the agricultural users in the Central Valley, and they have pushed back on any such suggestions forever. (These are the same straw hats that hire predominantly undocumented workers with one hand, and then try to deny them access to public services with the other (Prop. 187).)

Well the agricultural users have also been having political problems to deal with. Were you familiar with the delta that was essentially being called off-limits because of an endangered species of smelt? The government nearly shut down hundreds of farmers during a time of crisis, an action that could have had a drastic ripple effect not only through the rest of the state, but through the rest of the country over fish the size of your finger. I do agree that of all the things they regulate every single day, agricultural water use might need to be a consideration in the future. Though the recent rains have helped quite a bit, so who knows.

I live in Canada, and I view California as a place that has everything. You can go surf on the beach, you can go party in town, etc. You have LA, San Diego, San Francisco, Disneyland, Legoland, Universal Studios, Hollywood, kick-ass wineries, beaches, pro sports teams, great music, and more.

I think people are just jealous. California is the first place I would want to move if I moved out of Canada.

If you plan on going there, prepare to have your dreams shattered into a million tiny pieces. It sounds like you're sold on the experience of southern California, but realistically people who try to making a living there can't afford such a frivolous lifestyle, not with the insane cost of living there. If you have a high paying tech or research job somewhere else in the world, that will afford you some modest accommodations in California, above average if you're willing to put yourself in more debt for a shorter term mortgage or if you seek out a nicer apartment. Either way, the California workers put in more hours per capita than quite a few other states for good reason, and it isn't because they spend so much time partying, surfing, and going to Legoland. Those events bring more tourists than locals.

People may be jealous, but it's an unfounded jealousy if they get the idea that California is endless beaches and endless fun. It's a nice place to life, but it's a very tough place to live because of the economic conditions that are constantly assaulting people who live there. Even moving one state over while keeping the same wage would make your life drastically better, even if you would be living in the Nevada desert or a relatively obscure Oregon town.

 

[Ghengis John]

Seriously what, everyone is like "segregate california", "nuke the gay cali bastards" etc.
so whhat's the problem?

EDIT: i'm not American

California does have it's problems, but our over burdened public schools or decaying utilities are not what evoke the ire of people from other parts of the country. Asides from the anti-gaming bill most of the hate thrown at California is simply the verbal excrement of small minded idiots who've never actually been here. Conservative media gives them simple messages that they can remember like who to hate or where the scapegoats are and they repeat them ad infinitum. Since we've become associated with social progress and liberalism people who are against social progress and liberalism will usually rank us with the anti-christ and "the usurper". To that end they'll fault find with us whenever they can. Yeah we have our share of pretentious assholes, but if they came for a visit they'd probably find most of us are pretty sensible.

As an asides, I wonder if any part of that disapproval has to come with he fact there's so much ethnic mingling here. Everyone I knew growing up was a mix of something, japanese and white, black and cherokee, lotta mexicans and white mixing. I remember discussing the Arizona immigration bill and getting a "what do you guys know, look what happened to you, you're all half-breeds anyhow!" Half-breeds? So anyhow, that's the kind of thinking we're up against.

 

[ServebotFrank]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rasaY64GwLw

Plus the video game law.

 

[AKmontalvo]

Ive lived there for 20 years and never been botherd by it, as far as im concerned if anyone has a problem with another state or country do two things
1. dont live there
2. dont ***** that other people choose to live there

 

[Woodsey]

Well you answered your own question right there in the OP GAY cali bastards.

Wait, what?

OT: The gaming laws, probably.

 

[loc978]

Well you answered your own question right there in the OP GAY cali bastards.

Wait, what?

Homophobics tend to hate California. They also tend to be very outspoken. The "vocal minority" as it were.

 

[WOPR]

Seriously what, everyone is like "segregate california", "nuke the gay cali bastards" etc.
so whhat's the problem?

EDIT: i'm not American

Umm...

Its Da Gohvanahta's stupid anti gaming law that has most people pissed off.

That, and the fact that they outlaw EVERYTHING they don't understand (balisongs, switchblades hedgehogs, gerbils, ferrets) and yet we can still have hamsters (fastest repopulating land animal) and guns (the causes of more deaths then the gangster knife choice back in the 80's)

 

[7amurai]

I don't think anything is so bad about California, lived here all my life and visited other states and it all seems pretty similar to me. In the big cities it's more expensive but the same jobs pay more and there are sometimes more opportunities for high paying jobs if qualified. Schools are underfunded but that doesn't mean that they suck. I can only name about five or less bad teachers who had classes I didn't learn from in my entire educational career so far. Many people talk about California as if it is made up entirely of L.A. and the Bay Area, but there are also large conservative rural parts (I live in one) and everything in between. That's actually what I love most about the state, the variety. In what other state can you visit the coast, snow-peaked mountains, and the desert? In the end though, what you are looking for in a place to live is entirely up to you.

 

[WOPR]

1: It's hot.
2: CA has most of the vapid, annoying celebrities.
3: It has a retard for a Governor.
4: Anti-Gaming Law.
5: Up until '03, it had a Hellmouth (cookie if you get the reference).

And prop 8 and prop... frick I forget the pot one that got us even MORE stereo typed

 

[PeePantz]

Like anywhere else, California is a mixed bag.
As a resident of the San Francisco peninsula, my view is that CA's biggest problems are its decaying public infrastructure and obscene real estate prices. Where else can you be expected to pay $500,000 for a 1200-square-foot condo? Or $1000/month for a studio apartment?

Come on down to Boston. Or maybe on the way, take a pit stop in New York.