California

[aircommuter]

To answer the water problem. The water is one of the most crooked operations in the state. First you have the LA basin, a group of developers and others who could profit from having more down there, formed an innocent sounding company that went up the Owens valley buying land that water sources then built canals to get it down there, then started draining creeks and lakes. This was years ago. I stayed in a hotel down there when taking my kids to Disneyland, the water came out of the shower so fast the the drain could not handle the volume. When I was finished getting pelted and shut off the shower the water was 4" over my ankles. The valve was a type that could be adjusted for temperature but not for flow.
The recent drought could have been managed by retaining more water in the reservoirs, instead it was let out as if the drought did not exist. They claimed they were required to keep the flow for the fish, but what would the fish do if the reservoir did not exist? They would only get the flow that was coming in, but they were getting 4-6 times that much, meanwhile they were rationing the homes and telling them they would soon be without water.
The water usage in this state is 50% enviromental, 40% agriculture ,and 10% housing and business, so it doesn't make sense to reduce the 10% number by 20% as that is only 2% but they could cut eviromental by 10% and the housing usage would matter.
Bottom line is that it is run crooks, money is being made, environmentalists are happy and the governor acts like he doing something.

 

[mapper]

Some years back California was eyeing the Columbia river with the idea of building an aquaduct from here to there. Washington and Oregon both did not much like that idea!
About thirty years or so we were vacationing in southern Oregon and ran into some folks wearing Oregon Border Patrol caps, we got along just fine with them:laughing:. Gives me a good feeling that we have neighbors to the south to help keep the water pirates at bay.

 

[Aquamoose]

You should google up the number of water districts. Insane! And calculate what it cost to pay the committee members for EACH water districts.

I left Calif 6 years ago and never looked back!

Meanwhile...

 

[ultrarunner]

What is also insane is the incompetence in leadership...

My city has gone through 3 Chiefs of Police in a week...

Oakland loses third police chief in just over a week - CBS News

The department of 800+ is now under the civilian city manager and the mayor has said it will be going forward.

We had a good guy that simply got fed up and resigned.

 

[downsizingnow48]

Los Angeles sucked Owens Valley dry then Colorado River now they want to suck the Sacramento River dry too. I am sure they have not forgot about the Columbia river either.

 

[EddieWalker]

During the dot com bubble in the 90's, government realized that they could claim just about anything as success and the media would support them without questioning their numbers. Then number of people without a job has increased by millions nationwide, yet in a country with well over 300 million people, when 35,000 jobs are added, they claim unemployment goes from 5 percent to 4.7 percent. That math is impossible.

I question the math on the economy in CA. The people I know who still live there do not see it. When I moved away, the cost of a moving van was less then half going into CA then it was moving out of the state because so many people where leaving and they where desperate to get more vans into the state to rent to people moving out. Crime is out of control and under reported. If the real numbers ever came out, there would be panic.

Having said that, it is still one of the most beautiful states in our nation!!!

 

[aircommuter]

I can tell you more about those water districts. One in a neighboring county (Tuolumne) named Groveland Community Services District is crooked beyond belief. The now retired manager borrowed several million dollars with board approval. The reason given was state mandated regulations. They approved the money without any proof like bids or engineers estimates. Then 30% was used for system up grades and 70% was used for staff increased wages, including his own. Some was also spent with certain contractors with extremly over priced work some of which was never done. One of those contractors was the brother of a board member. That board member is now a county supervisor. The rates are now $129.00 monthly before you turn on the water. The retired manager gets $160,000.00 annualy. The information and records I have is too big for this forum.

 

[flusher]

Moved to CA from MO 26 years ago.
Love every minute here. Not the slightest urge to return East.

 

[Cramby]

Kalifornia, don't even think about tapping our Great Lakes. It would be one heck of a pipeline though.

 

[dickfoster]

Why is California growing so fast?

Illegals and deadbeats looking for a free handout that's why. As they keep running business out of the state with stupid taxes and regulations while increasing the size of the budget from all of their idiotic programs. There are more and more sucking at the tax-tit and fewer that contribute to the tax base. I think it's easy to see where this is all going. They are even giving illegals drivers licenses now. Of course they are figuring on turning them all into voters so they can stay in office when the crap hits the fan. It's always easy to spend someone else's money. When it all goes over the edge, they will be looking for a bail out from the rest of the taxpayers in the county like Michigan so don't let them. I'm for one am for the State of Jefferson.