What California used to be

EddieWalker · Jan 18, 2009

Born and raised in California. I had enough a few years ago and decided that I was tired of struggling to survive and wanted to have a life that I could enjoy. I found that in Texas. I'm sure there are dozens of other states that I would be happy in, but sadly, California isn't one of them.

If anybody pays more in their taxes in 2009 with the hope of getting a refund in 2010, they deserve the IOU that they get. If I still lived there, I'd be ajusting my witholding first thing this week.

Funny how Texas doesn't have a State Income Tax and isn't in the same financial crisis of California. I know they make allot of of oil, but Califonria has a greater income from buisiness's there. Not too long ago, it was rated with the top dozen contries in the world. They also have untapped oil that they refuse to drill.

You dig a deep enough hole, spend more then you earn, you get into trouble. There is no way to spend your way out of debt.

Eddie

tallyho8 · Jan 18, 2009

Since California must certainly be the most scenic state of all with the most variety of topographical features, it is no wonder that so many people would want to live there.

During the hippie days of the 60s and 70s there was a massive exodus of people all across the US into California because it was seen as the land of "milk and honey" and "beautiful people". They all wanted to live in this mythical land where they could fulfill their dreams and when they went there and found it wasn't exactly as they had pictured it, they worked to change it to make it the land of their dreams regardless of consequences.

It wasn't people from any special state who went there to do that but it was all people with a certain "state of mind". It didn't take long for this massive immigration of younger than the average citizen to outnumber the locals and start molding their society into what they considered "the perfect world".

As these people matured over the years, many have discovered that it is impossible to turn the entire state of California into a giant Disneyland, regardless of how much money the government borrows and spends, and soon they will seek the shelter of other states whose economy they have not yet destroyed.

To most who went to California to seek their fortunes, they found the lyrics of this old song to be quite true: All the gold, in California, is in a bank in the middle of Beverly Hills, in somebody else's name.

California remains one of the top 2 states that I love to visit, but I no longer would like to live there.

kenstrac · Jan 18, 2009

This is not just a Cal. problem this is the problem in all of the US.

ultrarunner · Sep 18, 2016

The elephant in the room to California's financial future is the State's pension commitments...

This is the best article I have seen explaining the how it happened and where we are.

How a pension deal went wrong and cost California taxpayers billions - Los Angeles Times

The numbers simply boggle the mind at how quickly things turned and the unstainable commitments that were made.

Among my circle of high school friends... 12 went into law enforcement all have pensions of at least 100k with lifetime medical... one is at 180k got bored and went back to work for another agency for 130k... not bad for a high school graduate.

California use to be well managed and open... now it is more like the fox guarding the hens...

mjarrels · Sep 18, 2016

Old thread... Morgan Spurlock did a nice piece on Stockton, hundreds of millions wasted on convention centers, marinas, etc. In Virginia, we have similar small city, Petersburg. Raising all taxes, they have a spending problem, not a revenue problem. Whats funny, their fire trucks are being repoed. Firefighters are screaming bloody murder.

mark

Citydude · Sep 18, 2016

The state of Wyoming is approaching critical depletion of tax reserves since the gas, oil and coal industries have crashed. Good luck in Virginia. I hope your house doesn't catch fire, but I guess you would find that funny.