Goodbye California; We'll Still Take Your Refugees For Now

[Ex-California]

The problem is emigration to here. Raises up prices, takes all the good jobs. Worst of all, most of them are from Michigan

[doc_loliday]

It's been hard for regular people to get by in the Bay Area since the 90s, but its getting harder for poor people to get by in LA. Southern California is huge though and this shift is going to take a long time. The demographics there are pretty interesting. South Central was lovely in the 50s, Compton, to use a stereotypical ghetto city, used to be a beautiful suburb of Los Angeles, then it turned into a black ghetto, and then the Mexicans came in. My prediction is that it will all be gentrified before long. And it makes sense, Compton is one of the most geographically desirable places on the planet. It's a couple miles from the beach, with perfect 70 degree weather year round. I can see Watts being a gated community.

California still has tons of cheap land though, so long as you don't want to live in the coast. And as I have to remind people, the state is not one big giant San Francisco. Drive through the interior. It's anti abortion and Jesus billboards, and giant "End the Fed" sign. And California's conservative interior has plenty of land for people to live on, although there just isn't much industry. Even though agriculture is brings in billions, there aren't many jobs for the uneducated, Americans work at Walmart, Target, and McDonalds, and the immigrants pick fruit. There are some large cities, from Bakersfield at the tip of the grapevine to Redding in the shadow of Mt. Shasta, but the San Joaquin valley is a retail money suck, with money trickling in from big ag, LA, and SF. There is a lot of generational poverty.

And if the central valley isn't your thing, Northern California is still a pretty wild place. There's beach property up in Redwood territory, if you don't mind the lack of civilization. There's lot of weirdos there too, it's kind of hillbilly country. In fact, the hills of the Sierra Nevadas are dotted with redneck towns for 700 miles. The desert south is chock full of backwards ass gun toting lunatics. Yes, there are still plenty of havens in CA. You just have to get away from the big coastal cities. I always hear people talking about "California" and "Californians", and all I can think is, "you guys haven't ever been here." California is huge. It's not just San Francisco. A lot of California is extremely conservative. We voted to keep marriage for the straights after all. I could see a few of you guys getting along just fine actually.

[Okeefenokee]

Shoo!

[The Conservative]

Pound sand, Mass doesn't need any more liberals... we have our own share of them, and they are breeding like rabid rabbits.

[C-Mag]

Honestly, I think a California Succession would result in a Californian Civil War.

Yes, they have a huge economy, but their Civil Pension obligations are huge, their infrastructure costs are huge. A lot of external states point resources at California to keep them producing. And the Federal Government injects a ton of money for all kinds of programs, illegal aliens, welfare, housing, arts, science, retirement. That would all go away and CA would be forced to try and fix it.

[Speaker to Animals]

Honestly, I think a California Succession would result in a Californian Civil War.

Yes, they have a huge economy, but their Civil Pension obligations are huge, their infrastructure costs are huge. A lot of external states point resources at California to keep them producing. And the Federal Government injects a ton of money for all kinds of programs, illegal aliens, welfare, housing, arts, science, retirement. That would all go away and CA would be forced to try and fix it.

Shh. WTF, man.

[C-Mag]

Honestly, I think a California Succession would result in a Californian Civil War.

Yes, they have a huge economy, but their Civil Pension obligations are huge, their infrastructure costs are huge. A lot of external states point resources at California to keep them producing. And the Federal Government injects a ton of money for all kinds of programs, illegal aliens, welfare, housing, arts, science, retirement. That would all go away and CA would be forced to try and fix it.

Shh. WTF, man.

Oh, sorry.
I forgot the plan. We let them secede, then they tear themselves apart and kill everyone but the strong. We move back in and have cheap beachfront property.

[The Conservative]

Honestly, I think a California Succession would result in a Californian Civil War.

Yes, they have a huge economy, but their Civil Pension obligations are huge, their infrastructure costs are huge. A lot of external states point resources at California to keep them producing. And the Federal Government injects a ton of money for all kinds of programs, illegal aliens, welfare, housing, arts, science, retirement. That would all go away and CA would be forced to try and fix it.

It would be like a train wreck... something that you shouldn't watch, but can't look away from.

[Xenophon]

Honestly, I think a California Succession would result in a Californian Civil War.

Yes, they have a huge economy, but their Civil Pension obligations are huge, their infrastructure costs are huge. A lot of external states point resources at California to keep them producing. And the Federal Government injects a ton of money for all kinds of programs, illegal aliens, welfare, housing, arts, science, retirement. That would all go away and CA would be forced to try and fix it.

Shh. WTF, man.

Oh, sorry.
I forgot the plan. We let them secede, then they tear themselves apart and kill everyone but the strong. We move back in and have cheap beachfront property.

[atanamis]

I fled the Bay Area for economic reasons. I don't really qualify as poor by any standard, but when I looked at cost of living there vs where I am now and realized I could have double the quality of life I bolted. I have been thinking I need to go back for a visit since the food there is amazing and I now live two hours from the ocean instead of a block away, but I'd never want to live there permanently again. Place is just stupid expensive. That, and the natives are as hostile a group as you're ever likely to find (and I say that as someone who grew up in the Chicago area). But it was a beautiful place to be and I'd love to make regular vacations there if I ever get myself organized enough to do so.