Question for those who live in California

[ultrarunner]

Ironically enough I started this thread on what I thought was mis information on taxes (which it was), but after going through this thread, as much as I will look forward to visiting California again, no way would I want to move there now LOL

Hope springs eternal or something like that.

No way could I have imagined the cultural shifts and twists I have witnessed.

Growing up at a time when California was the place to be and half my grade school class was made up of recent transplants and new schools popping up like mushrooms to meet the demand.

Fast forward and every year there is a new list of school closures and a lot of teaching staff is foreign working under contract.

The weather and natural beauty remain but it’s the people that have changed…

At least I was able to see what could have been circa 2019 pre pandemic and experience the new found optimism that was infectious that even had old timers believing we had turned a corner…

Last night a neighbor had a graduation party for her daughter who graduated as a RN.

Quite a few people were commenting and surprised they were in Oakland because it wasn’t like anything they had imagined… friendly with homes on acre+ wooded lots zoned for horses with a network of riding trails next to tens of thousands of public park…

Going by news reports alone it’s easy to understand their astonishment…

A few weeks back a lineman was doing work as I came home and we struck up a conversation and he said he had never worked in Oakland but being low on seniority he was assigned to do vacation relief here and couldn’t get over he was actually in Oakland… and that’s probably representative of many places in the country if you only go by what the media tells you… and by that I don’t necessarily mean to imply the media is totally wrong but more it’s only the worst that gets reported even when there is a lot of good…

 

[ultrarunner]

I’m simply amazed the people of California actually voted in Gavin Newsom.
It would make a great old school topic on psychological studies of government influence over general populace.

Cattle voting in the meat packing plant

We have had recalls but the reality is population centers are often culturally different from the rest of the state but having the numbers are able to dictate to all.

 

[ultrarunner]

Maybe California is the biggest social experiment playing out in our time?

Competing visions or where being politically correct is more important than actually making a positive difference… form over substance???

A developer with deep pockets and a great track record owned an abandoned plot of city land and put forward extension plans for mixed use and got no where.

He said in 40 years he had never run into a similar situation and I asked how many projects have you done in Berkeley, San Francisco and Oakland?

He said none and there you have it.

In other communities his projects succeed on merit but in the Bay Area it’s kissing the ring of community organizers and subjecting yourself to shakedown after shakedown to the point private money isn’t interested unless subsidized by taxpayer money.

These are not backroom deals but are made in public forums… how many youths from my district will be employed… what are you giving to the community, how diverse is your company, do you support progressive causes, etc.

Cities have subsidized many projects that go bankrupt because the companies ticked all the right boxes which often starts with Non Profit with connected people as directors.

I’m sure it will be similar with the FBI, IRS and Postal Inspector raid of the mayor’s home this week.

 

[jyoutz]

Maybe California is the biggest social experiment playing out in our time?

Competing visions or where being politically correct is more important than actually making a positive difference… form over substance???

A developer with deep pockets and a great track record owned an abandoned plot of city land and put forward extension plans for mixed use and got no where.

He said in 40 years he had never run into a similar situation and I asked how many projects have you done in Berkeley, San Francisco and Oakland?

He said none and there you have it.

In other communities his projects succeed on merit but in the Bay Area it’s kissing the ring of community organizers and subjecting yourself to shakedown after shakedown to the point private money isn’t interested unless subsidized by taxpayer money.

These are not backroom deals but are made in public forums… how many youths from my district will be employed… what are you giving to the community, how diverse is your company, do you support progressive causes, etc.

Cities have subsidized many projects that go bankrupt because the companies ticked all the right boxes which often starts with Non Profit with connected people as directors.

I’m sure it will be similar with the FBI, IRS and Postal Inspector raid of the mayor’s home this week.

Are you talking about California or just the Bay Area? I have friends who live in Sierra and Central Valley communities that aren’t anything like what you describe.

 

[ultrarunner]

Are you talking about California or just the Bay Area? I have friends who live in Sierra and Central Valley communities that aren’t anything like what you describe.

I'm very much focused on the 9 Bay Area Counties although the City of South Lake Tahoe appears not far behind...

It was common in the 70's through about mid 2000 for retiring neighbors to sell and relocate to the foothills like Nevada City, Grass Valley, Placerville and similar and very rare among my circle now...

The list of friends and neighbors and acquaintances moving out of state far exceeds those moving in state.

It could very well be a Bay Area thing acknowledging the Bay Area tends to influence much of California and the nation...

All of the development quagmires are from knowledge in a local firm with Bay Area roots and headquarters with a presence in 27 states that will no longer consider SF Bay Area and greater California projects ..

 

[Eagle1]

What is that I just saw, the CA min wage for healthcare workers may be delayed because it impact the state budget? I also saw the Fast Food min wage wanting to be delayed for workers on gov property.
Guess the government are finding their own rules difficult?

 

[ultrarunner]

Yes... often exempt themselves or not enforced.

For decades California surplus government vehicles were sold not meeting smog to unwary buyers facing thousands to bring into compliance if possible.

Many cities have banned gas trimmers but the same cities plus state and federal continue to use them.

Similar with sometimes draconian fuel load fire abatement.

Family was written up and given 7 days to clear hazardous brush...

It took going to city hall to get an onsite meeting with fire inspector who was not a bit happy saying I was wasting his time as it is abundantly clear the property is not in compliance and I said I agree... he said why an I here?

I said ALL the identified property is city owned and not private and certainly does not belong to my family and I showed him the survey and pins...

He said he would need to verify... never called me but I kept calling him to get written confirmation as the violation tagged to my family property.

After receiving written confirmation I said the neighborhood can expect swift abatement as the non coming documented areas are city owned?

He said the city does not have the budget so not happening anytime soon and the inspectors compensation then was 180k

 

[two_bit_score]

For most real estate owned is their nest egg often from years of toil and the most valuable asset.

With all the changes in law and policy the instances of being a liability or even obtaining insurance is increasing.

Some friends I have in Central Texas bought an old farm house and about 20+ acres in 1993. They fixed up the house and added on to it. Made it a real nice place. Improved the pasture and built new fences, swimming pool, etc. Ran into an uncle of the woman this weekend. He said they had just sold the place for $8 million and were buying a 4,000 sq foot house and over 100 acres south of San Antonio.

The buyer will never live in the house they sold him. I'm guessing it will not be a year before the bulldozers start in on that property.

 

[plowhog]

Well, there goes due process and presumption of innocence again ..... I've never heard of a "social host ordinance"-- but apparently Sacramento County, CA has passed one.

From the article:

"As illegal fireworks for yet another year lit up the sky over the Sacramento region on the Fourth of July, first responder agencies reiterated their intention to issue harsher fines.

Due to a countywide social host ordinance, if it was done in front of your property, you are responsible for it no matter who was lighting it off."

Hefty fines still on the way for illegal firework launches across Northern California

"We're trying to make it count and hit you in your pocketbook to pay these expensive fines. We're tired of seeing these illegal fireworks."

www.kcra.com

 

[DarkBlack]

Due to a countywide social host ordinance, if it was done in front of your property, you are responsible for it no matter who was lighting it off."

Not “on” your property, but “ in front “ of your property, which would mean either your neighbor’s property, or the street.
I’m guessing that’s simply miss-worded, excellent journalism, otherwise it’s a legal wording open to misinterpretation