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Sundown for California
The American ^ | November 12, 2008 | Joel Kotkin

Posted on 11/28/2008 6:41:11 AM PST by reaganaut1

[California] appears headed, if not for imminent disaster, then toward an unanticipated, maddening, and largely unnecessary mediocrity.

Since 2000, California’s job growth rate— which in the late 1970s surged at many times the national average—has lagged behind the national average by almost 20 percent. Rapid population growth, once synonymous with the state, has slowed dramatically. Most troubling of all, domestic out-migration, about even in 2001, swelled to over 260,000 in 2007 and now surpasses international immigration. Texas has replaced California as the leading growth center for Hispanics.

Out-migration is a key factor, along with a weak economy, for the collapse of the housing market. Simply put, the population growth expected for many areas has not materialized, nor the new jobs that might attract newcomers. In the past year, four of the top six housing markets in terms of price decline have been in California, including Sacramento, San Diego, Riverside, and Los Angeles. The Central Valley towns of Stockton, Merced, and Modesto have all been awarded the dubious honors of the highest foreclosure rates in the nation during the past year.

Even with prices down, many of the most desirable places in California are also among the most unaffordable in the nation. Less than 15 percent of households earning the local median income can afford a home in L.A. or San Francisco. In Santa Barbara, San Diego, Oxnard, Santa Cruz, or San Jose, it’s less than a third. That’s about half the number who can buy in the big Texas or North Carolina markets. Moreover, state officials warned in October that they might have to seek as much as $7 billion in loans from the U.S. Treasury. This is a disappointing turn for a state that once saw itself as the harbinger of the future.

(Excerpt) Read more at american.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Politics/Elections; US: California
KEYWORDS: ca; calbudget; caleconomy; california; illegals; unions
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The article goes on to explain that California government has been captured by state government workers and environmentalists, imposing taxes and regulations that drive out blue-collar jobs and middle-class whites. The article says about half of all kindergarteners in California are Hispanic. Given the lower levels of education and income that Hispanics achieve on average, along with higher rates of crime, compared to whites, things will probably get worse unless there are drastic cultural changes.

Democrats would like to do on a national level what they have done in California.

1 posted on 11/28/2008 6:41:11 AM PST by reaganaut1
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To: reaganaut1

I bailed in 97 and never looked back. They are in the process of turning that beautiful once great state into a third world bedlam. No thanks, I’ll pass.


2 posted on 11/28/2008 6:43:56 AM PST by Kozak (USA 7/4/1776 to 1/20/2009 Requiescat In Pace)
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To: reaganaut1

Gays don’t have kids (on the whole). Kids are the impetus for spending and therefore for a growing economy.

Mel


3 posted on 11/28/2008 6:45:44 AM PST by melsec (A Proud Aussie)
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To: reaganaut1

Minnesota is probably the next California. The number one employer in MN is government.


4 posted on 11/28/2008 6:46:42 AM PST by Eric in the Ozarks
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To: reaganaut1
The article goes on to explain that California government has been captured by state government workers and environmentalists, imposing taxes and regulations that drive out blue-collar jobs and middle-class whites.

Kalifornia is the canary in the coal mine.

5 posted on 11/28/2008 6:47:05 AM PST by Starboard
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To: reaganaut1

What’s the total population of California when one includes all illegal immigrants-and I mean all illegal immigrants-who presently live in California?


6 posted on 11/28/2008 6:48:30 AM PST by johnthebaptistmoore (Conservatives obey the rules. Leftists cheat. Who probably has the political advantage?)
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To: Starboard
Correct. The California of today will be the America of 2050. In California, one in four residents is foreign born and one in three is Hispanic. Non-Hispanic whites are now less than 50% of the popupulation.

In 2050, one in five residents of the US will be foreign born and one in three Hispanic. Non-Hispanic whites will be 46% of the population.

7 posted on 11/28/2008 6:51:31 AM PST by kabar
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To: melsec
If that were true than places like Palm Springs would be economic backwaters and East LA would be a powerhouse. There are many factors to creating economic growth, and uneducated people having 5 plus kids doesn't seem to be helping.
8 posted on 11/28/2008 6:52:28 AM PST by oldleft
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To: johnthebaptistmoore

total pop in Calif w/o the illegals?
About half the current pop, I’d guess.


9 posted on 11/28/2008 6:53:29 AM PST by OldArmy52 (Change a Socialist can believe in: Vote Obama. Your dog and dead Gramma did.)
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To: melsec
Gays don’t have kids

They are figuring this out, that's why gay marriage is so important to them. They want to break traditional families apart, force US to give up our kids, either voluntarily (adoption) or by force (Dept of HHS), then under the guise of a "normal" married gay couple, take our children from us and indoctrinate them. America is under siege by the left-wing extremists.
10 posted on 11/28/2008 6:54:20 AM PST by prismsinc (AIP works for ME!!!!)
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To: reaganaut1

Me and my wife happily left for Texas in March and have never looked back. I just hope the liberals never get their tentacles into the way of life here like they did in CA.


11 posted on 11/28/2008 6:54:25 AM PST by Anti-MSM (Personal responsibility...what a concept!)
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To: reaganaut1
There's one other cost of illegals that has gone generally unnoticed. Calling the Old Media: Five Million Illegals Have Illegal Mortgages in U.S.A.!

MALKIN: Illegal immigrant factor

Once again its helpful to provide some maps and stats: Look at the map where those who owe more than the house is worth. Notice any similarities to the unemployment picture and concentrations of illegals

Sadly Illegal Immigrants To Get Next Bailout
12 posted on 11/28/2008 6:54:36 AM PST by ckilmer (Phi)
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To: johnthebaptistmoore

Not sure about how many illegal immigrants, but I have head that CA has about 45 million residents.


13 posted on 11/28/2008 6:57:45 AM PST by randita (Taxes equal wealth spreading)
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To: reaganaut1

I’ve thought for quite awhile that the former Great State of California is now a harbinger of things to come nationally if the voters don’t wake up.

It’s a classic example of how liberalism inherently screws up everything.


14 posted on 11/28/2008 6:58:10 AM PST by A_Former_Democrat
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To: reaganaut1

I left in 1989 for Arizona where I live now.

I’ve been back a few times. Each time I go back I enjoy it less.

I grew up (1959-1974) in a little city in the LA Metropolitan area named Cudahy. Every time I’ve been back it and the rest of LA looks more and more like a foreign, third world country.

California has natural beauty but most of the man made stuff is crap now. And in my opinion the social fabric barely resembles America anymore.


15 posted on 11/28/2008 6:58:14 AM PST by AZ .44 MAG (A society that doesn't protect its children doesn't deserve to survive.)
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To: oldleft

A big problem in Calif is that the flood of legal and illegal Hispanics have overtaxed the taxpayer supported health and welfare systems.

After all, social safety nets don’t work well when more folks are using them than not.

And the Hispanics tend to have big families. My cynical observation is that most of the child-bearing age Hispanic women I see around the city are either pregnant, carrying/leading multiple kids, or pregnant and carrying/leading multiple kids.

That said, though the Hispanics vote Democrat as they vote for whoever offers them the most freebies (and Dem’s excell at vote buying), they tend to have traditional family values by and large and are pleasant folk to live around.


16 posted on 11/28/2008 6:59:05 AM PST by OldArmy52 (Change a Socialist can believe in: Vote Obama. Your dog and dead Gramma did.)
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To: reaganaut1

One of main reasons for lack of job growth in California is because of the lack of education. Companies move out when they can’t find employees that know what they are doing. The electronics industry is hardest hit. When they do hire someone, they don’t want to learn or not capable of learning. There’s a whole raft of laws that hammper managers when it comes to handling employees problems also. If they don’t fix the education system, they are doomed.


17 posted on 11/28/2008 6:59:14 AM PST by RC2
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To: kabar

Probably the only hope for CA is that the economy gets so bad that the immigrants leave for work elsewhere.
If people no longer hired lawn care, illegal casual labor and cut back on resturant eating..there would be a big loss of income to those who are costing the state a lot of money in schooling, health care etc.


18 posted on 11/28/2008 7:08:45 AM PST by Oldexpat (Drill Here, Drill There..we must drill everywhere.)
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Am I confused, or does “Out-migration” currently exist in the English language as “emmigration?”


19 posted on 11/28/2008 7:10:34 AM PST by villagerjoel (1984 was not supposed to be an instruction manual!)
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To: reaganaut1; Grampa Dave; NormsRevenge; calcowgirl; SierraWasp

Check out the map link at reply #12...


20 posted on 11/28/2008 7:12:59 AM PST by tubebender (Retirement...The art and science of Killing time before it Kills you...)
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