The “leaders” now in charge of the dictatorial regime that has overtaken California have declared war on most of the symbols of middle-class affluence, primarily automobiles and suburban growth. The ongoing efforts to regulate out of existence the sources of power and expansion of the existing economic base, through taxation and making cost of doing business so restrictive, that there is a net outflow of capital and talent from that once highly favored land.
Unfortunately, with the outflow of capital, there has also been an outflow of the same kind of non-critical thinking that put California in such a bind to begin with. Are snail darters REALLY more important than getting lettuce and almonds to the supermarket? Once, California was the great beacon that drew millions there from the drought-stricken new deserts of Oklahoma and Arkansas, on the promise of plentiful water from the system of dikes, sloughs, and dams that had been constructed in California beginning in the early years of the 20th Century, and made what was once semi-arid lands bloom with great profusion and fecundity, with an almost year-round growing season.
This prosperity built some really great fortunes, so much so that those who inherited those fortunes were subject to an onerous burden of guilt, and they, in their blind and tearful shame, proceeded to dismantle the very infrastructure which had created the vast fortunes to begin with. The dams were blown up, draconian measures for water use restrictions were instituted, and harsh punishments were laid down for infractions.
California used to be a leading oil production and refining center, the better to feed its growing network of roadways and vehicles to travel them, moving wealth in trucks, ships, and even airplanes, out to every other corner of America and even to foreign destinations. But now, power generation is considered “dirty” and a disgrace, so California is no longer self-sufficient in power sources, becoming a consumer that grabs away these resources in ever greater measure, and creating what is after all, a totally artificial scarcity and excessive pricing. After all, since competition is no longer feasible, where are the consumers going to go?
Elsewhere, it turns out, as the productive people flee California for more clement venues, lower taxation, and much greater plenitude of reasonably priced goods and services. Only the very wealthy, with their solicitous attitude on what is “best” for the common folk, and the very poor still remain, and “the rich” cannot be counted to give their “fair share” (which is EVERYTHING they now possess) to the support of the very poor.
do the wealthy control or do the city riff raff control?
As a fourth generation Californian I have a few
observations regarding your post. First, I
commend you for separating the state leadership
from the people. I understand that to be an
acknowledgment that not ALL of us are lefty
lunatics unlike post #11 which leaves the
asinine impression that we march in liberal
lock step here in California. It is true that
there is an outflow of critical thinking. The
liberals in power restrict water storage
potential while inviting unlimited illegal
immigration.....liberal stupidity. But where
is critical thinking going? That is a national
problem not limited to California.
Not all talent is leaving California. There are
talented and relatively conservative people who
choose to stay because they are not primarily driven
by politics. They enjoy the climate and recreational
diversity opportunities. On a minor note the snail
darter and lettuce production have absolutely nothing
geographically in common but your overall point has
value.
California is like AARP, the League of Women Voters,
and any university. If the liberals get a foothold
they will fight tooth and nail to take complete
control. Then they will do whatever possible to
destroy the opposition.