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Will California Ever Thrive Again?
Townhall.com ^ | July 7, 2016 | Victor Davis Hanson

Posted on 07/07/2016 5:45:22 AM PDT by Kaslin

There was more of the same old, same old California news recently. Some 62 percent of state roads have been rated poor or mediocre. There were more predictions of huge cost overruns and yearly losses on high-speed rail -- before the first mile of track has been laid. One-third of Bay Area residents were polled as hoping to leave the area soon.

Such pessimism is daily fare, and for good reason.

The basket of California state taxes -- sales, income and gasoline -- rates among the highest in the U.S. Yet California roads and K-12 education rank near the bottom.

After years of drought, California has not built a single new reservoir. Instead, scarce fresh aqueduct water is still being diverted to sea. Thousands of rural central California homes, in Dust Bowl fashion, have been abandoned due to a sinking aquifer and dry wells.

One in three American welfare recipients resides in California. Almost a quarter of the state population lives below or near the poverty line. Yet the state's gas and electricity prices are among the nation's highest.

One in four state residents was not born in the U.S. Current state-funded pension programs are not sustainable.

California depends on a tiny elite class for about half of its income tax revenue. Yet many of these wealthy taxpayers are fleeing the 40-million-person state, angry over paying 12 percent of their income for lousy public services.

Public health costs have soared as one-third of California residents admitted to state hospitals for any causes suffer from diabetes, a sometimes-lethal disease often predicated on poor diet, lack of exercise and excessive weight.

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


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Editorial; Government; US: California
KEYWORDS: apple; regulation; vdh; victordavishanson
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To: animal172

Recently my wife and I sold our old top loading clothes washer with a craigslist ad. The couple who bought it were obviously not from the South so I asked where they were from, the wife said Connecticut. I then asked her why they decided to come to South Carolina. Her answer was short, “It’s not Connecticut.” Unfortunately it may soon be the same as Connecticut, with all the Northeastern libs moving here Myrtle Beach resembles Yankeetown more than it resembles the old Myrtle Beach. I liked it better when people from Connecticut felt sorry for those of us who were born and raised in the South rather than moving themselves here. Apparently they have done a really thorough job of ruining Connecticut.


41 posted on 07/07/2016 9:15:38 AM PDT by RipSawyer (Racism is racism, regardless of the race of the racist.)
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To: Kaslin
California's Demise is Looming...
Laughing out loud...

Folks, I trash the leadership in my state, the absolutely terrible job our governor and legislators do.  Even local municipality leadership sucks.  This being true, our state so badly damaged by what these louts have done to it, it is a testimony to the State of California's toughness that it can withstand the onslaught of Leftist Marxist Liberal Democrat Leadership and not be destroyed.  In spite of this leadership, not because of it, California thrives.  It's wounded, but it is not dead.  Like the Grizley bear on it's flag, you may wound it, but that will only make it angry and more resolved.  California is one tough state.

California has the sixth largest GDP (reported as GSP at link) in the world.  It's GDP is 61% higher than the next closest state. LINK  Globally it's ecnomy is only eclipsed by the United States, China, Japan, Germany, and Great Britain.  LINK


Think it's headed into the tank?  Check this out.  Look down at the bottom of this page and view what it's GDP was in the 2002 to 2006 range.  LINK  2002 > $1.629 trillion.  2014 > $2.359 trillion  2016 > $2.565 Trillion  LINK

I compare the GDP of California to the level of manufacturing we have in the United States today.  Yes, both still exist, but imagine what they could be with sound leadership.

California unleashed, would astound people.  It already is an amazing place, despite it's problems.


Will California Ever Thrive Again?
Laughing out loud...

42 posted on 07/07/2016 9:19:43 AM PDT by DoughtyOne (He wins & we do, our nation does, the world does. It's morning in America again. You are living it!)
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To: DoughtyOne

-—Will California Ever Thrive Again?-—

not in the foreseeable future

The thriving will begin from scratch after the big ‘un, the earthquake that destroys either Los Angeles or San Francisco


43 posted on 07/07/2016 9:23:35 AM PDT by bert ((K.E.; N.P.; GOPc;+12, 73, ....Opabinia can teach us a lot)
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To: Kaslin

‘Will California Ever Thrive Again?’

Only if the millions of illegal alien third world peasants squatting in California get deported.

Otherwise the same cancer will spread to the rest of the country. Ignore the problem at your own peril.


44 posted on 07/07/2016 10:02:43 AM PDT by Pelham (Barack Obama, representing Islam since 2008)
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To: Kaslin

Palo Alto will become the King’s Estate - the rest, just feudal lands. :)


45 posted on 07/07/2016 10:04:07 AM PDT by Mr. Jeeves ([CTRL]-[GALT]-[DELETE])
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To: bert

Whether you I or anyone else likes it due to the terrible leadership and policies within the state, California is thriving now.

I say again, imagine what it could be if not held back by these louts.


46 posted on 07/07/2016 10:12:10 AM PDT by DoughtyOne (He wins & we do, our nation does, the world does. It's morning in America again. You are living it!)
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To: oldplayer

VDH is the only writer for whom I’ll put with the most abusive adverts.

Regarding illegals in CA, I recall VDH writing that perhaps he could understand how a Gallic Roman felt when he watched Germans storm across the Rhine.


47 posted on 07/07/2016 10:19:29 AM PDT by Jacquerie (ArticleVBlog.com)
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To: Hugin
Don’t ask me how, with all the crap the Democrats have done to us we should be in a depression.

When the next bubble bursts, you'll get your depression.

I grew up in Castro Valley, left there to go to college. Been back a few times over the past 40 years, and will likely make several visits to Napa when/if I retire.

However, I have discovered wineries in such places as Roseburg, OR, Grand Junction, CO, and Texas, that more than meet my demands. The Rieslings produced in the Texas High Plains please my palate as much as the Mosel Spatleses and Ausleses that I grew to love while living in Germany for four years.

Last night, my daughter, grandson and I enjoyed another Movie Night at our favorite winery in Burleson. Lovely night, movie was Finding Nemo, a fun time for all.

Don't get me wrong, I loved growing up in the Bay Area during the 60s. For me, Texas has California beat hands down: affordable living, excellent highways, awesome people.

48 posted on 07/07/2016 10:37:45 AM PDT by Night Hides Not (Remember the Alamo! Remember Goliad! Remember Gonzales! Come and Take It!)
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To: LouAvul
"The real tragedy in this story isn’t about kalifornia. They’re merely reaping what they’ve sown.
The real tragedy is that kalifornians flee that sewer and migrate to
civilization, then turn their new homes into mirrors of the dump they left."

And that's the real problem.
It will be the cause of Civil War II in America.
America is irreparably divided between the so called
"progressives" and those who want a capitalist, traditional
America of their forefathers. There's no point reciting the differences.
We all know what they are.
I see a violent separation in perhaps fifty years.
Perhaps less. The current state of affairs cannot last.

49 posted on 07/07/2016 11:09:51 AM PDT by StormEye
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To: LouAvul
The real tragedy is that kalifornians flee that sewer and migrate to civilization, then turn their new homes into mirrors of the dump they left.

Just like the illegals.

Years ago, a letter to the Ed against gun control by me was printed in the local newspaper.

A few days later, my wife goes to a mom and pop jewelry store to get a ring repaired. When she gave her name, the owner asked if she "was married to that guy who wrote the pro-gun letter." She answered "Yes.". He said, "I fully agree with him, but can't say anything as most of my customers are Californians and I would lose business."

They are still at it with more demands, saying "That's not the way we did it in California." I was at the Senior Center and when I heard that for the umpteenth time, I exploded with "You're NOT in California now. Go back if you don't like the way we do things!" and ruffled quite a few feathers.

I don't go there any more.

50 posted on 07/07/2016 12:15:34 PM PDT by Oatka (Beware of an old man in a profession where men usually die young.)
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To: Kaslin

California used to be a beautiful, vibrant state.

Even though I have lived most of my adult life outside of the state, I still miss it. And, honestly, I will never like Maryland, no matter how long I live here.

I would love to go back, I really would. But the leftist nut jobs have killed it. There are still good places, but there are too many liberals in the urban areas who, unfortunately, outnumber the decent people in the rest of the state.

I need to find a good place to retire. Preferably, a place that has many of the qualities of the California that I remember.


51 posted on 07/07/2016 6:57:30 PM PDT by exDemMom (Current visual of the hole the US continues to dig itself into: http://www.usdebtclock.org/)
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To: Kaslin; fieldmarshaldj; AuH2ORepublican; Impy; GOPsterinMA; randita; Sun; NFHale; ExTexasRedhead; ..

The California Dream has become the California Nightmare for many. So many have already moved away and that trend shows no sign of stopping. The state is becoming a third world country and if Hillary Clinton is elected, the rest of the nation could follow.


52 posted on 07/08/2016 3:27:57 PM PDT by Clintonfatigued (The barbarians are inside because there are no gates)
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