My family’s home state for six generations. We started out dirt poor, subsistence farming. Successive generations started businesses, and all worked their asses off. After four generations, we were relatively solid. Things were looking positive for my folks and our immediate family through the early ‘90’s. It’s all changed dramatically since then. It is now a complete Through The Looking Glass dynasty of warped elites, failed schools, and dysfunctional governance. Am in one of the few remaining places with a mix of perspectives/political affiliations, but it’s changing quickly. Tragic stuff given how amazing the place was for so many for decades. No more.
If you look at California economically and politically, it is a clear example of what the whole country will be if we continue in the directions the new left is pushing; Drastic taxes, environmental rules without thought or end, unrestricted illegal immigration so that white people who largely built the country will be a minority (60% now). But we are not able to say these things without severe reactions and criticism.
We have lost the ability to rationally discuss where we are, except on blog sites like FR.
Friend in Antioch, Ca for a longtime has refused to leave. Last week her husband posted on his FB page...enough is enough. We will take the loss on the house and get our of CA.