Posted on 11/17/2009 1:08:48 PM PST by SeekAndFind
The road north across the Golden Gate leads to some of the prettiest counties in North America. Yet behind the lovely rolling hills, wineries, ranches and picturesque once-rural towns lies a demographic time bomb that neither political party is ready to address.
Paradise is having a problem with the evolving economy. A generational conflict is brewing, pitting the interests and predilections of well-heeled boomers against a growing, predominately Latino working class. And neither the emerging "progressive" politics nor laissez-faire conservatism is offering much in the way of a solution.
These northern California counties--which include Sonoma, Napa, Solano and Marin--have become beacons for middle- and upper-class residents from the Bay Area. These generally liberal people came in part to enjoy the lifestyle of this mild, bucolic region, and many have little interest in changing it.
"The yuppies have insulated themselves here for the long term," notes Robert Eyler, a director at the Center for Regional Economic Analysis at Sonoma State University. "The boomers have blocked everyone else different in age and skill from rising up and making their place."
Nowhere is this more evident than in the "green," anti-growth movement so prevalent in these places. Strong restrictions of business growth, bolstered by California's draconian land-use regulations, have turned these areas into business no-go zones. This has become increasingly clear after the collapse of the real estate boom, which created thousands of jobs for agents, mortgage brokers and construction workers.
Hard times have come to paradise. Unemployment in Sonoma now tops 10%, up from barely 3% two years ago, notes Eyler. The rate is slightly higher in neighboring Solano County. Across the region, vacancy rates for offices and other commercial buildings have reached as high as 30%. Overall, by some estimates, the vacancy rate is higher in Sonoma than in Detroit.
(Excerpt) Read more at forbes.com ...
anti-sprawleism is the leftist, faux-conservationist lexicon of the establishment Ayatullahs; it’s naked self-interest masquerading up in green clothes.
This paragraph in the article says it all :
California’s high-tech greens may talk a liberal streak in terms of diversity and social justice, but their prescriptions offer little for those who would like to build a career and raise a family in 21st century California. Their policies in terms of land use regulation and greenhouse gas emissions will make it even harder for existing factories, warehouses, homebuilders and other traditional employers of the middle- or working class. In effect, the progressives have become regressives.
I have personal knowledge of several (excellent) companies (research, development, manufacturing) that left that area to either others States, Canada, or Asia; just packed it all up and left!
Of course, I did the same :-)
White rulers with a Mestizo underclass, intense regulation and monopolies. How is California different from Mexico? I’m having a hard time imagining the Sane students graduating from UCLA,Stanford and Berkley staying in California.
The whole notion of 'green industry' is a liberal wet-dream. One company I know of in Solano County assembles solar panels shipped in from China. Even that company is 100% based on government subsidies. Once that money runs out, those jobs will be gone.
I have no idea what this author is talking about.
reminds me of the saying...a developer is someone who want to build a house in the woods - an environmentalist is someone who HAS a house in the woods.
I am beginning to understand how the French and Russian revolutions happened.
“Nowhere is this more evident than in the “green,” anti-growth movement so prevalent in these places. Strong restrictions of business growth, bolstered by California’s draconian land-use regulations, have turned these areas into business no-go zones. This has become increasingly clear after the collapse of the real estate boom, which created thousands of jobs for agents, mortgage brokers and construction workers.”
Thank you! I used to work for a developer that unfortunately bought into the sustainable development policies. Ugh. So frustrating.
How is this different than the demographic shift in Orange county in the 1980’s 1990’s, besides the political predilections of the well heeled establishment?
bump
My favorite definition of an environmentalist is “someone who finally got HIS cabin in the woods!”
I may have seen the anouncement of closure in the news this week.
There is almost unlimited housing available for first time buyers in California and an easy solution to the problems outlined.
STEP 1: Deport the aliens back to Mexico.
STEP 2: Rehab their houses.
STEP 3: Sell these rehabilitated domiciles to young couples.
It's a win-win formula. Gentrification is allowed to prevail, protecting this state from third world parasites, and those who are willing to earn a seat on the upward mobility express would have an entry level niche in a former third world ghetto. East LA, Modesto, West Sacramento and East Palo Alto could rise from the ashes.
Vineyards OK. Pricey real estate OK. Low-wage tourism jobs OK. Assisted-living facility work OK.
Yeah sustainable development is a huge problem. I don’t have a problem with sprawl. Sprawl is a quintessionally ‘American’ desire for freedom.
A generational conflict is brewing, pitting the interests and predilections of well-heeled boomers against a growing, predominately Latino working class.
These generally liberal people came in part to enjoy the lifestyle of this mild, bucolic region, and many have little interest in changing it.
I guess it’s like the song says....they love Gays and Blacks and Latinos, as long as they don’t move next door...
just the briefest contemplation of the term Progressive Luddite makes my head start to hurt...
“...progressives are stunting opportunity...”
Correction: “...communists are building their dachas in anticipation of installing the revolution...”
IMHO
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.