Boomer Economy (Why middle-aged 'progressives' are stunting opportunity in Northern California)

Forbes ^ | 11/17/2009 | Joel Kotkin

[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.

[FormerACLUmember]

The corruption of the California democrat party has not gone unnoticed. Real ad from the Nevada Development Agency:

[John Will]

Peasant work basically

[Clemenza]

I’m having a hard time imagining the Sane students graduating from UCLA,Stanford and Berkley staying in California.

Actually, they're going back to China, India, Taiwan, etc. where they can actually start industrial businesses without the greenies and bureaucrats (yes, even in China!) getting in their way like they would in Cali. I wonder when the bright American kids with degrees in engineering, geology, or metallurgy will start exiting stage left. Lots of opportunity in the world for brainy producers, albeit seemingly less of it in what was once the freest economy on earth.

[GVnana]

Yep. They’re not interested in a future, or doing anything that would help establish upward mobility.

[Professional Engineer]

Applies to other areas (namely the Sierra foothills) as well. Can't cut timber. Can't mine gold. Can't mine aggregate. Can't raise cattle.

There is a reason I never come back to Amador County after the service...

[Zilch]

Lost my senior level engineering job in San Jose(San Francisco Bay Area)along with hundreds of other engineers. All our former employers are leaving the area, jetisioning employees for places like Michigan, Florida, Mexico and the Far East. Can’t blame them. I’m heading out of town soon. Bubye-NorCal

[BobL]

Good, the Liberals created the mess that is California, now let them learn Spanish as they try to collect their Social Security checks.

[SierraWasp]

Whadabout Rio Linda???

[Uncle Hal]

I live in Sonoma county and it is predominately white with a rapidly growing Hispanic population that does the “grunt” work. It is ultra liberal and voted almost 75% for Obama. The authors observations are pretty much accurate. It is very hard to get anything built up hear. It is a beautiful area but very self centered.