LIved there for a little over a year, don’t think all Cali’s are bad, most of the state’s pretty reasonable people... Unfortunately though the state has 2 giant metropolitan centers, that get an insane amount of wealth by happenstance of geography... THe San Fran/Bay area, where huge amounts of imported goods flow into giving the area an insane amount of guaranteed cashflow they can suckle off of and Hollyweird which again is a leech from national economy scales.
These 2 areas have so much cast off cash, that they can fund any rediculous idea that any leftist comes up with, and as such have attracted some of the most leftist folks on the planet and they just overwhelm the state from having any shot at normalcy IMHO.
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SF is NOW full of old people and Chinese. The former are the relics of folks who were able to buy a home here when it didn't cost and arm and a leg and the latter are here because China is such a PIT HOLE.
The latter pool their money, buy a house, bring EVERY relative in China that they have over here and proceed to live like pigs.
They are filthy. Not personally but their homes are left unpainted and their front yards left unweeded. Those things COST.
They WILL spend OODLES of money on brand new cars and on educating their sons but on anything else? NOT A CHANCE.
What I write does NOT refer to ABC's--American Born Chinese. THEY are 100% American. You would know them because they actually have bodies: chest/boobs, butts, some muscle. They dress like it's 2014. They dress like it's America and not Hong Kong (saggy, baggy, haggy).
The Chinese I refer to are the FOB's (Fresh off the Boeing) and CIA's (Chinese in America). Those latter may have been here two months for 82 years. They may have always stayed in their Chinese enclaves, never learned English and never wore any clothes but the tacky, saggy, baggy, cheap stuff they buy in Chinatown.
The Chinese have cash all right but they sure don't spread it around in THIS country. It IS their right to do what they want with their hard-earned cash but, in my opinion, they sure don't make good neighbors. Their hearts and wallets are/will always be back in China.
The Chinese are the most CLANNISH people on the planet ON THEIR OWN ADMISSION, and I have traveled and lived out of the USA. We even went to China in 1981 when it first opened to the West.
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As for L.A. change the word "Chinese" for "Hispanic" and you will find some similarities. The Hispanics also WORK like horses...AND send their hard earned cash south of the border.
They DO NOT spend much time or money on education, not even to learn English so they don't advance very much in whatever they do. They can NEVER, EVER, EVER, EVER afford a home in California. At best they speak "Spanglish."
However, they are INFINITELY preferable to me since they WILL mingle, intermarry, be good neighbors, VOLUNTEER to help anyone who might need it, DON'T ignore us "round eyes" (a derogatory term the Chinese have for whites), treat us gringos like human beings instead of cash-cows, be friendly, help old people who aren't Hispanic...etc.
THEY are the work horses of California. They also DON'T want to be American citizens and are only here because the politicians south of the border keep most of the money for themselves and force their own people to seek money else where. They often work under the table and DON'T pay income tax, which they should do if they have their "green card."
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It's not a perfect world here in California but I wouldn't live anywhere else...ONLY because of weather. The rest of the country is either TOO hot in the summer or TOO cold in the winter. BRRRRRR!! I don't know if I could deal with the MONTHS of snow. We lived in Chicago for a year when I was young and all I do remember is the COLD!
We lived in a REALLY HOT country for five years but I won't mention it as one poster says I always bring it up. :o)