For decades now California's proponents have crowed about its stature as the “world’s fifth largest economy” – a status achieved largely under Republican governors Reagan, Deukmejian and Wilson. For historical accuracy it must be noted that the intervening Democrat Governor - Jerry Moonbeam Brown – slept on the floor and refused to build new highways, preferring instead to tour Africa with the then winsome Linda Rondstadt.
Gray Davis, the current governor, is invisible outside of his fund raising sorties. He, along with an increasingly radicalized legislature have brought the economy to its knees spending - essentially bribes to favored political constituencies such as the California Teacher’s Association - the state into a $38 billion deficit.
During the state's golden years, any politician with a modicum of panache could instantly launch into an impressive extemporaneous stump speech extolling the virtues of the California miracle - interweaving glittering images of a Silicon Valley immune from recession, a tolerant and upwardly mobile population, a Garden of Eden-like Central Valley “the salad basket of the world” and various other societal attributes that rendered California a crown jewel - a later day Camelot.
All that has now changed - in large part due to the floodgates of illegal immigration that were loosed during the Clinton administration, under the personage of Doris Meisner and the INS.
Illegal immigration burgeoned during the 1990s. At its inception, there were 3.5 million illegals in the U.S. By 2000 there were 8 million – a 228% increase. The majority of these people have chosen to reside in Southwest – at staggering two million in California alone.
Their impact – in sheer numbers, in provision of legally mandated welfare services and in cultural dilution – can no longer be ignored, nor can the shock that it is causing really be imagined without actually experiencing it.
On a personal note - in my old hometown - the neighborhood I grew up in is unrecognizable; certainly some of the original homeowners remain but a huge influx population has been added - crammed into dozens upon dozens of apartment complexes which cater almost exclusively to low income Hispanics, who appear to primarily hail from Mexico.
The nature of local business has changed dramatically - tienda’s replacing the corner grocery stores, “Hablamos Espanol” dotting the used car lots and an omnipresent display of bambinos and their teenage mothers. On most mornings unemployed young Mexican men congregate outside specific 7-11s looking for day labor and sometimes find it; those not so lucky seem content to wander the streets, hanging out and getting in trouble – there are now police stations located directly in the local strip malls - cops in a box - something unheard of only 10 years ago.
The gated community liberals who countenance such diversity fortunately don’t have to live very near it.
On the legislative side of things Californa has become aggressively anti-business and the list of unfriendly legislation being churned out of the capitol is stunningly inclusive.
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Huge increases in worker’s compensation impounds - often well over 300%.
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Taxes levied against companies that can’t afford health insurance for their workers.
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Removing the Prop 13 property tax increase protection from businesses.
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Mandates that the minimum wage must increase yearly correlated against the CPI.
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Taxes on the manufacturers of any electronic device to promote “recycling.”
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Elimination of the use of Subchapter “S” tax filings for small businesses.
- Institution of a "minimum" tax on all corporations, even inactive ones who transact no business and generate no income.
There’s much more, but you get the picture.
As a result - as the old saw goes - people vote with their feet, and that is exactly what is happening in California.
For the first time in recent memory more legal residents are leaving than moving in. There is a reason of course and it's difficult to couch the explanation politely - California, in many places, is starting to look like a third world country.
Cities are being overrun with illegals - entire villages are being transplanted, bit-by-bit, family-by-family, from Mexico into the Los Angeles environs. These new arrivals take up residence in ramshackle barrios which are still a couple of cuts above the primitive living conditions in central Mexico, where they are spurned by frauds like Vincente Fox who really favors the lighter-skinned Spaniard types [just check out Hispanic television if you want to see the Hispanic approximation of the Caucasoid ideal] over dark Mestizos who are primarily of Indian descent.
The effect of these shifting demographics are almost universally negative and are viewed as such by a substantial part of the population. Thus California is losing many of its brightest and potentially most productive citizens who are no longer willing to see their quality of life destroyed.
A friend of mine - an extremely talented and fiercely independent individual - has also noted, with some alarm, the above changes and has made the decision to move his family out of state. He is a small business owner and his story might further clarify what the stakes are if we continue to proceed further down this path.
In deference to privacy, this individual’s name is being withheld.
Q. I’m sure our readers would like to find out a little bit about you and your background, how long you have been in California. You know, things that will give us a little glimpse into what you are all about.
A. My own California story is typical. Pushing fifty I am now a seasoned Californian. I was born in San Francisco. My father was worried about the direction the city was going and did not want to raise his three boys there - which is by the way, his home town.
This was during the Eisenhower administration. We moved to the small town of Grass Valley, up Lake Tahoe Way. I am proud to say I received the best public education available. At one time, the California school system was second to none. I believe we are now either 50th or may have moved up to 49th. After High School, I enlisted in the Air Force and was stationed at Vandenberg AFB here in California for most of my enlistment. College was spent out of state. I spent some time knocking around and landed back here in CA in a small town up north of San Francisco for the last 12 years.
Q. After your knocking around period, why did you return to California?
A. It's a natural thing to want to return to your "home". Any native Californian will tell you the state has a draw. But I imagine others will feel the same way about their own home states.
Q. Were you wrong about what California was about or did things change after you came here?
A. Most definitely. I would say within a year both my wife and I knew we had made a mistake. We had been living in Arizona and were looking forward to getting away from all of the border/crime problems associated with living there. It’s akin to what has happened to Disneyland. There used to be magic there. Now it is just concrete and aging animatronic creaky figures. A cheesy illusion at twenty dollars a throw.
California is an illusion. The reality is a governmental system falling in on itself and you can see the panic begin to manifest itself. The haves are now responsible for too many have-nots.. You have to remember the basic themes of the Mexican Revolution 1910-1940 was land and wealth re-distribution. The mind set of those millions of illegal aliens who are now voting here is the same. Since you cannot get elected without those alien votes…well, you get the idea.
Q. Any move is traumatic, to a greater or lesser degree. Moving out of state more so. How long did it take you to make the decision and what were some of your considerations?
A. Traumatic? I feel it is traumatic to stay here. There is no future in a place that runs itself like a pyramid scheme. Sooner or later there just won't be enough people working to support those that won't. Already society is starting to crumble. Only a fool would go fishing or camping here without carrying a firearm. I mean it, only a fool.
Q. Was there a specific incident or event that tipped the scale in the direction of moving?
A. Yes, but not what you might be thinking.
In a way, other Californians feeling the same way I do are moving me out. I live in a quiet small area that will be safe for a few years yet. But those in the Bay area are really starting to feel the heat and leaving in droves…to areas like mine. They are bringing wads of cash with them and driving up our property values as they bid for the few houses that are available. I simply took advantage and am cashing out. Also, I wish to hire an employee and it is impossible to do here in California. I simply can't afford the compensation insurance and various other handouts the state wants. So, I will be moving my business, expanding and hiring in another state.
Q. Have you discussed your move with others? What was their take on it?
What might be of interest here is the reaction of the guys I play poker with every Sunday night. They have been following this for the six months I have been involved in the process. Those that own their own homes are paying a little more attention that those unable to leave.
And those able to leave, who are “paying a little more attention” are increasing exponentially. My friend is typical - he is entrepreneurial and motivated to succeed - but on his own terms.
Multiply his decision by 30,000 or 50,000…or just a few large employers - who are fed up with leftist politicians adding mouths to feed in exchange for votes - and you have the raw material for disaster.
It is very much like critical mass theory - you add anti-business codes, snotty in your face bureaucrats and welfare society dependents and not much happens…at first. But at some point ignition takes place and that, ladies and gentlemen is the ballgame.
No going back.
As we detailed here last week, Senate Bill 60 – which, incredibly, will permit illegal aliens to obtain California driver’s licenses without showing a unique identifier such as a Social Security number, has been passed by the Senate and is now in the Assembly where it will surely pass. From there it goes to the governor - who is battling a grassroots recall effort – for signature.
He may sign, he may not; but eventually this type of legislation will be added to the state codes – the sheer force of changing demographics guarantees it.
Just as, at some point, the reckless disregard for public safety and common sense by California’s elected officials will doom the state to a fate that is already clearly visible on the horizon.
Adios, mi amigo…adios California, su tiempo ha venido e ido
© 2003 PipeLineNews.org, all rights reserved
Gotta love Pocatello. Beautiful overall area. But one thing made me chuckle a few years ago. On the way in from the airport there is (was?) that big ole fertilizer plant. Then again, they probably have not outsourced those jobs yet and the pay is probably good enough. There used to be a Gould AMI wafer fab there... still in business?
The Simplot fertilizer operation will be completely gone in the next two years. AMI Semiconductor runs the wafer fab shop in Pocatello. They are the last large employer in town.
The Democrats want a Sweden on the Pacific. FTI (For Their Information) Sweden is a country in Scandinavia with about 10 million people - a third of the size of California and blessed with natural resources and a hard working population. The Swedes have made the welfare state work since they are willing and able to foot the bill for it. In contrast California has nearly 40 million people and no viable resource other than big government and the people willing to support it keep leaving. There is no way as that trend feeds on itself can California support a viable welfare state. No one wants to pay the taxes required to make it a reality. Sooner or later California is headed for a crash and the liberals here are living in a state of denial.
You mean to tell me we are only the 7th largest economy on the planet? That does it, I am packing up my station wagon and heading to Cleveland...As soon as I am done eating these bad boy cheese enchiladas. The ought to made these things illegal.......
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