[Plutarch]

Housing and air quality worsened…The fundamental issue this region faces ... is the income issue…Students perform below the national median on reading and math test scores, while 76 percent of residents do not have a college degree…lower-paying service jobs.. less wealth…dramatic increases in the cost of housing…

All of these “interconnected” problems all at once! The report doesn’t state why this is happening to Southern California specifically. I wonder if there is some factor not mentioned in the report?

[RKV]

It is not politically correct to state the obvious cause - GW and his DemocRATic buddies want the US to import poverty in the form of low wage workers from Mexico. The decline in California's economics has many causes, but a major factor is illegal immigration - and not politician left or right is going to do much about it until we make it impossible for them not to. Something like 40% of all students in public schools do not speak english at home. Yikes!

[sauron]

Plutarch said:

All of these “interconnected” problems all at once! The report doesn’t state why this is happening to Southern California specifically. I wonder if there is some factor not mentioned in the report?

Plutarch, I just LOVED your "picture is a thousand words" response. LOL!

[television is just wrong]

The ranking of schools in California of the other 50 states, last I heard was #49. Now that's something to talk about. (sarcasm)

[Amerigomag]

I wonder if there is some (common) factor not mentioned in the report?

It's the same factor that is bankrupting California government, driving a wedge into the Republican Party and will be one of the litmus issues in the 2008 elections.