Posted on 03/17/2005 3:59:11 PM PST by BurbankKarl
The talk in Los Angeles is the talk of getting out In fact, a third of the residents surveyed said they want to move away, up more than 20 percent from 2003. The mood here in the South Bay, however, is slightly rosier.
Fed up with traffic, crime and skyrocketing housing prices, a growing number of Los Angeles County residents say they plan to move away within five years, according to a survey released Wednesday.
Although the mood in the South Bay area was slightly rosier, the report by the Public Policy Institute of California calls the county's 10 million residents "stunningly unhappy with some key indicators of quality of life and paints a picture of growing concern for any chance of long-term recovery."
"I spend all my money on rent," said San Pedro resident Janelle Anderson. "And now with gas prices going up, I'd love to find a cheaper place to live. But it's not that easy to leave your job and family."
The number of residents who plan to leave the county almost doubled in two years. A similar survey in 2003 found that 17 percent of residents did not see themselves staying in the county. The number is now 33 percent.
In fact, more people in the city of Los Angeles say they plan to leave than the 26 percent who voted in the recent mayoral election, said Mark Baldassare, the survey's director.
"It seems they plan to vote with their feet," he said.
For Torrance resident Gary Webb, it's the unrelenting traffic that makes him ponder leaving.
"It seems like I'm always in my car," he said. "And it keeps getting worse. I can't go anywhere without getting stuck in traffic."
The third annual survey found traffic, lack of affordable housing and low-performing public schools as reasons for the bleak outlook -- 74 percent of the 2,000 participants said congestion on freeways and main roads was a major problem. Another 64 percent said a lack of affordable housing was a big problem in the county. Both those figures have significantly increased from two years ago, when 67 percent cited traffic woes and 54 percent mentioned housing.
"So many dimensions of people are more negative today," Baldassare said. "The way they rate housing problems, the way they view race relations, and increasing negativity were certainly important things we noted."
In all, 58 percent believe race relations were not so good, compared to 53 percent in 2003. Different races also had varied outlooks. Only 21 percent of blacks -- compared to 50 percent of all residents -- say police in their community treat all racial and ethnic groups fairly most of the time.
But there were some silver linings in the survey. For instance, most residents expect race relations to improve.
"There are areas that have optimism," Baldassare said. "Most people believe race and ethnic relations will improve. And we're seeing improvements in the economy and the general belief that the quality of life is still good."
Dowell Myers, a professor of urban planning and demographics at USC, suggested that the survey include a question about whether people planned to move. He said he was a little surprised at the results, but he also cautioned about reading too much into them.
"It's a little higher than I would expect," he said. "It's not clear people are going to act different. People complain about traffic, but don't leave."
But if people do follow up on their plans to move, it could spell trouble in the future.
"The danger is people will still keep coming, but the ones you want to keep might go away because they've got other choices," he said. "You might be keeping the wrong kinds of people. Middle-class taxpayers might get up and go. That's the key. Who are the ones leaving?"
The survey divided the county into four parts. The area that includes the South Bay -- which stretches from Long Beach to Malibu -- was more optimistic about many trends. While generally unhappy with traffic, two-thirds of the area's residents said things were going well. They also gave the highest rating to the economy (40 percent) and expressed strong approval of local parks (68 percent).
"Some of the optimism in the region reflects the fact that people have good air quality, good job opportunities," Baldassare said. "Many people are in good economic shape compared to other parts of the county."
Y habla 'Hola' a sus 'manos y vato compadres, SA...
Inter company transfer with the same rate of pay. I'm not yet a resident of that state, but already a home owner. Soemthing I could'nt do in 25 years of adulthood in CA.
Riiiiiight. Just try finding a parking place at the beach or driving out of the city to get to the mountains.
This Golden Sewer is so congested, you can't even enjoy it. I stopped whistling past the graveyard last year. Since then, its all been about getting the heck outta here.
No, the people leaving are conservatives and Reagan democrats, what will be left here is the immigrants who don't know any better and the people rich enough to pay for them.
Thank you. SAn Diego was a heck of a town to grow up in. Wish I could afford to keep living in SoCal, but I think Texas will fit me fine.
Were that it could be so. Spend a few minutes talking up those ideas to the dolts that leave next door to you, and you'll be in for rude awakening:
1) For that to happen, it will have to get bad-- "call in Regular Army troops" bad, first or, more than likely,
2) It ain't ever gonna happen.
A state of sheep, digging their own mass graves for the sake of cheap lettuce, gardeners, nannies, and votes.
I'm outta here.
Maybe, but I don't think that will happen. SoCal is a loss, though.
I've got three weapons, and a REALLY BAD ATTITUDE when I hear liberal politics.
They've turned my home state into a dammed garbage dump with a million dollar gate fee with their Berkeley addled liberal politics. A .223 for all of 'em if they want to follow mw...
All the cute blond California girls can move to Atlanta. But everyone else should move up to Oregon or Washington.
Too late. You had a 1/3 acre lot with a great house on it in Allen that I liberated...
Thanks!
Jeez, just what we need more Kalifornicaters moving in to
inflate the property values and bringing their socialist agenda with them. There goes the neighborhood.
Man, that was'nt even on my home purcahse contract! How cool! Do I get one of those really nice guns? You know, the kind that the thumb suckers out here banned in 1989?
Count me out. I'll be a transplanted Texan, but I figure any state that would elect W twice as governor and twice as Prez has got to be full of people I can learn from.
I'm not moving to rubeland. I'm moving to wonderful place with people bright enough to prohibit income taxes when they wrote their state constitution...
I take it you bought your home? You got yours so everyone else ("losers" in your eyes) can F off?
Another thing about my home state that has really gotten irritating over the last few years are people so damm rude, self-absorbed, and self-centered you can't even stand to be around 'em.
BTW, what is a "non-hacker"?
bumb to that. Who needs it. I didn't. Much better off where were are. I laugh at myself when I complain about the wee bit of traffic we have here.
The Torrance area mentioned in the article is particularly bad if you want to get out of the city
Like when they send the Fox 11 news chick up to Big Bear to report on the snow. 13 hours driving from Hollywood to the slopes.
I can wear shorts year around, go to the beach, go to the mountains, go to the desert anytime I like. It didn't rain once the first 6 months I was here. Saturdays, I usually go surfing, but this weekend I am sailing my friend's race boat to Ventura via Marina del Rey. Life is good. Can't imagine why anyone would leave voluntarily.
You better check the weather report there, Cabin Boy.
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