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."
Uhaul wanted $1700 to move from Van Nuys to Salt Lake City. I went to Budget and it was half the price.
Crowded and ridiculous. I avoided it like the plague.
You shoulda told me that before I took up residence in South Jordan. I love this place!
my post was about Trailers, not trucks. but that is another point.
It's happening all through Southern California. Sold our house a few weeks ago and moving to Arizona. Unfortunately, so is everyone else, so we figure Arizona will be like San Diego in a few years. I guess we'll move again when that happens!
Oh, yeknew... CA is, like, so inclusive, trucks/trailers/mules. ;>
OK. So you're 15-20 years older than I am. Kids grown, lots of equity, life is good. I want mine, and it ain't here anymore.
I can forgive you for confusing the good timing of your birth with some mental picture you have of Rambo. You're probably not as sharp as you were when you bought your place in your late 20's.
Enjoy your sunset years and thank you for your service, grunt (and that is a sincere thanks, the rest is sarcasm so there's no confusion).
I've been waiting for the bubble to burst for a few years now, in an 850 sq. ft. rented home. In the meantime, I have seen prices go nuts and my neighborhood put in a lot of really hard work to become a slum.
A house smaller than mine sold for 400,000 in January. And what's with the "not a good investment" crap? Whatever happened to buying a home so that you could have, oh, I don't know, a place to live?
Put it this way: From 6:30-9AM, 5 south is usually stop-and-go from La Costa all the way down to the 5/805 split. 4:30-7PM, 5 north slows to a crawl around Genesee and doesn't really let up until you get to Carlsbad. Don't even ask about 15. Meanwhile, our TransNet tax dollars are spent building light rail which no one will use from the coast to Escondido.
Congratulations on your escape! Unfortunately, I'm still stuck in Tijuana North...er, I mean Van Nuys.
Florida is hot, humid, and getting overdeveloped with some of the most ticky-tackey poorly constructed sh-t that you can imagine. It will only be a matter of time, IMHO, where the overdeveloped hellhole that Naples has become will be voting the same of Boca Raton and Left Palm Beach.
I still go out for business and love. i can't get enough of Carmel and Monterey. I used to stay at Mission Ranch before Clint owned it - but everything has been overwhelmed by the price of land. /sad commentary on lost loves -off.
Oh God please don't move to Montana! We have been over run with all these environmental whackos! They don't want us to fish-hunt-log-mine! That is the sum total of our economy other that tourism and farming! Our legislature and leaders have become transplants who push their "diversity" agendas. STAY IN KALIFORNIA!
I use to live in Encino in the Mid-80's it was such a cool place remember the Oarnge Blossoms in Spring the entire warm air smelled of fragrance.
Shopping at the Galleria walking to the Westward Ho Market at night..Spent some time at the Sugarhill Saloon lot of the L.A Cops hung out there.
Once the gangbangers started infiltrating and 3rd world immigrants..I was out of there!
OK, OK, but please stay in the snow and ice and out of SOUT! Thanks!
If these Californians move all over the country, isn't good for thr repubs? Cal. would have fewer electoral votes, and if the Repubs are moving out , because of high taxes, etc. that would also result in more electoral votes in red states. Am I wrong?
"Meanwhile, our TransNet tax dollars are spent building light rail which no one will use from the coast to Escondido."
Insane, isn't it? Our socialist Mayor out here in Madison is enthralled with light rail and trains and street cars. He's railroading (pun intended) all of these types of transport through in our city at taxpayer expense to "save the environment" and yet, he can't get people to use the friggin' bus system to full capacity, all the while paying some bus drivers in our city (with perks and overtime) $100K a year plus benefits! A bus driver!
Seems I can't escape stupidity no matter where I move, LOL!
Does this bear any resemblance to: "I'll just sit here in the dark a little longer."?
The Congressional Districts are drawn up from the Census, which include illegals, not registered voters. Every ten years, they take the total population and divide it by 435 seats.
Loretta Sanchez was re elected to her seat with just 65,684 votes (out of 642,000 population)...Joe Baca got 58,000!
The change in Congress is more due to people fleeing Blue States, Dem or Rep, and moving to states that trend Red.
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