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Big Idea: California Is So Over
thedailybeast.com ^ | 04/19/15 | Joel Kotkin

Posted on 04/19/2015 6:43:42 AM PDT by amnestynone

California has met the future, and it really doesn’t work. As the mounting panic surrounding the drought suggests, the Golden State, once renowned for meeting human and geographic challenges, is losing its ability to cope with crises. As a result, the great American land of opportunity is devolving into something that resembles feudalism, a society dominated by rich and poor, with little opportunity for upward mobility for the state’s middle- and working classes.

The water situation reflects this breakdown in the starkest way. Everyone who follows California knew it was inevitable we would suffer a long-term drought. Most of the state—including the Bay Area as well as greater Los Angeles—is semi-arid, and could barely support more than a tiny fraction of its current population. California’s response to aridity has always been primarily an engineering one that followed the old Roman model of siphoning water from the high country to service cities and farms.


TOPICS: Culture/Society; US: California
KEYWORDS: california; governormoonbeam; jerrybrown; moonbeam
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To: OttawaFreeper
I think if the drought continues, we could essentially see a perfect reverse of the Dust Bowl situation of the 1930's, as millions of former Californians move to other states.

The result will have tremendous effect on Congress, since California could lose many members in the House of Representatives--imagine going from 51 to 38 (or even less!) members. And the state's agriculture could change to growing mostly drought-resistant crops and even see a huge decline in the wine industry, too.

41 posted on 04/19/2015 8:19:59 AM PDT by RayChuang88 (FairTax: America's economic cure)
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To: theBuckwheat

Great Post


42 posted on 04/19/2015 8:24:37 AM PDT by CPT Clay (Follow me on Twitter @Clay N TX)
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To: Gaffer
OK--these are not "true believers" in enviro-wacko-ism. All they care about is stomping all over people any way they can, and grabbing all the assets.

We do not examine the oligarchy nearly enough, we conservatives. That's because we're talking about multi-billionaires who we assume have earned their riches. Well, maybe they earned some of them. But mostly they make their money running the politicians who are the means to oppress the rest of us. Ex--Buffett claiming to love the planet when he stifles the fuel pipelines, when he really wants to make money on the rail transport.

Likewise, we are intent on proving "bias"--as if we can prosper with a well-reasoned argument. They just laugh at that. It's all about the money, and money is power and power is money.

43 posted on 04/19/2015 8:34:09 AM PDT by Mamzelle
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To: BenLurkin

Nothing wrong with California that a Republican Assembly and Governor couldn’t fix in two years.


44 posted on 04/19/2015 8:48:01 AM PDT by Forward the Light Brigade (Into the Jaws of H*ll Onward! Ride to the sound of the guns!)
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To: theBuckwheat

B4Ever


45 posted on 04/19/2015 8:50:50 AM PDT by PfromHoGro (Worst leadership generation ever.)
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To: Forward the Light Brigade
yeah, well, need to get them at the helm first.

That's going to take some doing.

46 posted on 04/19/2015 8:51:08 AM PDT by going hot (Happiness is a momma deuce)
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To: amnestynone

California has become Mehico’s broke cousin. The Gay Caballero With No Dinero.


47 posted on 04/19/2015 8:52:05 AM PDT by FlingWingFlyer (Just Say NO To Hillary.)
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To: amnestynone

Techno-narcissism: The concept that technology can save humans from all problems both natural and man-made.


48 posted on 04/19/2015 8:59:49 AM PDT by Lorianne (fed pork, bailouts, gone taxmoney)
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To: Mamzelle

Oh, I do not argue at all about the real reason - power. Most liberal movements are just whatever tactic work best to ensure power and control. That’s a given.


49 posted on 04/19/2015 9:09:59 AM PDT by Gaffer
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To: Rusty0604

Calif already has that it’s called the Coastal Commission, takes years to get anything built


50 posted on 04/19/2015 9:10:32 AM PDT by markman46 (engage brain before using keyboard!!!)
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To: markman46

The solution is to continue to bring in millions more thirsty illegals from Guatemala, Mexico, El Salvador, China etc.

And keep that conga-line of legal Muslims and foreigners coming.

This will continue until America is completely divided and resembles some nasty market place in Ustinkistan.


51 posted on 04/19/2015 9:15:49 AM PDT by dragnet2 (Diversion and evasion are tools of deceit)
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To: Forward the Light Brigade

>>Nothing wrong with California that a Republican Assembly and Governor couldn’t fix in two years.<<

Maybe not in two years, but I find myself wondering if the situation isn’t ripe for conservative politicians to make real inroads into the middle-class vote in the state. Or don’t they have any prominent enough to even get a foothold?


52 posted on 04/19/2015 9:28:45 AM PDT by Norseman
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To: aquila48

I have to agree with you. Take a look at the attached interactive graphic on Lake Shasta.

http://cdec.water.ca.gov/cdecapp/resapp/resDetailOrig.action?resid=SHA

This “drought” is nowhere near the one in 1977 as can be seen. And although Shasta is below the normal curve, It’s still 60% full when historically it’s at 71% of capacity right now. We unfortunately have a reservoir system that relies on snowpack, not rainfall. In addition, we haven’t built a storage facility since 1979 while the state has doubled its population. All thanks the the first two “Brown Administrations.” Our bigger problems are two: One, The LA Basin is loosing it’s “Colorado River water entitlement to AZ, and our government has allowed unbridled extension of farming.
I just love how some here on FR “cluck” incessantly about how terrible it is here in California. That we are on the road of no return, BS! Sure, we have a $hit government at present, but it has not always been so, and it will change back in the future. They all seem to forget that Ronald Reagan was governor here and that FR is headquartered here in Fresno. I’d be surprised if the Robinsons have any intention of moving, accustomed as they are to having indoor plumbing and nice weather. I guess our problem at the moment is that we’ve been seen as the best place in the US to live by too many of the wrong kind of people, because any number of our current “politicians,” came here from the Northeast dump states and are currently crapping in our nest having crapped up their nests from whence they came. Jerry Brown is one of the exceptions. We all wish now that his father (who was also one of our worthless governors) had used a condom.


53 posted on 04/19/2015 9:53:14 AM PDT by vette6387
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To: dragnet2

you right, most of the CNA’s at the nursing home my wife is in are from El Salvador. must be here legal i am sure. when i get to retirement i will be leaving


54 posted on 04/19/2015 9:59:32 AM PDT by markman46 (engage brain before using keyboard!!!)
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To: amnestynone

In truth Ronald Reagan was not a ‘lib’ Democrat.
He was a conservative Democrat like my own dad back
in the old days when there was such an option. After
Reagan became a Republican he often stated that he
did not leave the Democrats, they left him.


55 posted on 04/19/2015 10:09:34 AM PDT by Sivad (NorCal red turf ;-))
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To: amnestynone

Yes. It is socialism in California. Look at how they moved twenty poor families into Barbara Streisand’s ocean front mansion.

Hahahahahahaha!

Keep thinking it’s socialism that the Democrats want. It makes you easier for them to control.

If there were true socialists in California, Barbara Streisand would be hanging from a pole.


56 posted on 04/19/2015 10:09:54 AM PDT by blueunicorn6 ("A crack shot and a good dancer")
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To: Rusty0604

who’s grandather wpuld believe there would ever need to be endless environmental studies about seawater..but there will continue to be in California...


57 posted on 04/19/2015 11:01:51 AM PDT by MeshugeMikey ("Never, Never, Never, Give Up," Winston Churchill ><>)
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To: Gaffer

I would hope so!


58 posted on 04/19/2015 11:02:28 AM PDT by MeshugeMikey ("Never, Never, Never, Give Up," Winston Churchill ><>)
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To: markman46

That’s nearly everywhere now. Hard to escape unless you have big dollars/insurance for end of life care. Had an acquaintance like that who was insurance poor. He wound up dying instantly from an aneurism type thing at 58 and after paying for decades.


59 posted on 04/19/2015 11:11:02 AM PDT by dragnet2 (Diversion and evasion are tools of deceit)
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To: MeshugeMikey

Those environmental studies take years and a lot of funding.


60 posted on 04/19/2015 11:17:40 AM PDT by Rusty0604
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