California exodus mystery (San Diego, Sacramento, Oakland: HOA, crime rates, neighborhoods)

[stablegenius]

Originally Posted by Tulemutt

I live “here” … and love it … as do tens of millions of other Californians.

The constant kvetching and anguish about California expressed on this forum is predictable because forums are typically venues for people to vent … this forum attracts mostly venting. And then, for balance in entertainment, a scattering of non-venting types chime in to rebut.

My point to the OP was, as an outsider, California always looks great. Pretty ridiculous of them to start a thread when they know nothing about living here. California has positives and negatives. Why can't you admit that there are negatives? Just as you get annoyed when outsiders bash California, I too get annoyed when people who don't live here say it's the best place on earth.

[Ultrarunner]

The other option is to work for change...

I'd say the daily lawlessness I witness and crime that befalls my city and region drive some out... they just don't see a future.

I called in a very early morning smash and grab at the local grocer and so far I have had to appear 5 times in court just sitting around as the case gets put over... it can make you question why as when a few weeks ago I was assaulted by a transient in the process of stealing hospital patient charts...

Or the owners I became very close with of a family run Korean BBQ for one brother and a Service Station with smog gold star service for the other.

They worked hard 7 days a week including the kids when not in school... they had built up a reputation through there hard work but too many break ins and armed robberies was the reason they left after 17 years.

I think for those not on the receiving end it is easy to miss.

Several in my family have been victims of armed robbers and shot at...

There comes a point where you look inward and ask is it worth it... right or wrong.

Every home sale around here is another out of state move... true enough there is always a buyer but it gives pause as the most common reason I hear for those moving is not liking the direction the State is moving... which covers the kitchen sink of reasons from safety, opportunity, cost, etc.

[2sleepy]

Originally Posted by arctictropical

It's hard to accept some losses of freedom that exist in California after experiencing other options.
For example, in many rural places in the US there're no building codes enforced or even exist. You can live in RV, in a shack you build, in earthbag home, in a trailer, you can make a home out of garden shed, whatever.
It's hard to imagine dealing with this building code nonsense in CA and foul bureaucrats involved.
Various gun-related rights.
Fingerprint for a license.
Fire hazards in CA/insurers walking out.
Slave muzzles and believers in fake virus.
The lockdowns they had in CA, illegal, totalitarian measures did not exist or were minimal in other states.
Agricultural inspections, unnecessary invasion of privacy when you travel in and out of state (in some parts of North-Eastern CA, you go through them every time you go shopping) where some go extra mile to harass drivers.
$7/gal
There're so many things one wouldn't want to go back to.

The insane place declaring monkeypox "emergency". What else does one need?

you lost me with the "slave muzzles" and "fake virus" Geezus...

[CA4Now]

Originally Posted by Ultrarunner

Several in my family have been victims of armed robbers and shot at...

There comes a point where you look inward and ask is it worth it... right or wrong.

Every home sale around here is another out of state move... true enough there is always a buyer but it gives pause as the most common reason I hear for those moving is not liking the direction the State is moving... which covers the kitchen sink of reasons from safety, opportunity, cost, etc.

Are you in Oakland, Ultra?

[Finper]

Originally Posted by arctictropical

Interesting how so many people complain about homelessness yet ok with ever-tightening draconian building codes and environmental rules to build in CA (I recall they wanted to force spriklers on new homes? I think solar panels is next, along with ban on gas burning stoves and even woodstoves).
At the same time, Newsom approves more construction in high fire risk zones.
While one can't put a simple little shack or RV to live in, instead one is forced to build expensive oversized mcmansion feeding all the rip off "contractor" leeches.

If someone lives in high fire hazard area, if they live in RV, trailer or tiny house/ shack at least there's not that much monetary loss when fire gets there - those big homes will still burn (all of it will burn if the fire reaches the area) - but no, people are forced into expensive homes and thousands a year CalFAIR home insurance, because construction is so expensive.
And got to love those "engineered septics" for 40K. Put an outhouse or lagoon and be done with it.

When I lived in Ca I looked into shipping container homes for some land I have. Nope not allowed neither is tiny houses or other alternative building methods. Even though shipping container homes would be a great option for high fire risk areas. And the permit process is staggering. At the time a friend of mine moved to Arkansas and was building a house there. It was delayed so I asked him if it was the permitting process? He replied that there are no permits you just build what you want. I was shocked! Living free like that speeded up my exit from Ca. I just bought a alternative building house in Boise.

[Igor Blevin]

Originally Posted by mgforshort

We live in a small town in the Sierra foothills and we plan to stay.

But if the property tax protection - prop.13 - is eliminated and our prop. taxes double overnight, we might be packing.
Same thing if the prop. insurance is canceled or becomes unaffordable.
We are lucky to have a small lake for our water needs, but other towns are going dry. If the closest town of Chico gets the pipeline to our lake we might lose the water we need.

Our biggest threat to life are wildfires. One average 3 a day. Most of these are started by arsonists. Some get arrested and let go, some get jailed for a year or two. If the fires are stated by the homeless there won't be any consequences.

The state plans to ban or eliminate the following for the new green deal: natural gas, gas-powered vehicles and generators, chainsaws. Seldom does a month go by without a young legislator coming up with some hair brained idea, like, "we haven't banned anything this week, can you guys help me?"

California government hates cars. The Sacramento Bee had a long piece about the difficulty passing the written driving test. They claim a 58% failure rate, and that is among people driving for decades and in need of a renewal.

I drove motorcycles for decades, from coast to coast and back, but I couldn't pass the written test again. The questions are written in such a wicked way, or the questions have nothing to do with traffic laws.

How do you cross an ice-covered bridge on a motorcycle? There will be 3 different answers, and the right answer depends on the bridge, the amount of ice, oncoming traffic, your bike, and your skills; but if you think wrong you won't pass.

That is crazy to hear about the current DMV written test and onlu 40% passing. I mean, driving is not exactly a difficult thing to do. Experience counts for a lot, but generally responsible, sane, sober people do a pretty good job or it. Passing only 40% is disgusting. I know it is not a question of language issues since the exam is offered in every language under the sun, not just English.

This is maddening and a great example of California's undue restrictions and regulations.

[Igor Blevin]

Originally Posted by NW4me

You can buy and possess pot today, which was illegal back in the 'good old days.'
I don't care for it myself, but throwing people in jail over what they chose
to put in their own bodies.... that was the real crime.

If you're gay or lesbian, you and your partner can get married,
and have the legal rights that come with marriage.
You couldn't have done that in the old days either;
marriage rights were kept away from gay people.

California used to offer a lot of liberty. Now California offers a lot of licentiousness, but then all of America is moving that way as morals decline generally.

[CA4Now]

Originally Posted by Igor Blevin

That is crazy to hear about the current DMV written test and onlu 40% passing. I mean, driving is not exactly a difficult thing to do. Experience counts for a lot, but generally responsible, sane, sober people do a pretty good job or it. Passing only 40% is disgusting. I know it is not a question of language issues since the exam is offered in every language under the sun, not just English.

This is maddening and a great example of California's undue restrictions and regulations.

The DMV declining to issue a driver's license to people who can't pass the written exam is an example of restrictions and regulations?

[Igor Blevin]

Originally Posted by CA4Now

The DMV declining to issue a driver's license to people who can't pass the written exam is an example of restrictions and regulations?

No, the horrendous 60% failure rate was what I was calling a restriction. You can make a test ridiculously hard. Doing so restricts people ability to achieve what they are taking the test to achieve.

[2sleepy]

Originally Posted by Finper

When I lived in Ca I looked into shipping container homes for some land I have. Nope not allowed neither is tiny houses or other alternative building methods. Even though shipping container homes would be a great option for high fire risk areas. And the permit process is staggering. At the time a friend of mine moved to Arkansas and was building a house there. It was delayed so I asked him if it was the permitting process? He replied that there are no permits you just build what you want. I was shocked! Living free like that speeded up my exit from Ca. I just bought a alternative building house in Boise.

One of the things I like about California is that we don't have people living in shipping containers