Is Carmichael Headed Downhill?? (Sacramento, Orange: neighborhoods, contractors, tax)

[Aquaboy]

I've been here 15 years and Carmichael seems to be changing, not for the best either. I'm seeing a lot more homeless and skeezy-looking characters along Fair Oaks and Marconi, not to mention more dollars stores and check cashing places. It was/is pretty decent here.
Opinions please!!

[Majin]

By skeezy looking characters you mean non-whites?

[Aquaboy]

Originally Posted by Majin

By skeezy looking characters you mean non-whites?

Negative, I see some seriously skeezy whites!!

[CityGirl72]

I can't say I ever really thought of Carmichael as "uphill" - it's always been blue collar to me

[Aquaboy]

Originally Posted by CityGirl72

I can't say I ever really thought of Carmichael as "uphill" - it's always been blue collar to me

True, many state workers and blue collar with a few millionaires along the American River.

[wburg]

Sacramento County has been in a downward slide for a long time--they have been forced into the role of being a de facto city government for the roughly 500,000 people who live in developed suburban neighborhoods within the unincorporated county. The "best parts" of the county, those with higher tax revenue, are now part of incorporated cities, either old ones like Sacramento and Folsom or new ones like Citrus Heights or Rancho Cordova. This leaves the county with mostly residential neighborhoods, which are poor generators of tax revenue. For decades, these areas were supported by government-funded jobs at the Air Force and Army bases, and government contractors like Aerojet. Without that support, the unincorporated suburbs are starting to deflate. Incorporation won't help because they lack an economic base to be self-supporting, and even if they did, it would just make matters worse for the remaining unincorporated county.

So yeah, in the long run I think Carmichael, Orangevale, Fair Oaks and other unincorporated portions of Sacramento County are in for a rough ride, unless they can find an economic base beyond suburban neighborhoods and a few office parks and shopping centers.

[Aquaboy]

Burg: You have the most thoughtful posts here!

I'd have to differ on Citrus Heights and Rancho C., even though theyre cities they look even skeezier than my hood!!

But yes Sac. County may be in for a rough ride, with reduced tax bases and changing demographics. When I see window bars on my street it may be time to pull up stakes and get out of Dodge!

[Majin]

I wonder why they originally thought (back then) having a county of 600k+ residents with no city government was a good idea. There is no larger unincorporated population in the country besides LA county.

I swear the politics in Sacramento are toxic. Every time a city tries to incorporate or Sac tries to annex the NIMBYs come out of the woodwork. They should of never had that type of system from the start.

But what can be done at this point? Just wait for the county to become financially insolvent?

[Aquaboy]

Not everyone cares about cityhood here, unless someone has an agenda or will profit from it.

[Majin]

Originally Posted by Aquaboy

Not everyone cares about cityhood here, unless someone has an agenda or will profit from it.

Do you care about the county going broke?