"California, Don't Tread On Me!!!"
Welcome to my segment on California, the State I was born (and mostly raised) in (the first in the Tobin Clan, no less!) and the primary source of my irritation.
Here are the problems with this state:
1.) Housing is ridiculously overpriced here, and despite the house-building boom that is going on in Lancaster and Palmdale, CA, (with wealthy Yuppies retreating from L.A., what I surprise) no one's building any new apartment complexes for anyone under the age of Adult Diapers! Look, I know that as you get older, you can't really take care of a big house like you used to, but those of us that can't afford a house payment still need a place to live! The problem with this is that the people that are Elderly, are around 6% of the population out here, and the people around my age are the vast majority... so who do you think needs apartment complexes built more urgently? That's right... young people, and it ain't happening. I share an $880 a month bill for my rent every month with my room-mate, and I live in one of the more inexpensive apartments in the city (it was around $600 a month 6 years ago) and the apartment average price monthly is from $900 - $1,200 a month. Does anyone else think that's a bit steep for a desert town 60 miles from L.A.? You know why it's steep? We're still considered part of L.A. County, when it's at least an hour's drive away from here! I recently found out that California is one of the Top-2 States in the nation that people are actively trying to move out of, since the housing is so expensive... and if you're lucky enough to get out, good for you.
2.) The Education system in this State has been gutted by Generations of Republican Governors, forcing teachers to stretch themselves even thinner in order to try to properly educate the children going through the school system here. The only problem is that, in spite of State taxes being paid by the 33,871,648 people living here (10% percent of the Nation's total population and don't forget that Lotto tickets help fund the education system here too), none of that money is going where it should: the future of this State. And considering that the population rises with each passing year, it's doubtful that the State is ever going to get it's shit together anytime soon. When I was a kid living here, there were more students going to my High School then there were adults attending at the local Community College, and that was over ten years ago. My Step-Dad Bob told me that back then the area needed four more High Schools, and now they only have two more available (one is still being built). In another 5 years, they'll be needing another 4, and I doubt 1 more would be completed by then... and why is that? The taxes go to L.A.!
3.) I know that a lot of people are bitching right now about how expensive the Gas is in this country, but this summer it's supposed to get to at least $3.50 a gallon here (it's around $3.05 already), and this is the state with the most Hybrids in the country and 92% of Lancaster's population commutes to work! Imagine how much better it would be if we could all afford them (the Governator is currently trying to get tax write-offs for people that do get them)! Right now, it costs me around $200 a month just to get to work and then drive home; I don't really drive outside of that, since I can't afford it, but it would be nice if I could. Kristi normally does the driving during the weekend, since her Honda is pretty nice and gets good gas mileage compared to my 1993 Buick Regal Custom, which has all the fuel efficiency and get-up-and-go of a 1979 Ford Fairmont Station Wagon with a hole in the gas tank and a Anchor dragging on the ground behind it. We consume a lot of fuel in this State, but that's primarily because Public Transportation (buses, trains, etc...) are way, way to expensive and inconvenient to use. I doubt that will change anytime soon, since few things do here.
My problem right now is that I make $28K a year, and at the rate of pay I get now, which isn't bad, in the State of California, it's woefully low (below the State Poeverty Line). If I want to get a house with Kristi and get married, (houses here go from $400K to $1 Million) I'd only be able to afford it in another State. I don't want to have to move to another State in order to have a comfortable life and raise some kids, but with the way things are going, I may not have much of a choice. Canada never sounded like a better place to live...
Take care of yourselves and each other, and I'll talk to you later.
Here are the problems with this state:
1.) Housing is ridiculously overpriced here, and despite the house-building boom that is going on in Lancaster and Palmdale, CA, (with wealthy Yuppies retreating from L.A., what I surprise) no one's building any new apartment complexes for anyone under the age of Adult Diapers! Look, I know that as you get older, you can't really take care of a big house like you used to, but those of us that can't afford a house payment still need a place to live! The problem with this is that the people that are Elderly, are around 6% of the population out here, and the people around my age are the vast majority... so who do you think needs apartment complexes built more urgently? That's right... young people, and it ain't happening. I share an $880 a month bill for my rent every month with my room-mate, and I live in one of the more inexpensive apartments in the city (it was around $600 a month 6 years ago) and the apartment average price monthly is from $900 - $1,200 a month. Does anyone else think that's a bit steep for a desert town 60 miles from L.A.? You know why it's steep? We're still considered part of L.A. County, when it's at least an hour's drive away from here! I recently found out that California is one of the Top-2 States in the nation that people are actively trying to move out of, since the housing is so expensive... and if you're lucky enough to get out, good for you.
2.) The Education system in this State has been gutted by Generations of Republican Governors, forcing teachers to stretch themselves even thinner in order to try to properly educate the children going through the school system here. The only problem is that, in spite of State taxes being paid by the 33,871,648 people living here (10% percent of the Nation's total population and don't forget that Lotto tickets help fund the education system here too), none of that money is going where it should: the future of this State. And considering that the population rises with each passing year, it's doubtful that the State is ever going to get it's shit together anytime soon. When I was a kid living here, there were more students going to my High School then there were adults attending at the local Community College, and that was over ten years ago. My Step-Dad Bob told me that back then the area needed four more High Schools, and now they only have two more available (one is still being built). In another 5 years, they'll be needing another 4, and I doubt 1 more would be completed by then... and why is that? The taxes go to L.A.!
3.) I know that a lot of people are bitching right now about how expensive the Gas is in this country, but this summer it's supposed to get to at least $3.50 a gallon here (it's around $3.05 already), and this is the state with the most Hybrids in the country and 92% of Lancaster's population commutes to work! Imagine how much better it would be if we could all afford them (the Governator is currently trying to get tax write-offs for people that do get them)! Right now, it costs me around $200 a month just to get to work and then drive home; I don't really drive outside of that, since I can't afford it, but it would be nice if I could. Kristi normally does the driving during the weekend, since her Honda is pretty nice and gets good gas mileage compared to my 1993 Buick Regal Custom, which has all the fuel efficiency and get-up-and-go of a 1979 Ford Fairmont Station Wagon with a hole in the gas tank and a Anchor dragging on the ground behind it. We consume a lot of fuel in this State, but that's primarily because Public Transportation (buses, trains, etc...) are way, way to expensive and inconvenient to use. I doubt that will change anytime soon, since few things do here.
My problem right now is that I make $28K a year, and at the rate of pay I get now, which isn't bad, in the State of California, it's woefully low (below the State Poeverty Line). If I want to get a house with Kristi and get married, (houses here go from $400K to $1 Million) I'd only be able to afford it in another State. I don't want to have to move to another State in order to have a comfortable life and raise some kids, but with the way things are going, I may not have much of a choice. Canada never sounded like a better place to live...
Take care of yourselves and each other, and I'll talk to you later.
posted by Todd Tobin at 12:14 PM
5 Comments:
Amen!
I have no idea how things got so horrible! My wife and I need a 3 bedroom but the only place we can afford to live is in SanBernadino county.
We pay about $1100 a month for our 960sqft 2bed/2bath apartment 7 miles from our jobs. But soon we'll be expecting a child and purchasing ahouse is now a bit more appealing.
Our situation. Either pay $700 a month in child care and pay $1800-$2600 in rent for a 3bed apartment/house in the city or move to San Bernadino where my family can watch the kid (saving $700) paying $2500 on a mortgage and adding a commute to the mix.
It really sucks! it makes me want to pimp myself to a single old woman with a long hair on her nose and 40 cats who can leave her house to me in her will.
What are our options?
Oh and you forgot another California peeve...TRAFFIC!
Have you ever tried to go anywhere on the weekends that involve the 5, 10, 210, 405, 101, or 60 freeways?
All day long it is 20 mile per hour stop go. My mother lives in Arizona (she is a lucky one that got out, who happens to pay $850 a month on a 3bed/2bath house w/2 car garage formal living room and dining room, fireplace, front/back yard less than a mile froma supermarket and 1/2 mile from 2 major freeways) she never complains of traffic and whenever I go out there, whether driving for a hoiliday or what ever the only traffic i ever hit is here in Calironia.
You may find more affordable housing here in Canada, but gas went up to an all time high today... here in Winnipeg it is $1.20 a litre... so for all of you Americans that is $4.80 a gallon.
I think all governments spend their money improperly. We get taxed really badly on alcohol and cigarettes. We get 25 cigarettes a package and it costs us $11.00 a pack.... the 9 dollar a bottle Bacardi Rum in the states goes for a whopping 40.00 here in Canada. Yes we do have a free health care system but I am not sure where all this money goes. We do also have Child Tax Money that comes to families under the poverty line every month. I get almost $500.00 for my 2 children every month to help support them. They do this for everyone in need here and Canada. They also subsidize your daycare costs, when I was working full time all I needed to pay for my day care was 2 dollars a day.... I know my Government does a lot for its people but there is still a long way to go.
Unfortunately the Conservatives captured a minority government in the last election. The Prime Minister wants to have a system more like the States.... I really hope this doesn't happen. He is already starting to allow Privatization of the Health Care, what we have is slipping away.... You would think we would learn from Australia... they had a system like ours and they switch to a system like yours.... now they are lobbying for it to change back.....
Did you know that Canada pays less per person for Health Care than your government does and ours is free? There are wait times here for certain services that don't happen when you are paying for it, but I am willing to wait my turn if need be to get free healthcare...
I am rambling here... I am way off topic... take care... is it Todd? That is my assumption... I will check back later....
PS... I laughed out loud to your description of your car.....
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