Wife bought us a house for Christmas...

Dav8or said:
California has almost anything anybody could want somewhere in it accept far right wing politics.
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There's some. See Duncan Hunter and Dana Rohrabacher.
Dav8or said:
Having said all that, it is unbelievably terrible here!! Don't ever move here!!
You're welcome to visit our misery though...
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But leave your daughters.
 
Ventucky Red said:
Me...I am a city mouse...

California also has

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8c4c93aebac8ee5060c4f482e687029b
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Probably today.
 
GRG55 said:
San Fran is a lovely city imo. Have visited many, many times and prefer it to SoCal. Was just there on biz for some meetings at the Ferry Building, Embarcadero in Oct on a gorgeous day.

But...I am not sure I could live in coastal CA. Here's one person't commute LOL:

http://www.bbc.com/capital/story/20170712-the-man-who-takes-a-plane-to-work-every-day
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Luckily, I don't need to commute. Or go anywhere I don't choose to go.

Today I chose to take a walk to the beach, between the time I last posted a couple hours ago and now. It was in the 60s. It always seems to be in the 60s.

That's a bit of an exaggeration, but close...
 
California, specifically SoCal (Palos Verdes Estates) holds a very special place in my life. Some of the most beautiful sights in the country along with a near perfect climate, but the heavy traffic I could do without. Flying out to stay with Aunt Mary for a few days were some of the best times in my life. I remember waking up to the cool ocean breezes in the morning followed by the delicious breakfasts she cooked. She always brought us around to some of the best restaurants I’ve ever been too and knew exactly where the best nitches were in town. She was the type of person who would give the shirt off of her back to make sure you were taken care of and who would never take ‘no’ for an answer. Dear Aunt Mary who sadly passed away in September was irreplaceable. She always treated me like royalty when I visited and I will forever remember the memories made, most of which are too difficult to put into words.

Sorry for this. Reading through some of the above posts flooded my mind with memories and I had to share.

51AFB893-DDE9-4EC9-BA40-7CF7CF4E3400.jpeg 103E1E94-5C9C-4415-969E-1CCCE38EC337.jpeg
 
I stay anywhere......as long as it says Hilton on the door.
 
I've been to LA once, was really excited to go, and even more relieved to leave. It felt like watching the biggest humanitarian and environmental disaster in the world waiting for mother nature to run its course.
 
Ravioli said:
Two options:
Divorce
Pull your head out of your ass

Easy peasy
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Since we just celebrated our 32nd wedding anniversary, I think I have a clue or 2 about making her happy. The annual Mexico all-inclusive beach vacation (I wither in the heat but moving from shade to pool to shade makes it surviveable) and the Caribbean cruise for our every 5th anniversary buys me good will credits for hunting, fishing, camping and snowmobile trips. (Like most SoCal beach babes, she goes hypothermic about 68°F, so those trips are a BIG sacrifice for her.)
 
gkainz said:
Since we just celebrated our 32nd wedding anniversary, I think I have a clue or 2 about making her happy. The annual Mexico all-inclusive beach vacation (I wither in the heat but moving from shade to pool to shade makes it surviveable) and the Caribbean cruise for our every 5th anniversary buys me good will credits for hunting, fishing, camping and snowmobile trips. (Like most SoCal beach babes, she goes hypothermic about 68°F, so those trips are a BIG sacrifice for her.)
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In the past we just called that a talented tongue.
 
I’ve had good luck with VRBO in CO, SC and London. Probably never would use it for the left coast or New England.

Cheers
 
It was a great place to live, and I did so a couple of times, but the left wing extremists and political hacks drove it into the ground. Was back on business recently, SoCal, and it looks kinda "tired" now, just a little bit seedier. Still plenty of beautiful places, of course, but the state and local govt's are way, way intrusive, doing their brands of social engineering, etc. It was nice, and I don't avoid it, if work is paying, but no longer a viable place to live full time.
 
I’m always amazed at how many things California produces, and yet their state government is constantly broke. They don’t appear to have any priorities at all in regards to spending.
 
Been offered transfers to jobs in Ca., but always turned them down due to the idiocracy out there. When they changed the rules on number of days worked there to be liable for taxes, I even turned TDY assignments down.

Most of the people that I've met over the last dozen years or so that are living out there and not trying to move out, are so loony that they make Bernie Sanders look like a conservative.
 
denverpilot said:
I’m always amazed at how many things California produces, and yet their state government is constantly broke. They don’t appear to have any priorities at all in regards to spending.
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We have effectively one party rule here and that party leans left. That means that if there is any money in the coffers, it must be spent. If there is no money in the coffers, we must borrow money. A left leaning government has at it's core the belief that it's purpose is to improve the lives of all it's citizens and so there are always new projects and programs to try to achieve that. There is an unquenchable thirst for more money needed to pay for more progressive ideas.

The only political threat to the Democrats here, is not the Republicans, or any goofy Trump supporters, but actually from the even further left. Think the Bernie Sanders type. Bernie Sanders was very popular here. So yes, there is always something that government must do in the name of progress and to keep the Bernie folks appeased, the Democrats must keep doing. Of course, anything wrong with California is squarely blamed on other wrong thinking people.

California's biggest problem is also it's biggest asset. We have always been a land of dreams and possibilities. The very name of the place tells the whole story. From the Spaniards through to today, people have always dreamed big and felt they were in a special place. This has allowed us to do great things, but we Californians often think we are smarter than the average bear and we somehow believe we can have our cake and eat it too when we are in fact, mere mortals. We want all the fancy things, but we sure as hell don't want to pay for it!!

Like I said, big dreamers but not always realists.
 
I am a 4th generation native Californian. I escaped for good about 22 years ago. I visit (just got back last night from San Diego where we had gone for the Holiday Bowl) now and then, but move back? Not happening. The inmates are running the asylum. Yes, much (most?) of the state is rural, but the city dwellers run the place, and they are so far left of center that it's scary. It's bad enough in the state of Washington.
 
Ghery said:
Yes, much (most?) of the state is rural, but the city dwellers run the place, and they are so far left of center that it's scary. It's bad enough in the state of Washington.
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This is true, but it is true in most states. The big cities mostly decide the politics. This is absolutely the case in California and it always has been. Sacramento is the state capitol only because when the state was founded, it was believed that San Francisco would dominate the politics and run the whole state, so it was decided to have the capitol in a small little "neutral" town. Nevada is a solidly blue state only because of Las Vegas. I believe the entire rest of the state is red, but the bulk of the population live in Las Vegas.

The state of things all makes sense if you think about the history of our country long enough. Without getting all into it, if your state has big urban centers with lots of poor people in them and you also have big universities, get ready to have your state turn blue.
 
Don’t think I’ve ever seen Blue nor Red not spend every dime they steal, plus more, since they all acquire massive debts.

The actual question was why such a prosperous State would overspend so badly.

Strange how it’s so “normal”, too. All this debt.
 
asicer said:
The deepest pockets know how to hide the money.

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/arti...paying-tax-locally-instead-of-through-ireland

$512billion company paying $6128.00 in UK taxes through creative routing.
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Well, we know big tech companies are always led by crooks. Jobs stealing from Xerox, Gates stealing from everyone, Zuckerberg stealing the entire idea for his product...

I was thinking more about the items listed. Is it common to pay taxes in Ireland for almonds grown in California and sold mostly domestically, or that wine, 90% of it sold domestically?
 
denverpilot said:
Don’t think I’ve ever seen Blue nor Red not spend every dime they steal, plus more, since they all acquire massive debts.

The actual question was why such a prosperous State would overspend so badly.

Strange how it’s so “normal”, too. All this debt.
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I think I did answer that question. We want to have our cake and eat it too. Californians absolutely hate taxes... but they love projects and programs. Bottom line- Do it for the children!! Do it for the future of our children!! Do it to impress the rest of the world! Never mind the debt our children might have to face.

In addition, California has always made back room deals to keep big business happy and keep things rolling here. There are lots of very profitable companies in California making obscene amounts of money, but they do not pay proportionately sized taxes. That's left to ordinary people to do.

A very California thing to do is, go on and on about how important a state program, or federal program is and how it should be expanded and better funded to your friends... and then hire whoever, do whatever and cheat however to pay the least amount of taxes possible. Voting in favor of something like a high speed train to nowhere is seen as smart. Bragging about all the questionable deductions you claim to avoid taxes is also seen as smart to the exact same people. Sad but true. I see it all the time amongst my friends, the liberal elite and wealthy progressives.

Dude!

Have your cake and eat it too!

Totally...
 
Dav8or, I can remember when discovery bay was in its infancy many many years ago.
You are pretty much hit the nail on the head with your description of california. I have seen a lot of change over the last 40+ years living in the central valley and traveling throughout california.
When and if retirement comes, business sells, and family passes. I will be moving to a much less populated state and area.
 
1RTK1 said:
Dav8or, I can remember when discovery bay was in its infancy many many years ago.
You are pretty much hit the nail on the head with your description of california. I have seen a lot of change over the last 40+ years living in the central valley and traveling throughout california.
When and if retirement comes, business sells, and family passes. I will be moving to a much less populated state and area.
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There are so many really nice rural areas to choose from too! Too bad California is such a tough place to retire to. They really hit retirees with unfavorable taxation. My wife and I hope to do a two state solution when we retire. Primary residence in the winter time in Florida and summers here in Discovery Bay. There are lots of complications with that plan, but it's a goal. We're still at least eight years away, so a lot can happen between now and then. Things seem to be changing rapidly in the world now and sadly, not for the better.
 
One reason I’ve lived most of the time in Ohio is it’s “purple”. Deep blue Cleveland area, deep red Cincinnati area and the rest of the State enough of a mix to keep the loonies on either side in check.

Only drawback is every four years tv is nothing but political ads trying to to tip the vote one way or the other.

Cheers
 
X3 Skier said:
Only drawback is every four years tv is nothing but political ads trying to to tip the vote one way or the other.
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The US needs to follow Japan and only allow 12 days of campaigning before an election, and politicians can't buy Tv adds. Instead all political hopefuls get free and equal advertising time.
 
denverpilot said:
I’m always amazed at how many things California produces, and yet their state government is constantly broke. They don’t appear to have any priorities at all in regards to spending.
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gotta give it all to entitlements.
 
Zeldman said:
The US needs to follow Japan and only allow 12 days of campaigning before an election, and politicians can't buy Tv adds. Instead all political hopefuls get free and equal advertising time.
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Yeah, that's working really well for them.
 
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