California -- America's first failed state?

Ask people in Michigan or Nevada if they would trade place with the people in California.

The whole country is fucked. At least California made the rather progressive step of legalizing pot and taxing the hell out of it.

It's one of the reasons why they legalized gay marriage in Iowa. It provides a huge boost in tourism.

I love California and grew up there, but I wanted to get the hell out as soon as I turned 18 and other than an internship, haven't been back on a regular basis since then.

 

The whole country needs to go back and get rid of these ridiculous retirement packages. Those should be reserved for the military and almost no one else. Maybe cops and firemen too.

 

I would imagine that California is high on the list of those without health insurance. If they are not sunk now they surely will be when the increased costs of Medicaid kick in for insuring all the lettuce pickers.

 

Who are the lettuce pickers?

 

It really is remarkable how financially irresponsible this country is. California is just the most glaring example.

I know this-- I am voting to legalize marijuana in California, so long as they tax the shit out of it.

 

How about the hardworking taxpayers of the state rioting in protest of these pensions that the politicians gave the unions they're sleeping with?

 

California also has more illegal aliens than any other state, believe me, that factors very much into the state's problems, although I am not implying that's the only reason the state is in trouble.

 

I wondered the same thing until I spent a week in San Diego a couple months ago. GOD DAMN the weather is nice there, and the beaches and mountains don't hurt either. Kinda easy to forget how fucked up the state is financially when you've got that around you every day. But their politicians sure are doing their best to screw up paradise.

 

If you had to list the best cities in the country I think San Diego and San Francisco would be at the top of anyone's list.

 

You have to wonder why a destitute state gives away college education virtually for free. California community college tuition is by far the lowest in the nation. Add to that they offer thousands and thousands of absolutely free adult continuing education classes, pottery and underwater basket weaving, all at taxpayer expense. Residential electricity costs twice the national average. It has roughly 10 percent of the country's population and 35 percent of the country's welfare recipients. On and on. None of it makes any sense. If that's paradise, I'd like a ticket elsewhere.

 

Couldn't you find a number of places along the east coast i.e. Florida, Georgia, Outer Banks, ect with the same sunnny weather and a much lower tax rate? Maybe SD blows those other places away, but I have to think there is something similar somewhere else.