Should I move to California?

I am a very poor judge of this because I am and always will be (I think) a booster of California in general -- my parents are Californians as well, and we've lived in other places but frankly just prefer it here. There IS plenty of outdoors stuff to do and not a lot of it is very far away from wherever you might happen to be (mind you, you'll have to deal with a lot of other people thinking the same thing as you, so). Job search terms = you'll have to ask someone who's been through the wringer more recently than I have.

Escaping the cold is of course a compelling reason to be here too. ;-) In any event, you should be asking more of the SF based crew (Adam/Nordicskillz, Sean, Gygax et al) as well as down here (Spencer, Orbit, Dan Regan, Elvis T.) what they think.

Southern California is strange, though - it's been so developed with very little restraint, and the sprawl is horrific. But the weather is nice, Tiajuana is close, and they make a mean avocado, wheat grass & spirulina smoothie... The people there are always freindly because they're not sure if you're a nobody or a somebody who might further their doomed career...

all of this probably has more to do with my own experiences/projections, but there you go...

Still, be brave and move, as there's no harm in taking a chance. This might be what you need to motivate you. This economy is screwed enough, that you'd have to think of more reasons to STAY.

What does your gf/fam (wife, kiddies, etc) think of the idea, though? Just curious...

Good luck!

hahaha!

Well, yes, I know this, but he can still offer judgment! ;-)

Very true -- and Roger, you're saying yourself you're thinking more rural/backporch/etc., so if you're willing to beat the (not inconsiderable but also not humid) heat for SoCal away from the coast, then there are a number of places throughout the region that -- as yet -- are relatively undeveloped/low-key/cheaper.

My advice is to move to New York, where you will be transformed into Gene Kelly, move to Paris, and live happily ever after.

(shaking out my suitcases) Better take my house off the market, dammit.

No, he just visited and still marvels over the fact that nobody cared.

If you move to California, you will wake up one fine morning, look out the window at the mudslide that the earthquake set off after the devastating fire
destroyed the vegetation on the hillside above you, and you'll decide to move to Oregon. Once you are in Oregon, you'll become suicidally depressed
by the uniform, drizzly winter greyness and the endless vista of magnificant old tree-stumps in the upchurned mud of clear cuts. Then no one will come
to your funeral, since you're a Californian (the taint is impossible to remove, even with vinegar).

This is the thread where I talk about New York and how everybody there falls into potholes and gets abused by gesticulating taxicab drivers and shat on by pigeons and goes home to freezing or stifling apartments with 60-year-old mesh sleeveless T-shirt wearing supers named Vinnie.

Thanks everybody.

Will I experience something akin to culture shock? I mean, it IS clear across the country. I should also mention how much I hate (and have always hated) NYC.

We have 'connections' in the industry but I don't think nepotism will allow me to sleep at night. I'm actually serious about considering law enforcement / livery cab / something menial but lucrative.

(sniffles) Such memories! Dammit, Ned, you're making me home-sick....

I know there are a few ILXors who have lived on both coasts and they are best placed to answer this question. I lived in NYC for a very short while, but long enough to know that I would need an awful lot of money to enjoy myself there, not that the Bay Area is all that cheap. Also after living in London for the large majority of my life, I really felt like I wanted to life in a smaller "big" city, at least for a while. I wouldn't really call SF a backwater, but there is definitely a feeling that some "cultural" things take a lot longer to reach here than London, LA, NYC, even Chicago. One of the positives is that the Bay Area is just astounding in its physical beauty and abundant in "outdoorsy stuff". Maybe it's because I'm a newbie, but not a day goes by when I don't gape open-mouthed at the view of the Bay through a gap in the buildings or the vista of the Berkeley hills from West Oakland station of an early evening. I do get a feeling that a lot of people who have lived here for a while have become jaded and I know that this is one of the (justified?) criticisms levelled at people in Northern California.

Did I mention that there are no jobs here?

Anyway, I get a feeling that this question is actually about LA, the place most people imagine when they think of "California". I have visited LA several times now, and it has always been excellent. I can't begin to imagine what it would be like to live there, though with my wife loving it as much as she does and my possible grad school plans for the future (shhhhhhh!), it may be something I will be considering some time in the next few years. I guess a lot of people assume that there is no respite from/alternative to "mainstream culture" in LA, but I don't know if this is true. I do often wonder just how bad the traffic is and what it would be like to spend large parts of the day in your car, though. But then maybe that's another myth.

I expect someone (Donut Bitch maybe?) to pop up on this thread and point out the benefits of the Pacific Northwest.

Only if you aren't used to CA's laid-back atmosphere.

I should also mention how much I hate (and have always hated) NYC.

And you lived there for 26 years?

Well, what would you like, really? There's the desert communities, there's mountain enclaves, there are the far-away-from-everything-and-they-like-it-that-way communities strung along the coast north of SF and south of Carmel to Santa Barbara, there's all over the central valley...*shrug* There are plenty of choices, a lot of it would come down to money and how close you want to be to a Big City and what it has.

We're in Studio City on Laurel Canyon right now, will be here till Friday morning...

Hmmm...impromptu FAP anyone?

I'm actually serious about considering law enforcement /
livery cab / something menial but lucrative.

As noted, someone with a better sense of the economy/job market than I will need to step in, but please also recall the massive budget crunch we've been going through recently.

If you're not used to driving a lot, then you will suffer problems. If you have connections, use them at all costs. There'll be time to prove yourself later.

All very good advice.

Mmmmmm.... New Yorkers....

;)

B-b-b-but poor people live in L.A. too! Right?!

Massage my already fragile ego. I'm a man on the run, and I need to believe that one day I'll make it intact to the last frontier, the Pacific Ocean, and start a new life (with little to no money).

im gonna move to southern california
got me a ride
and a reason to ignooh-ore ya

But then again...

"why did i move to southern california?"

...unless you don't mind moving to Canada, namely, Vancouver, which is Canada's Hollywood. But that's probably ripe fodder for another thread altogether (the moving to Canada part)

mine is called miguel, but otherwise that's a spot-on description.
and fwiw, i think i hate california. sorry.

Replace "man" and "woman", and you've obv been inside my head.

If you're looking to buy a house, try Mount Washington.

As for something menial, go the P.A. route or try to get an office job in a development company. If you're serious, I can introduce you to people - but we'll have to FAP first!

Also, watch Curb Your Enthusiasm - it's what L.A. people experience as a sort of living fantasy of L.A.

One more thing, L.A. does *not* necessarily require a ton of money. In fact, there are so many acceptable neighborhoods that you're sure to find something in your range and there are plenty of good cheap eats and there's Trader Joe's! In L.A. there's no 'Manhattan' or 'The City' so there's lots of bargain options.

*sniffles*

(Do not forget something else Roger noted at the start: "Wifey is hellbent to leave the cold (her family is out here too).")

Vancouver is beautiful, I would probably pick that over Ca.

It is absolutely beautiful on the rare day that it isn't dark, grey, and raining. Vancouver's weather makes Seattle's weather seem like California weather sometimes. (It's the reason David Duchovny moved to L.A... his wife "got sick of the rain in Vancouver" apparently)

This is actually quite true -- but I'm also basing my guesses on what Roger's ideal of being at least a little away from it all is all about.

Yeah, but Vancouver's (or basically the entire Northwest's) cold is like, what, high 30sF at night, on the average? That's summer compared to east coast cold.

But the humidity! Blech.

But I love the rain! I'm a mentalist in that respect.

God forbid that should happen.

http://www.mit.edu:8001/people/jonb/animate/ren.jpg

All sarcasm aside ... is it so wrong that someone should want to live in as nice an area as they can afford? Also, where do you live at, Elvis?

When the wintry winds starts blowing
And the snow is starting in the fall
Then my eyes went westward knowing
That's the place that i love best of all
California i've been blue
Since i've been away from you
I can't wait 'till i get blowing
Even now i'm starting in a call

California, Here I Come
Right back where I started from
where bowers of flowers
bloom in the spring
each morning at dawning
birdies sing at everything
a sunkissed miss said, "Don't be late!"
that's why I can hardly wait
open up that golden gate
California, Here I Come

I ask mainly because California's education system below the college level is.. well, I let others rant about that.

You're describing "nice neighborhoods" as those which have no poor people in them. It's a knee-jerk attitude that a lot of L.A. people have: the westsiders that refuse to go east of La Brea, the residents of Thousand Oaks and Agoura that believe that anything east of Topanga Canyon Bl. is Beirut. It's a knee-jerk attitude.

Also, where do you live at, Elvis?

Long Beach. Where do you live?

It is more complex, but I'm using direct quotes from folks. These "I won't go there" stereotypes have to get started somewhere.

Also, everywhere is Trader Joe's.

I live in Culver City. While you're right that many people do act that way, it is not a knee-jerk in my case. I don't avoid places because there are poor people in them or because they are bad neighborhoods. I often have to drag people just to come downtown with me after dark. Still, I wouldn't recommend to someone unfamiliar with the area that they should live near Skid Row.

I didn't get in at all, Leeeeeeee.

This sounds amazing! Perhaps one day...

Couple of different choices. What's your price/rent range?

giant robot[s]

And I'm glad you did!

I didn't get in at all, Leeeeeeee

Ack! I am lame. :-(

I don't really know, this is just hypothetical. But we currently pay $1200 p/m for a small 1-bed bungalow. With a private patio area!

Crunchy?

Sounds like an apartment of an old friend of mine ...

What's all this "care to share" business anyway?

Well those people have problems that they clearly need to address! < /solicitation thread>

Couple of different choices (going west to east)....

The area in between Santa Monica and Culver City is still relatively inexpensive (but only relative!) and you're near the Nuart theater, UCLA film school showings, Vidiots, and Cinefile. There's a used book store on Sawtelle and you're also near the Bergamont Station art center and a nice stretch of Japanese restaurants (and one fantastic Argentine place). Traffic over there gets very bad during weekend rush hours and it's still pretty expensive but gets cheaper as you look south.

Valley Village in between Sherman Oaks and Studio City in the San Fernando Valley is pretty handy. Eddie Brandt's Saturday Matinee is an outstanding video rental shop and Hollywood is just over the hill on Laurel Canyon. The best used book store in town (The Iliad) is nearby too. Downside: the traffic is very bad during peak hours and the valley gets very hot during the late summer heat wave.

Gentrification has wiped out Los Feliz and Silver Lake and is marching on Echo Park, but there might still be a couple of reasonable neighborhoods left in Echo Park. The nice thing there is that you're centrally located to just about everything - the New Beverly and the American Cinematheque in Hollywood, the Echo Park Film Center, downtown LA, Chinatown, Little Tokyo, and you're close to the 2 freeway to go to Glendale and Pasadena. Plus you're surrounded by yummy Mexican, Cuban, and Haitian food.

Lastly, Eagle Rock is a nice neighborhood in between Glendale, Pasadena, and the 110 freeway. Pasadena is well stocked on bookstores and rep theaters (the bookstore at Occidental College is terrific) and there's some great food and inexpensive housing.

[silverlake is one word, sharp aside from a former resident]

but this is the strangest part of LA... when "nice" neighborhoods get seedy then trendy then seedy then kinda "nice" again. i'm sure the folx living in the FLWright/lautner/neutra spreads overlooking the reservoir are really sweating it!

Faux-homeless ravers.. who are crackheads. Big difference.
(I can't blame them, the raver clothes are just a form of camouflage, acting on their natural instinct to avoid danger)

According to the City Of Los Angeles, Silver Lake is two words. Silver Lake Blvd. is also listed on street signs as two words.

HA! Caught like the fascist you are!

< /rik >

That doesn't mean anything... they spell Bleecker Street wrong ("Bleeker") on street signs in Manhattan.

http://www.anarion.ru/i/company/partner/elvis_telecom1.gif

OK!

http://www.anarion.ru/i/company/partner/elvis_telecom1.gif

http://www.princetelecom.com/images/top_02.gif

uh...
http://www.rockcitynews.com/photos/other/e.hollywoodroute.gif

If we cannot make programs, maybe we can make some time
Thoughts of pretty Macs and me, erotic city come alive

Um, or something.

http://www.silverlake.org/about_silverlake/Real_Estate_Flyers/Silver%20Lake%20Terrace%201%20(1920s).JPG

hahaha! We had a FAP there. Thought it was just Ned, Spencer, and myself to see Land Of Nod.

the ultimate argument settler Is that Malkmus? I don't think ILX will ever agree that he should be allowed to settle any argument.

haha, they also spell rockaway as two words... wtf!

ned you are my costa mesa connexxxion. costa mesa hates me.

Ned - "there are the far-away-from-everything-and-they-like-it-that-way communities" - this is up my alley. Jessica and I will compromise - she gets the sun and her family, I get peace and quiet. We're very very poor though, currently living hand to mouth in NYC. any place that isn't the barrio / dangerzone but is still banjo-county cheap?

Spencer - I am definitely interested / serious, in fact, the only thing keeping me from planning this out is securing a job. Email me with specifics, and what is a FAP? I love Curb Yr Enthusiasm - Jessica knows that should I ever meet Cheryl Hines in person, she'd have to understand she could very well be sleeping alone that night. We call it the "Mark Wahlberg" clause.

I don't have kids, just a puppy. Should we ever have kids, i'm pretty sure I don't wanna raise them in California, but that's probably a way off.

I love to drive, don't even mind traffic so much. Like carrot juice. Never wear shorts.

Long Beach actually.

I can't believe you are gonna let deangulberry's last comment pass unnoticed.

Ned - didja get the package I sent?

You should rebel.

this is up my alley

My ideas revolve around living away from the big crunch -- as Elvis and Spencer and Luna and others sagely note, there are plenty of affordable and calmer places to be in the basin itself, and they're going to be some of your best leads. Long Beach is indeed a fine idea -- there are Metrolink/mass transit connections to and from LA as well which you'll want to keep in mind:

Metro Bus/Rail (this includes the tram lines from Long Beach to LA itself):

http://www.mta.net/

Their overall system map:

http://www.mta.net/riding_metro/system_map/system_map.htm

The Metrolink Trains (using the same rails as Amtrak but a separate system -- you wouldn't be using these in Long Beach but they do provide further ways to get around):

http://www.metrolinktrains.com/

...among other things. For myself, I could suggest a few spots in OC but work in LA might well mean you'd want to be nearer there.

Sure did and thanks! It's a VERY nice disc. :-)

look me up when you get out here--there's really no point in looking until you're here. You can get your own apt in borderline safe area for $500-700 and a small house for $700-900 if you do it right. mt. washington is way too expensive. try echo park hills or highland park. decide if you want to be near the beach or near hollywood.

i also have an apt. connection if you get desperate as i used to be a resident manager for a guy who has several bldgs in h-wood, k-town, and silverlake. bad credit ok, rents from $500-800.

My friend leroy and his gal susan left the island here last september to move to L.A. cuz he got a job as-are you ready for this-Larry David's personal chef!! And susan got a job as wine buyer for whole foods (i think it was whole foods).
I came to this thread late. but since roger asked for advice-even though i live on martha's vinyard-here's some: moving can be really weird and traumatic. and even the wrong thing to do sometimes. but it can also be such a great way to clear cobwebs and start anew. we moved to this rock in the ocean last august and i'm still trying to get used to it.(i have dreams about moving almost every night) but it's cool. and different. i'd lived in the middle of philadelphia since 1988!, but i'm really glad we took the leap. the difference-we had a house to stay in, and Maria's career is portable as she works at home as a translator and i am full-time mom/part-time rockcrit idiot.
I would say this though:if there is any way for you guys to stay with someone out west for a little while and get the lay of the land, i would.Figure out where things are and where you want to be. California is so friggin' huge. L.A. is so friggin' huge! You should look before you leap. And if you like it, and there isn't anything keeping you in new york, go for it!

accumulated maybe two months in california over the past 18 months, including six weeks in LA. no longer thinking along the lines of "how can I get my dream academic job in california, which seems like a nice place" to more along the lines of "how can I get a decent job in my dream place to live". visas are a bitch though.

our governor is a dickhead.

what do you do and where are you from, caek?

caek is a spaceman from england

everyone should live in california for a little while i think

ideally i will be applying for postdocs in astronomy which kinda narrows down the options (although california is among the best places in the world to be an academic astronomer). i also do some film bullshit though, which is the main reason i have spent so much time in la, and the opportunity to continue that is v. attractive. does anyone want to get married?

so max is basically right, i am a spaceman from england

i will marry u caek

thank u

I'm moving to California (SF) quite soon.... I had thought it was easier to move around and to USA being an academic than for a lot of other sectors (I could be wrong though) - quite a few people in my office (at a University) have lived and worked in the States for a while. I guess if you're just starting out and have one particular place in mind it's a lot harder, though.
I will be unemployed though :(

I'm from England, I do film bullshit, I'm an "academic", I'm married.

Wanna do my sound? I can't pay much, but I need a sound guy haha

I live in california and I want to live in england. wanna trade passports??

maybe you two should get married

that would work, if they both went somewhere that's not california - like iowa, maybe

you can have my true love caek for then you will both receive what u desire x-post

ohhhh that's right! california sucks lol

I'm moving to California (SF) quite soon.... I had thought it was easier to move around and to USA being an academic than for a lot of other sectors (I could be wrong though) - quite a few people in my office (at a University) have lived and worked in the States for a while. I guess if you're just starting out and have one particular place in mind it's a lot harder, though.
I will be unemployed though :(

You and many many others. the unemployment (or at least my perception of it) is insane out here.

i want to move away from SF, but remain in california.

I would quite like to move to CA, at least for a few years, but my wife prefers the UK, so it's not likely to happen for the foreseeable future.

The answer to this question is yes.

i hate to say it but i cannot wait to get outta here

Whither will you wander?

in order of likelihood: chicago, portland, toronto, seattle. somewhat distant possibility: san francisco. even more distant possibility: amsterdam or stockholm.

Bias but stick with some place that has an actual seacoast. (Though I suppose lakes have their uses.)

chicago is the most likely spot because of family and friends, but it would probably be a 5-7 year temporary home rather than long term. pondering smaller cities after that too, places like ithaca or athens or raleigh. ultimately though i think i gotta be near water and have some green nature nearby. the east coast beckons as well because i miss being a day's drive from 10 other major cities.

do you have a stockholm connection?

~got nothing but a dream~

I like to visit CA, but I'd only move back there if I was rolling in dollars. State legislature is like that plane on License to Ill.

I don't know, I can't really imagine living anywhere else.

My points of reference are Garden Grove and Redding, so it's a YMMV kind of a deal there.

I can't really imagine living anywhere else.

I can't even imagine living anywhere else IN CALIFORNIA. I'm doomed.

Garden Grove and Redding

Never knew about the Redding connection. My mom's parents lived in Anderson for a while.

Yeah, polyphonic, me either.

WOH! Garden Grove and Redding as reference points. insane.

i have decidedly become an East Bay person. i like my bicycle and having lots of space, and am sick of bars.

well, most bars.

stockholm is great omar but it would be an insane change from LA

i cant think of many cities that would be closer to exact opposites than los angeles and stockholm

Yeah, we lived in Redding from summer '98 to Nov '01. I made the work connections that gave me a freelance career, and I made it down to SF to see some great concerts, but in almost every other way it was an ill-conceived disaster.

I love the Bay Area and I think I would love living there, but like I say, only if I was making beaucoup jack.

my wife is talking about moving in the near future to be closer to her parents back east. i don't want to leave tho : \

i mean, my old housemate was from Redding, and she was cool. but she said that the town itself made her want to kill herself.

spent a lot of time in ca - dont think i could do it tho - well maybe la

california north of sacramento is a complete mystery to me

i didnt go north of santa barbara the four years i lived in LA

been to redding i been to humbolt sanoma etc i been to the bay la tahoe the mountains the desert the ocean i been all over that bitch

One overlooked pocket of beauty up there is when all the almond orchards are in bloom.

i have decidedly become an East Bay person. i like my bicycle and having lots of space, and am sick of bars.

ONE OF US

SF is the one place in CA i would move to, i love it. not sure it's feasible though.

I've never been anywhwere west of Hwy 5 and north of Tahoe but I'd love to visit Mt Lassen. I've never been to Imperial County and have very little desire to go. I don't think I've ever been to Glenn or Colusa counties and have no idea whether there's any point. I think the only county I haven't been in that I'd like to see is Trinity.

I like to move it move it

I've never been anywhwere west east of Hwy 5 and north of Tahoe

I've pretty much driven through everywhere but really need to actually check a lot of places out

went to lassen a couple years ago - its pretty rad w/all the steaming moonscapes and whatnot

the most beautiful stretch of highway in the country imho

http://images.google.com/url?source=imgres&ct=img&q=http://www.wildnatureimages.com/images%25203/C6CT2707..jpg&usg=AFQjCNGYTSzSpGBgVvsXr0dvcfWZ4TvO3Q
^^^Jedediah Smith River (one of only two in California to have never been dammed)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smith_River_(California)

That looks like an awesome highway, Shakey.

seriously north of Sacramento to the Oregon border is jaw-droppingly amazing (its kinda sad, once you cross the border between California and Oregon the difference between how the two states manage land is stark and depressing)

unfortunately its mostly populated by crazy rednecks but whadayagonna do, t'was ever thus

I tried (offered) to move like 4x, i keep coming back...

Longest time away was for family reasons but even then I came back.

http://www.crwflags.com/fotw/images/u/us-jeff1.gif

I tried (offered) to move like 4x,

offered who? the state of California?

Jefferson State Seal could use a little jazzing up

eh california peaked lets all move on http://gawker.com/5382520/gov-schwarzenegger-closes-door-california-dream-of-unlimited-plastic-surgery

if anyone cares ... i would totally move to CA if yer economy was any better. and if i didn't have to take another fucking bar exam.

Jefferson State Seal could use a little jazzing up

I love that it actually literally includes its own bitter crank byword (iconically) in the flag.

i would totally move to CA if yer economy was any better.

hey at least the part of the CA economy I work in is kicking ass

I offered to secede several times. Gray Davis and Tom Bradley kept me on the payroll though.

i'll be back

bring some sandwiches

If at first you can't secede, try...

but I'd love to visit Mt Lassen.

Lassen is wonderful -- we always tried to make it up there at least 2x/year, once in the summer when the road was open to drive through the park and have a picnic, and once in the winter to go sledding on Snowman Hill, right outside the park entrance.

I have lived in California my whole life except for a year in Paris and some months in Las Vegas. I'm currently trying v. hard to move to NYC (prolly Queens) w/ my gf and it looks like there's a good chance it'll happen? The Bay Area is sorta an ideal place to live for a lot of reasons, I just don't want to spend my entire 20s there...cause I wouldn't be surprised if I end up coming back and settling down here when I'm old. I'd like the rest of California more if I didn't hate freeways so much.

seems as good a place as any for this:

http://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/ballot-measures/cleared-for-circulation.htm

ok how to tie this in with the other thread?

1396. (09-0046)

Prohibits Public Funding of Schools Through Taxes. Initiative Constitutional Amendment.

Summary Date: 11/24/09 | Circulation Deadline: 04/23/10 | Signatures Required: 694,354

Proponent: Lee W. Olson

Prohibits property, sales, or income taxes from being used to fund California's public schools, colleges, and universities, or to buy textbooks for grades one through eight. Summary of estimate by Legislative Analyst and Director of Finance of fiscal impact on state and local government: Elimination of most existing state and local government funding for education programs. Likely major shifts in state and local government budgeting. (09-0046.) (Full Text)

1397. (09-0047)

Prohibits Public Schools from Establishing Educational Curriculum. Initiative Constitutional Amendment.

Summary Date: 11/24/09 | Circulation Deadline: 04/23/10 | Signatures Required: 694,354

Proponent: Lee W. Olson

Changes constitution to give parents or legal guardians the sole authority and responsibility to establish the educational curriculum of their child or ward. Prevents state and local governments and schools from establishing educational curriculum. Summary of estimate by Legislative Analyst and Director of Finance of fiscal impact on state and local government: Uncertain fiscal effect for local school districts and state governments depending upon how the measure is interpreted and implemented. (09-0047.) (Full Text)

1395. (09-0045)

Eliminates State Income and Property Taxes for All Residents 55 Years Old and Older. Initiative Constitutional Amendment.

Summary Date: 11/24/09 | Circulation Deadline: 04/23/10 | Signatures Required: 694,354

Proponent: Lee W. Olson

Exempts California residents who are 55 years old or older from paying state income and property taxes. Summary of estimate by Legislative Analyst and Director of Finance of fiscal impact on state and local government: Annual state revenue losses of $15 billion or more due to new exemptions on personal income and estate taxation. Annual local government revenue losses of $5 billion to $10 billion due to new exemptions on property taxes. (09-0045.) (Full Text)

i like the way this lee w. olson thinks

Denial of Public Benefits for Persons Who Cannot Verify Lawful Presence. Eliminates Benefits for Certain Children in CalWORKS Program. Initiative Statute.

Summary Date: 12/04/09 | Circulation Deadline: 05/03/10 | Signatures Required: 433,971

Proponents: Ted Hilton, Bill Morrow, Bill Siler, and Tony Dolz vo✧✧✧@taxpayerrevolut✧✧✧.o✧✧

Requires applicants for state, local, and stateadministered federal aid to verify lawful presence in United States. Requires applications for public benefits submitted by undocumented parents on behalf of their lawful-resident children to be given to federal authorities. Eliminates benefits for children in CalWORKS cases where neither parent is eligible for benefits. Summary of estimate by Legislative Analyst and Director of Finance of fiscal impact on state and local government: If upheld in the courts, unknown significant one-time and ongoing costs to state and local governments due to changes in the application process for public benefits, as well as unknown but likely significant savings from decreased use of public benefits. Unknown, but probably minor, state and local law enforcement costs due to provisions in the measure creating new crimes, such as for the filing of false affidavits to obtain public benefits. If upheld in the courts, state savings of over $1 billion annually from prohibiting child-only CalWORKs cases, partially offset by state and county costs for children who shifted to Foster Care or county general assistance programs. Further unknown, but likely significant, savings from the provisions changing the application processes for public benefits. (09-0056.) (Full Text)

lol

1393. (09-0044)

Changes California Law to Legalize Marijuana and Release Non-Violent Marijuana Offenders from Jail. Initiative Statute.

Summary Date: 11/18/09 | Circulation Deadline: 04/19/10 | Signatures Required: 433,971

Proponent: Charles Jacob

Repeals state laws that make it a crime to possess, cultivate, transport, distribute, or use marijuana or hemp. Provides persons convicted or serving time for non-violent marijuana offenses be immediately released from prison, jail, parole, or probation, and have their convictions erased. Authorizes Legislature to adopt laws to license and tax commercial marijuana sales. Allows doctors to prescribe or recommend marijuana to patients, regardless of age. Prohibits testing for marijuana for employment or insurance purposes. Bars state from aiding enforcement of federal marijuana laws. Summary of estimate by Legislative Analyst and Director of Finance of fiscal impact on state and local government: Savings in the several tens of millions of dollars annually to state and local governments on the costs of incarcerating and supervising certain marijuana offenders. Unknown but potentially major tax and fee revenues to state and local government related to the production and sale of marijuana products. (09-0044.) (Full Text)

1391. (09-0032, Amdt. #1S)

Creates Special Constitutional Rule for Speech Based on the Bible. Initiative Constitutional Amendment.

Summary Date: 11/18/09 | Circulation Deadline: 04/19/10 | Signatures Required: 694,354

Proponent: Allan Esses

Exempts speech based on biblical authority from existing constitutional and statutory restrictions applicable to all other speech, including restrictions against discrimination and hate crimes. Repeals constitutional provision denying protection to acts of religious expression inconsistent with the peace or safety of the State. Summary of estimate by Legislative Analyst and Director of Finance of fiscal impact on state and local government: Potentially minor increased costs to state and local governments to resolve legal issues pertaining to the effect of the measure. (09-0032.) (Full Text)

1383. (09-0030)

Requires Public Schools to Offer Christmas Music. Initiative Statute.

Summary Date: 10/30/09 | Circulation Deadline: 03/29/10 | Signatures Required: 433,971

Proponents: Merry Susan Hyatt and David Joseph Hyatt

Requires public schools to offer an opportunity for students to listen to or perform Christmas music during the holiday season. Requires schools to notify students’ parents or guardians twenty-one days before the music will be played or performed so that students can opt-out of listening to or performing the music. Provides that a civil lawsuit may be brought to enforce these requirements. Summary of estimate by Legislative Analyst and Director of Finance of fiscal impact on state and local government: Probably minor annual costs to school districts. (09-0030.) (Full Text)

^^^ my favorite yet

1379. (09-0026)

Eliminates the Law Allowing Married Couples to Divorce. Initiative Constitutional Amendment.

Summary Date: 10/23/09 | Circulation Deadline: 03/22/10 | Signatures Required: 694,354

Proponent: John Marcotte

Changes the California Constitution to eliminate the ability of married couples to get divorced in California. Preserves the ability of married couples to seek an annulment. Summary of estimate by Legislative Analyst and Director of Finance of fiscal impact on state and local government: Savings to the state of up to hundreds of millions of dollars annually for support of the court system due to the elimination of divorce proceedings. (09-0026.) (Full Text)

we disagree with most of this, right?

right?

its unamerican to disagree

good thing he's irish

every fucking day, believe me

woah i mean hey we built your dam'd country bejaysus

yr forgetting the chinese

i think most kids in california agree there should be no school to go to so they can have fun every day

jesus christ those are amazing ...
but to get back to the thread question kinda -- what can I do to convince my wife to move to southern California. I grew up there, she's an east coaster ... she hates the traffic, how expensive it is, earthquakes etc. I love LA, what can I say?

"I love LA."

say something that trumps earthquakes, expense and traffic

good luck usa

please don't nobody move to california anymore

fucking sick of all you immigrants

real q: surely there is a way to live in LA that sidesteps traffic/$$$? pagin JBR probably

surely there is a way to live in LA that sidesteps traffic/$$$

looooooololololol

http://img.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2007/02_02/nolteREX2002_468x349.jpg

i would probably not move back to california until they fix their completely broken government

yeah i figured that was teh case

especially if you want to send your kids to public school

max, posting from the state of new york

haha

max, native of new jersey, resident of new york

i send my kid to public school
i almost never drive on the freeways
LA is expensive but most of the NE is pricey, where are you on the "east coast"?

imo the best reasons to move to LA are: the weather, the food, the weather, and the food

some repugnant shit fer sher, but it's going to be fun as fuck to vote for legalizing weed and banning divorce and a CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION

hillbilly neighborhood in a holler where'n everybody walks round barefoot and ne'er pays no mind to earthquakes

1418. (09-0067)

Calls a Limited Convention to Propose Changes to State Constitution. Initiative Statute.

this is what the people want!!

xpost

ps LA also has the best yoga in USA f'reals

there are ways to mitigate, but not completely escape, the bad things about socal. it is worth it if the good things are meaningful to you.

the constitutional convention idea sounds great imo because then ca can have an even worse constitution

Exempts speech based on biblical authority from existing constitutional and statutory restrictions applicable to all other speech, including restrictions against discrimination and hate crimes. Repeals constitutional provision denying protection to acts of religious expression inconsistent with the peace or safety of the State.

I want to wallpaper a whole thread with those two sentences for pure WTF.

BIBLICAL AUTHORITY

or: crazy ppl bein crazy, what're you gonna do \(°_°)/

keep in mind this stuff isn't on the ballot yet; just cleared to begin collecting signatures. e.g. the bible speech amendment needs 700,000 signatures by mid-April or it's thanks for playing try again.

btw if these guys show up outside my safeway i'm signing for lulz

yeah that worked well for sb why not try it again?

wat?

I've never really understood earthquake fear. Sure, I'm acclimatized because I grew up here but at least with earthquakes the weather is still nice. The whole blizzard, hurricane, tornado hassles east of the Continental Divide seems more of a continual PTSD hazard.

earthquakes are usually pretty fun!

^^^^ this

I'm actually disappointed that I had to leave the bay area before I got a good sf/oakland earthquake.

the major property damage/random death angle is a bit of a bummer.

otoh in terms of the overall level of damage and consistently disrupting yr life, yeah they're pretty easy to accomodate. at least here in the US.

chance of dying in an earthquake is soooo low. I spent my life in california worried I was gonna die in a car accident.

haha yep

btw is there a ballot initiative to outlaw earthquakes yet

environmentalists would protest

How can you say CA's government is broken when Lee W. Olson has demonstrated he is thoroughly in charge of shit. Look at all that legislation he has drafted!

earthquakes are usually pretty fun!
have tried telling this to my wife. my memories of earthquakes are mainly being in bed and thinking "holy shit is this an earthquake?" and then it's over. obv, sad when someone's house/life gets wrecked.

and yeah, when it gets to be -12 where we live now, i think "this is the real natural disaster! will take earthquakes any day over this."

1000x more terrified of tornadoes here than earthquakes there.

I will take an earthquake any day of the week over tornadoes, snowstorms, hurricanes, flooding

-18 is some bullshit, fyi

the santa cruz people i met last week had some bona fide harrowing stories about 89. (i asked them what were the downsides of living in the bay area, and that + cost of living were the main ones)

Santa Cruz was fucked up pretty bad by Loma Prieta (altho I don't recall there being any casualties...?)

snowstorms are not that bad but tornados are scary and something i didn't like about the midwest even though i pretended it was no big deal and that going in the basement is for pussies

epicentre was 10 miles from santa cruz and apparently there were ~70 deaths total, so i assume some of them were in SC. the main street there is apparently pretty much all post-1989 building.

the scary thing was the story about one of the physics buildings being shaken. all the people i spoke to happened to be in the middle of the lower ground floor. i can't do it justice but the person who told me this story got very emotional in the telling.

My advice from 5 years ago is still good.

so i am thinking about moving from london to california. i just finished my phd and there are a couple of jobs in silicon valley that sound pretty much perfect for me. i used to go over there basically doing sales abt 5 years ago and always found it quite grim which puts me off, on the other hand SF is lovely from what i can remember (i was young when i visited). my job options in this country are basically non-existent unless i change careers or move into academia which i don't really want to do.

does anyone here have any experience of living/working in the area? can i live in SF and commute to santa clara?

any advice much appreciated.

After london, the bay area will seem like a revelation of god's love (at first).

except when it comes to public transit

it's not a fun commute but some people seem to do it. caltrain commute is possible for some south bay jobs, but not realistic for lots of them. more people drive, though.

i live in sf and commute to sunnyvale (an hour south - just north of santa clara). my company has a fleet of shuttles that are supposed to be wifi, but take about 10minutes for each page to load. i generally listen to music, read or sleep. it's not the worst thing in the world. if i had to drive, i'd probably kill myself. there's also caltrain, which is a bit more expensive, but still lessens the stress. the weather is generally nicer outside of the city, but no one really lives in sf for the weather (unless you like overcast ~60 everyday - which i do actually).

^ yeah work for a company like this

yeah i seem to remember the traffic can be real bad though

what are other nice places to live in the area?

xp. shuttles sound promising

everyone should live in california for a little while i think

― rip dom passantino 3/5/09 never forget (max), Monday, June 29, 2009 3:36 PM (1 year ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

i still believe this

oakland and berkeley and other small cities in the east bay are nice. and urbanish.

they're less convenient, unless your job is in the east bay.

south bay is all gross suburbs.

I mean, they're 'nice'

yeah i don't want gross suburbs. all jobs i'm looking at are in south bay

such is the tragedy of the bay area

my current commute is 2 hours at best (one way) so i am used to these things

that said i would really love to be able to walk to work or something jeez

you could sleep in a tent outside of your stadium-sized office park

Not sure exactly what you do, but more and more jobs are opening up in the city. Zynga, twitter, lots of startup 2.0's. My excoworker just left to take a job in one of google's city offices. Not sure what the office is all about, but she's gonna do UX there.

i feel like i should live in california at least for a little while

I recently decided I’m moving back next spring

i do signal processing for data storage..not very 2.0 really

but more long term prospects.

yeah i love what i do - part of why i'm considering moving away is so i can continue doing it rather than go into finance or something that would make it easy to stay in london.

It is very hard to do fun, rewarding, (technical) jobs in London, or many other big cities. On of the great things about the bay area, and to a lesser extent Boston, is that you can do a cool engineering job and live in a great city.

(slightly jealous of my brother who is moving from Derby to Berlin to further his engineering career).

there are a few parts of San Jose that feel city-like/not suburban, and some of the Peninsula burbs have downtown areas where you can walk/bike to things, but for the most part, unless you're living in SF/Oakland/Berkeley you will probably need a car.

do it. there is good indian food in the south bay, too!

best Indian food i've had in the Bay Area was in the otherwise unremarkable south bay suburb of Union City

i want to go back to california ;_;

luckily i'm going to a conference in santa clara in august and i have 3 free days at the end which i intend to try and explore a bit + visit a friend in SF

i love indian food! omg this is perfect!!111bb

i love driving too but not as part of a traffic jam

god, the south bay is so awful it gives me the shivers. only if i was having lots of money thrown at me would i even consider working there.

(like anyone will ever give me a job)

everyone should live in california for a little while i think

this is really true imo

i moved. it's hot!

this is interesting https://www.reddit.com/r/LosAngeles/comments/6lvwh4/im_an_architect_in_la_specializing_in_multifamily/

that is a really good thread, at least the OP is for sure. LA sounds like even more of a mess than ever. Of course that would go along with the rest of the country I suppose.

Good read indeed, that post. Puts the crunch up here in perspective (different factors but probably more in common than I guessed).

I'm super fucking bitter because I had down payment money around the financial crisis and the subsequent downturn in housing prices. I was too scared to jump in and lose all my liquidity but man.. things are just as unaffordable as they were at their peak. =|

I'm just lucky I live in an apartment with rent control that my wife moved into during the crisis.. We pay 1800ish and everyone else in our building pays 2300-2400.

I often forget that most everywhere else doesn't have seismic safety requirements for their buildings.

what 'hood are you in, jingleberries? prices around here are horrible. we'll never be able to buy here, meanwhile circumstances are such that we can't leave. our friends just looked at a 950k craftsman in Eagle Rock that appeared to me to be a starter home. plus it was 50 yards off the 134 freeway.

Xps kinda the same thing for us - we were renting in el cerrito and houses in our neighborhood - great starter homes - were going for 200-300k. But my husband was still at his crappy old job and we were too scared to make the financial commitment. I've had a lot of regrets about that decision but I have a feeling it wouldn't have been the right move for us. We're in emeryville now, paying $2200 (1800 when we moved in 3.5 yrs ago - no rent control here) and we've had to accept that owning isn't in our near future, if ever.

I lived in Culver City for its renaissance (lol braggin) from 2002-2013, been in Sherman Oaks ever since.

Yeah owning aint gonna happen for us.. our problem is we have a roommate who helps us pay the rent but having a grown ass adult share a 2 bedroom with a married couple is a pretty shit situation. Meanwhile real life keeps happening and my once proud down payment nest egg is not gonna cut it. =|