The economy isn't all bad - is it?

[Moot]

I actually had two calls from headhunters in SoCal a few weeks ago. (and one from Florida, I'm not sure where the fourth was from).

I don't doubt there's a high unemployment rate, California is the most liberal state in the country so it only stands to reason that it would be in the most economic trouble. The job hunting issues really just depend on what industry you're in.

California is also has some of the most conservative counties in the country. Only LA metro and San Fransico are really liberal. I think California is having the most economic trouble because that is where the subprime mortgage fiasco started and escalated from there. Almost everybody was buying houses, mostly in the worst areas, with interest only loans so they could flip them. There were even TV shows showing people how to do it. Our mail boxes were stuffed daily with flyers offering ARM and "interest only" aka "preditor loans. When the bubble burst many were caught with those loans and houses they couldn't flip to sell. Plain and simple, the people got greedy, so it is not surprising that California is suffering the brunt of the recession now.

 

[washunut]

California is also has some of the most conservative counties in the country. Only LA metro and San Fransico are really liberal. I think California is having the most economic trouble because that is where the subprime mortgage fiasco started and escalated from there. Almost everybody was buying houses, mostly in the worst areas, with interest only loans so they could flip them. There were even TV shows showing people how to do it. Our mail boxes were stuffed daily with flyers offering ARM and "interest only" aka "preditor loans. When the bubble burst many were caught with those loans and houses they couldn't flip to sell. Plain and simple, the people got greedy, so it is not surprising that California is suffering the brunt of the recession now.

California conservative??? They are about to put govenor moonbeam back in office!

 

[Moot]

California conservative??? They are about to put govenor moonbeam back in office!

Did you forget where Reagan was from? Nixon? San Diego has the military base and it is very conservative. Orange country is the mecca of the evangelical mega churches. Northern California is extremely redneck conservative. Gun nuts galore. It just happens that San Francisco and LA are the Liberal bastions of California and have the highest population and concentration of Liberals. The rest of California is pretty conservative and rural. Moombeam is winning because Meg Whitman is just too phoney even for Californians and she wants to roll back the climate change inititiative and I think Californians have finally their fill of inept Republican governors.

 

[washunut]

Did you forget where Reagan was from? Nixon? San Diego has the military base and it is very conservative. Orange country is the mecca of the evangelical mega churches. Northern California is extremely redneck conservative. Gun nuts galore. It just happens that San Francisco and LA are the Liberal bastions of California and have the highest population and concentration of Liberals. The rest of California is pretty conservative and rural. Moombeam is winning because Meg Whitman is just too phoney even for Californians and she wants to roll back the climate change inititiative and I think Californians have finally their fill of inept Republican governors.

Nixon was the 60's Reagan 80's. Have anything in the last 20 years??

 

[rivrrat]

California is also has some of the most conservative counties in the country. Only LA metro and San Fransico are really liberal. I think California is having the most economic trouble because that is where the subprime mortgage fiasco started and escalated from there. Almost everybody was buying houses, mostly in the worst areas, with interest only loans so they could flip them. There were even TV shows showing people how to do it. Our mail boxes were stuffed daily with flyers offering ARM and "interest only" aka "preditor loans. When the bubble burst many were caught with those loans and houses they couldn't flip to sell. Plain and simple, the people got greedy, so it is not surprising that California is suffering the brunt of the recession now.

Conservative, are you serious? The high taxes? Entitlement programs? There's a reason the illegal population flocks there.

 

[VaiT]

The world needs plenty of bartenders.

I run a pretty successful business- own a Ferrari, too, so you can suck it.

 

[Moot]

Conservative, are you serious? The high taxes? Entitlement programs? There's a reason the illegal population flocks there.

In 2000, Bush lost California by only 3,000 votes (the blue area is conservative, the red is liberal)

In 2004, (the red area is conservative, the green area is liberal)

In 2008, (the redder the area, the more conservative and the bluer, the more liberal)

As you can see, the rural areas in California are very conservative.

Orange County:

"....It is also known for its affluence and political conservatism. In fact, a 2005 academic study listed three Orange County cities as being among America's 25 "most conservative," making it the only county in the country containing more than one such city.[2]....

Orange County has long been known as a Republican stronghold and has consistently sent Republican representatives to the state and federal legislatures. Republican majorities in Orange County helped deliver California's electoral votes to Republican presidential candidates Richard Nixon (1960, 1968 and 1972), Gerald Ford (1976), Ronald Reagan (1980, 1984), and George H. W. Bush (1988). Orange County has not voted for a Democratic presidential candidate since Franklin D. Roosevelt's 1936 landslide re-election for a second term. Although Democrats have made inroads in the northern end of the county since the mid-1980s, Orange County politics are still dominated by Republicans.....
Orange County, California - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[rivrrat]

In 2000, Bush lost California by only 3,000 votes (the blue area is conservative, the red is liberal)

In 2004, (the red area is conservative, the green area is liberal)

In 2008, (the redder the area, the more conservative and the bluer, the more liberal)

As you can see, the rural areas in California are very conservative.

Orange County:

I'm talking about the policies and govt programs, not voting history.

 

[washunut]

I'm talking about the policies and govt programs, not voting history.

so the desert is all conservative, thanks. How many Democratic senators and congressmen versus republicans. Get serious.

 

[tryreading]

My sister recently moved to Philly-
Her previous job in California wasn't willing to really let her to. They kept her on as a part-time consultant long-distance.
Once in Philly, though, she had a few interviews - and landed a job as the Finance manager of a soon-to-expand branch of Urban Outfitters.

Interesting, to me - that this company has had increased, record profits. . . and they're expanding their corporate offices and developing new market lines.

I thought all companies were tanked?

So not *all* companies are tanked- it's just certain ones (certain venues of products - like auto?)

The company I work for has stayed very busy through the recession, even grown in some areas of the country. Its a company that performs services for utility providers.

I'm lucky to be working for them. We have all the work we can do, and the opportunity to make significant money. I don't take it for granted, even though I was pretty much untouched by the recession.

 

[Lord Tammerlain]

Conservative, are you serious? The high taxes? Entitlement programs? There's a reason the illegal population flocks there.

A pre existing latino american population in which to hide, combined with a large demand for their labour in agricultural areas, and previously in construction

 

[Moot]

I'm talking about the policies and govt programs, not voting history.

You said "California was the most liberal state in the country" and that was the reason for it's high unemployment rate. I corrected you, California is not the most Liberal state in the country and it's economic woes can be traced directly back to Governor Pete Wilson's (R) deregulation of the energy industry that led up to the ENRON scandle which caused the state and it's consumers to lose over $70 billion in the blink of an eye and from which it had never fully recovered before the recession hit. Not to mention the state has had a completely inept Republican Governor for the last 8 years who has done absolutely nothing noteworthy during his entire tenure except cheat on his wife. Now I'm not saying California doesn't have more than it's share of problems, lord knows it does, but to blame the liberals for the unusually high unemployment rate is completely false because last time I checked it was a nationwide recession, not just in California and the recovery has been a lot slower in the big cities across the board, again, not just in California.

 

[Hoplite]

I'm talking about the policies and govt programs, not voting history.

California is not as liberal as people seem to think. I've been saying this for a while.

 

[rivrrat]

so the desert is all conservative, thanks. How many Democratic senators and congressmen versus republicans. Get serious.

Again, talking about policies. I don't give a **** if it was a republican who put the policies in place. The high taxes, entitlement programs, bans on stupid ****, and massive amounts of illegals are all "liberal" crap.

Now, the anti-same-sex marriage bull**** is obviously conservative crap. But that doesn't affect the economy.

You said "California was the most liberal state in the country" and that was the reason for it's high unemployment rate. I corrected you, California is not the most Liberal state in the country and it's economic woes can be traced directly back to Governor Pete Wilson's (R) deregulation of the energy industry that led up to the ENRON scandle which caused the state and it's consumers to lose over $70 billion in the blink of an eye and from which it had never fully recovered before the recession hit. Not to mention the state has had a completely inept Republican Governor for the last 8 years who has done absolutely nothing noteworthy during his entire tenure except cheat on his wife. Now I'm not saying California doesn't have more than it's share of problems, lord knows it does, but to blame the liberals for the unusually high unemployment rate is completely false because last time I checked it was a nationwide recession, not just in California and the recovery has been a lot slower in the big cities across the board, again, not just in California.

I don't doubt there are many factors. But I also don't doubt that the entitlement programs and the '****-you-up-the-ass' outrageous taxes on every goddamn thing are factors too, along with the massive amount of illegals that the state welcomes and accommodates.

 

[Hoplite]

Again, talking about policies. I don't give a **** if it was a republican who put the policies in place. The high taxes, entitlement programs, bans on stupid ****, and massive amounts of illegals are all "liberal" crap.

Now, the anti-same-sex marriage bull**** is obviously conservative crap. But that doesn't affect the economy.



I don't doubt there are many factors. But I also don't doubt that the entitlement programs and the '****-you-up-the-ass' outrageous taxes on every goddamn thing are factors too, along with the massive amount of illegals that the state welcomes and accommodates.

Ok, so California elects Republicans...that...act liberal....this is making no sense

 

[rivrrat]

Ok, so California elects Republicans...that...act liberal....this is making no sense

I have no idea who instigated the high taxes, entitlement programs, and welcomes illegals. And I don't give a **** if they're republican or democrat. Only that the situations exist and are generally considered "liberal" hence my earlier statement. If you don't think the high taxes, heavy use of entitlement programs, and welcoming atmosphere for illegals exist and/or don't think those things are generally considered "liberal", then feel free to refute that. But who put them in place isn't my concern at the moment, nor does it have anything to do with my prior statement.

 

[liblady]

I have no idea who instigated the high taxes, entitlement programs, and welcomes illegals. And I don't give a **** if they're republican or democrat. Only that the situations exist and are generally considered "liberal" hence my earlier statement. If you don't think the high taxes, heavy use of entitlement programs, and welcoming atmosphere for illegals exist and/or don't think those things are generally considered "liberal", then feel free to refute that. But who put them in place isn't my concern at the moment, nor does it have anything to do with my prior statement.

those items are generally considered liberal, that's true, by those who want to smear liberals. reagan gave illegals amnesty, bush 2 didn't prosecute or even seek out those who employed illegals. liberals do tend to think social programs for those who need them are worthwhile, while reps tend to believe in corporate welfare. dems usually need to raise taxes after rep admins, because we are in deeper in debt. hell, bush 1 had to do just that after reagan.

and there are plenty of republicans, on this board even, who receive medicare, social security and disability. those are entitlement programs, people just don't tend to think so when THEY benefit.

 

[Hoplite]

I have no idea who instigated the high taxes, entitlement programs, and welcomes illegals. And I don't give a ****

Well that part is certainly true.

Look, have you ever lived in or even BEEN to California?

 

[rivrrat]

Well that part is certainly true.

Look, have you ever lived in or even BEEN to California?

Yes, I lived in San Diego.

 

[Moot]

Yes, I lived in San Diego.

San Diego is very conservative and it's largest employer is the military base aka...THE GOVERNMENT. :shock:

San Diego Source > 2009 SourceBook: Companies

 

[Moot]

I have no idea who instigated the high taxes, entitlement programs, and welcomes illegals. And I don't give a **** if they're republican or democrat. Only that the situations exist and are generally considered "liberal" hence my earlier statement. If you don't think the high taxes, heavy use of entitlement programs, and welcoming atmosphere for illegals exist and/or don't think those things are generally considered "liberal", then feel free to refute that. But who put them in place isn't my concern at the moment, nor does it have anything to do with my prior statement.

Meg Whitman welcomed illegal immigrants, until she decided to run for governor. She had the same illegal immigrant housekeeper for TEN YEARS!!!! She probably paid her under the table too. Which means her housekeeper didn't pay into SS, Medicare, or unemployment and she probably didn't recieve any benefits such as health insurance, either. So if anyone felt entitled, it was Meg Whitman feeling entitled to exploit someone elses labor.

 

[obvious Child]

I have a different impression. Aggregate profit expansion has been significant but has, for the most part, not been the result of an expansion of gross revenues ("top line"). Quite the contrary, profit expansion has come almost totally from reduction in overhead, and that from largely reduced headcount. How much further can cost-cutting carry the bottom line forward without top-line growth? Impossible to say, but there would seem to be little room left.

As I understand it, that was the case for most of the year until around August when profits changed from cost cutting to increased sales. Hence why the economy wasn't as bad as it seems.

The rising tide is lifting all of the boats, but some are leaky and are riding quite low in the water.

No disagreement.

 

[Ahlevah]

I'm sorry.

He said "Mississippi," not "California." :doh