I wish my brother would leave this place already
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9/29/2012
I would not wish Sacramento or Cali living on my worst enemy.
Since my brother and his family moved to this town 10 years ago they have experienced job losses, breathing/health problems thanks to pollution, overcrowded schools, overcrowded roads. More than half of his friends have experienced job losses, foreclosures, health problems and have been victims of increasing crime rate. Crime is soaring. People of lower income have fled from southern to northern parts of California in search of "affordable" housing.
I have tried in vain to convince my brother to move away from Cali-his wife refuses to move. Unfortunately, his wife is still holding on to the "California Dream" which is more of an illusion than anything else. She somehow thinks that because she lives in a state with "celebs" "trendies" and "Techies" that makes her "special" over everyone else in the U.S.
To her --anyone that is not a Californian or New Yorker is a "Hick". Its a mentality that she never used to have when she lived in NY state- but developed soon after moving to Cali.
Sad but i have noticed that this is the mentality of many people that i've encountered the few times i have visited (I've traveled northern and southern parts of Cali).
What many California's don't realize is that the rest of the country views this state as a royal mess. One that has fallen to illegal immigrants, and housing bubbles and yielding gangs, drugs, and other illegal activities as well as overcrowded hospitals and schools. Many areas have become downright dilapidated since most people don't have the economic power to live in a decent home and cities don't have the budget to keep up with the demands of an increased population.
Its truly sad. So many Californians are entrenched in the mirage that many don't even realize how bad they have it.
I've encountered people that live in $700K garages, in a crappy neighborhood, they call home. And they think they have it "made". Tragic.
And if you are wondering by now where i live, that would be in McKinney,Texas (A far north suburb of Dallas). While it is not perfect by any means, here we don't have the crime, drugs, pollution, overcrowded schools/hospitals or job losses that many parts of California has experienced.
While we have had some job losses during the recession, it was never as severe as what California experienced. Not to mention the housing prices are pretty decent. I live in an 8 year old, 1,500 SF home i purchased for $120K in a beautiful and safe neighborhood close to many amenities. Our streets are lined with tons crepe myrtles and other mature trees & flowering shrubs that help clean the air and serve to beautify our town. Moreover, over the years, there has been aggressive restoration of historic homes and the historic downtown area. Many parts of McKinney have become as picturesque as a Norman Rockwell painting. The people here are friendly and the two friends that I knew which experienced job losses were able to find another job, at a better salary, in under a year.
By contrast--Both my sister who lives with her family in Southern California and my brother who lives with his family in Northern California have suffered tremendously over the past few years.
By sheer miracle my sister managed to sell her home, one that she almost lost on several occasions to forest fires and then finally to foreclosure.
Her husband has 3 years left before retirement and they are getting the heck out of Cali. This year they are moving into a small apartment for the next 3 years until they get out. My brother, on the other hand, can't leave unless his wife is on board with the idea, or he gets a divorce in order to finally move.
There are just so many other gorgeous places in this country that hasn't experienced the severe job losses, crime rates, overcrowded and pollution that California has.
Last time i visited Cali was 6 years ago. I was so saddened by what is saw. It was not the same California i knew of 25 years ago.
Christiana | McKinney, TX