<p>Ah California...
As a New Yorker, I can't say how many times I've heard someone else say "gross, I can't live anywhere else in America... besides California that is." We generally think of them as prettier more tan versions of ourselves. :)</p>
<p>As a Californian I feel i need to clarify a few things.. First... California doesn't have the 8th largest economy it's more like the 4th or 5th largest in the world. Infact, it surpases the economy of france. Not one state on the east coast can even come close to matching california's economy. East Coasters may have all their old money and old pride but to be honest people on the west coast don't care. no one cares who your relatives are or what they did unless you have somthing to do with them thats going to effect their lives. in general most californians are to superficial and self absorbed to really care about you. </p>
<p>second, california is not totally liberal. Mainly just us good folks up north in the bay area. </p>
<p>third, arnold is a bad man. and in the recall he go the most votes, and it was somthing under 30%. He got less votes than gray davis (the incumbent governor) did in his re election. Arnolds approval rating is under 50%. Much like jessie ventura, arnold has realized that politics is a brutal game and if you go around trying to throw your weight, your gonna get ganged up on. WHAT WAS HE THINKING. THE DEMOCRATES OWN THE STATE LEGISLATURE! Anyways yea you can thank the idiots from LA, orange, and san diego counties for that one.</p>
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California doesn't have the 8th largest economy it's more like the 4th or 5th largest in the world. Infact, it surpases the economy of france. Not one state on the east coast can even come close to matching california's economy.
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<p>Again, this has more to do with California's population than anything else. You say "Not one state on the east coast can even come close to matching california's economy". Okay. But what state on the East Coast is as large as California, or has California's population?</p>
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East Coasters may have all their old money and old pride but to be honest people on the west coast don't care. no one cares who your relatives are or what they did unless you have somthing to do with them thats going to effect their lives.
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<p>That's a typical, dumb stereotype.</p>
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in general most californians are to superficial and self absorbed to really care about you.
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<p>That's obvious.</p>
<p>Face it you can twist it anyway you want. California is the most powerful and most admired state in the country. I will give new york its cultural perks, but its not as if their weather and their attitudes are any better. For example no one likes going out side in a blizzard with negative temperatures. You can talk about how much you love winter all you want, but you are loving it from the indoors. Im outside in the sun in January. You complain of dirty crowded cal streets, give me a break, New York is so crowded in Manhattan for example its pointless to own a car. You have to ride cabs and subways where you get to meet all sorts of characters. I prefer my car. And ill take the montinous suburban sprawl of california as oppose to the towering concrete junge. Id rather look outside my house and see the diablo range, as opposed to buildings.</p>
<p>Pssh... It's not a walk in the park. You have some of the most rabid and liberal Democrats anywhere in the state legislature who have comfy little jobs and have been rolling through their legislation the last few years... You gotta find balance somewhere... </p>
<p>Even within Calfornia itself... there are a big mix of people...</p>
<p>You have the Northerners and the Southerners, and all those people out in the Middle of the State. Despite being both liberal, Southern Californians are quite a different breed from their Northern counterparts...</p>
<p>Idiots...pssh... more Conservatives hold College Degrees now then Liberals do...</p>
<p>Personally I feel California should be sliced somewhere...someway some how... We have friggn' 55 electoral votes... more then any other state... more Congressmen then any other state... and a huge economy that seems to be sucked dry before any good can come of the revenues...
The Senators cant represent California... it's too damn big... The Governor is having a hell of time trying to keep all the different groups appeased he can't get anything done... and you have a gerrymandered Legislature that excludes many of it's conservative constituents...</p>
<p>I'm moving to South Carolina when I get a chance... I've had enough of California for my liftetime...</p>
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Face it you can twist it anyway you want. California is the most powerful and most admired state in the country.
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<p>The typical response I always get from people in my old state is just like this. Suddenly, I'm jealous of California (or I just can't realise its multifarious virtues), and I need to somehow "twist it". Give me a break. Other people have different views. To point out that California has a large economy because of its larger size and larger population is not "twisting it"; its just stating the facts. One California government website (<a href="http://www.lao.ca.gov/2002/cal_facts/econ.html%5B/url%5D">http://www.lao.ca.gov/2002/cal_facts/econ.html</a>) states that California is the world's fifth largest economy and that "our nation's next largest state economyNew Yorkis about 60 percent the size of California's." They fail to point out, however, that this might have something to do with the fact that New York's population is less than 60 percent of California's! Texas touts itself as the "world's 8th largest economy", Florida as the "world's 11th", etcetera, etcetera. Big deal. </p>
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I will give new york its cultural perks,<a href="That's%20very%20big%20of%20you!%20%20;-">/quote</a> )...
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but its not as if their weather and their attitudes are any better.
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Typical stereotypes.</p>
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For example no one likes going out side in a blizzard with negative temperatures. You can talk about how much you love winter all you want, but you are loving it from the indoors. Im outside in the sun in January.
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<p>Again, some people (believe it or not!) actually like the seasons. I love the winter. I love the snow. I love the scenery - from the inside, and from outside. Further, I love the rain because it makes everything clean and fresh and green. That is something I never experienced growing up in southern California.</p>
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You complain of dirty crowded cal streets, give me a break, New York is so crowded in Manhattan for example its pointless to own a car. You have to ride cabs and subways where you get to meet all sorts of characters. I prefer my car.
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<p>New York is not the only location outside of California. Besides, some people actually like being able to walk from place to place. Imagine that!</p>
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And ill take the montinous suburban sprawl of california as oppose to the towering concrete junge. Id rather look outside my house and see the diablo range, as opposed to buildings.
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<p>Again, you talk as if New York City is the only place outside of the California state borders. </p>
<p>And from the windows of my bedroom in Anaheim, I could see nothing but ugly stucco houses, telephone poles, concrete, dusty shrubs, and the faint, faint, outline of mountains through the Los Angeles smog.</p>
<p>Never again.</p>
<p>Croberts, why are you getting all worked up over this? thats so like not California dude. Chill...
:)
And no, I'm not jealous of you. I live in the capital of the world, and I plan on staying.</p>
<p>my dad just came home from a conference in LA and said that californians drive slower than NY'ers.</p>
<p>well, thats because it's la...</p>
<p>...the 405 at rush hour, anyone? ;)</p>
<p>i found something funny in crobert's message: too lazy to go back and read his/her message for errors, too lazy to capitalize, to lazy to put apostrophes, etc....typical californian LOL! (i am from california...and admit it, we are lazy people or at least i am!)</p>
<p>The people I know from California (AKA my cousins/aunt/uncle, plus a few others) are all pretty cool, but there's much more history out east here. Plus, seasons bring variety, I would get REALLY bored with warm and pleasant all the time. Why is New York the only city in the east to all of you? We have so many other great cities out here, such as my native Philadelphia, plus Baltimore, DC, Boston, Providence, to name a few.</p>
<p>Daniel you lived in ANAHIEM a garbage dump of a city. no offence but what do you expect? its like some one living in fontana complaining about a commute.. gimmie a break.</p>
<p>i love how people say there is so much history out east. thats typicall white east coasters for you. They act as if the 400 year old anglo american history is somthing of great prestige. Id be more interested in studying the native americans that those europeans annhilated rather than some constitutional history. We are rich in spanish, native american, and mexican history.</p>
<p>you're too angry. Its perturbing.</p>
<p>Croberts... ever been to Europe... When you step inside one of those Gothic Cathedrals... your looking at 800 maybe 1,000 years of history in those things... it just dwarfs anything in the states...</p>
<p>University of South Central</p>
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Daniel you lived in ANAHIEM a garbage dump of a city. no offence but what do you expect? its like some one living in fontana complaining about a commute.. gimmie a break.
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<p>Where do you live, croberts? Laguna Nigel??</p>
<p>And, I've lived in Irvine, too. Nicer place, but same thing, unfortunately - just a lot cleaner. ;-)</p>
<p>Well, from what southern california people are portrayed like on some tv shows its sad. like dr. 90210 all the people are worried about is plastic surgery, fancy cars, and designer clothes. I know every one in cali isn't like this obviously (i have some relatives that live there) but i think some people get too carried away with looking like the hollywood image or w/e.</p>
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Again, this has more to do with California's population than anything else. You say "Not one state on the east coast can even come close to matching california's economy". Okay. But what state on the East Coast is as large as California, or has California's population?
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<p>You fail to recognize that population alone does not necessarily mean a large, powerful economy. India has a large population, but their economy is not as massive. Singapore's population is small yet it is a developped economy with a GDP higher than most of it's larger Asian counterparts. Population alone is not a determinant in demonstrating economy strength.</p>
<p>California's strong and large economy stems from it's diversity of resources: from the technology sector to the agricultural center. Unlike most states (such as the Midwest and the East), California does not just depend on one sector of the economy (e.g. Midwest states are agriculturally based).</p>
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You fail to recognize that population alone does not necessarily mean a large, powerful economy. India has a large population, but their economy is not as massive. Singapore's population is small yet it is a developped economy with a GDP higher than most of it's larger Asian counterparts. Population alone is not a determinant in demonstrating economy strength.</p>
<p>California's strong and large economy stems from it's diversity of resources: from the technology sector to the agricultural center. Unlike most states (such as the Midwest and the East), California does not just depend on one sector of the economy (e.g. Midwest states are agriculturally based).
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<p>If you had read my follow-up post, you would have realised that New York state (just as an example) has an economy proportionally larger than California's. The same is true for Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Washington DC, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Virginia, and Washington state. Yes, population does make a difference. </p>
<p>Why is this so hard to understand? We're not comparing India and Singapore here; we're talking about different parts of one very rich country. Stop a moment and think that maybe the reason California has the world's 5th largest economy is because it is the most populous sector of the world's richest country. Again, why is this so hard to understand? </p>
<p>And, to stay that "most states...depend on one sector of the economy" is silly and shows that you know little about any other parts of the country.</p>