Will CA Become America's First Failed State?

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I grew up in California, lived in the Palo Alto area from age 4 to 30. My parents thought San Francisco was impossibly second-rate in terms of their opera company, theater, and museums. They much preferred N.Y. So, I was not raised with the concept that California is the center of the universe.

My sister and brother still live in California. I love Northern California and, for many years, worked the angles to move back. No longer. I am sick about what has happened to the California I knew.

California has a special place in the American psyche. It is the Golden State: a playground of the rich and famous with perfect weather. It symbolises a lifestyle of sunshine, swimming pools and the Hollywood dream factory.

This quote is part of the self-congratulatory b.s. you hear all the freaking time in California and NYC. Here's what I'm saying: if you're the best, don't say it; let other people say it. Also, it does not go without saying that everyone is either a Californian or wishes they were one. For example, other "hick"/"flyover" states are first with gay marriage. And our houses are reasonably priced.

Thanks for letting me rant. Carry on.