The DMV has counterparts in every state. If you have an appointment or visit a less-busy office, you can be in and out in under half an hour once every few years.
California has more miles of roads than any other state except for Texas, and our roads get used by millions more people than the Texas roads do. More use = more wear and tear.
Failing dams. The Oroville dam failed because it was damaged by a storm. While it was being repaired, historic levels of monsoon rains flooded the reservoir behind it, requiring the use of the spillway at volumes it was not designed to handle. However, subsequent investigations revealed that the problem was not as bad as feared due to features of the dam dating back to its construction that had been forgotten in the interrim.
Poor water supply. Citation needed. LA has plenty of water. SF's source of water is so pure it doesn't even need to filter it. If we weren't exporting so much alfalfa and almonds, we wouldn't have a water crisis in the state. Literally 80% of California's water supply goes to agricultural needs (40% of California's total water). Those farmers are protected by a labyrinth of state and federal laws, centuries-old contracts, and interstate compacts.
One party rule has been a good thing for California. We have a surplus. Growing business, growing tourism, lower unemployment, lower crime.
Over regulated housing market. Citation needed. Every part of California that isn't the Bay Area is building housing just fine. (LA is on track to build several hundred thousand new units of housing from 2015 through 2020.) The problem is that so many people want to live in California that we can't keep up--there simply aren't the construction workers to build the houses/condos/apartments that we need to build to keep up with demand.
HSR. Yes, we have this thing.
Unfunded pensions. True, we have $333 billion of unfunded pension liabilities. But we can pay 69% of promised benefits, and unlike other states, California's public pensions can be reduced by legislative action, so the problem is one of political unwillingness rather than an actual crisis. (And you better believe that if a politician is faced with increasing taxes versus cutting pensions, they're going to cut pensions.)
You cannot be serious. Why do you think Brown is proposing the Delta Tunnel project? Because the state basically lurches from water crisis to water crisis.
Need a citation? Call your governor.
The OP's point was that the "crisis" exists in regulations which allow the farmers to use as much water as they currently do, not in available water supply.
It's not a simple question, really. Do the farms need as much water? Does the state need as much agriculture going on? "Call your governor" is not helpful here.
2. DMV - I will give you that, but honestly I never have an issue with it. Everything is online, and the last time I went to a DMV was 5 yrs back
3. Failing dams - there was literally one dam that failed due to an extraordinary storm. You are reaching there
4. Poor water supply - not sure what this means. Quality of water is so good, that I always drink directly from the tap. Unlike in many parts of the country.
5. One party rule - they are democratically elected, and California has very strong direct democracy as well. Besides, most states in US are one party rule. Texas, Alabama, South Carolina, Utah etc. etc.
6. Housing - sure, but we already have 40 million people, some of the densest urban areas, and heavy traffic. Pushback is to be expected on new housing
7. HSR - I love it. Connecting rural areas to urban areas through modern transport will unlock the American economy like no other. Think about it - why are we restricted to living within 30 miles of our work in the 21st century. I had a team member in China, who daily commuted 150 miles one way to Shanghai in a HSR.
8. Unfunded pensions - this is a new talking point. Has very little impact on state finances.
Transportation
We're currently $37.3b over budget on a "bullet train" (in quotes because much of the track can't run faster than current trains in those areas). And despite having nearly doubled its budget almost before it laid any track, the recently released plan by the commission acknowledges that it still doesn't have enough money to complete a Bay Area <-> Bakersfield first leg. http://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-bullet-train-s...
A little while back, we also replaced part of a bridge for $6.5b despite early estimates indicating it would be less than $1b. https://www.citylab.com/equity/2015/10/from-250-million-to-6...
Education
University of California chancellor ran a hidden account with $175m in it while pulling out her pockets and claiming they couldn't educate the students any more. https://www.mercurynews.com/2017/04/25/california-auditor-sl...
The previous UC Chancellor at Davis was booted from office for misappropriating funds, but she's also still on the payroll and making as much as she did while chancellor... which, by the way is $400k+ http://www.slate.com/articles/life/moneybox/2012/03/uc_davis...
Health
I can't think of glaring abuses of the healthcare system off the top of my head, but it's worth noting that California has the largest population of homeless people in the US (and while most states' homeless numbers are shrinking, California's is growing) and, being a border state, a higher number of illegal immigrants than most states. Ignoring any political discussion about those groups, they both incur a disproportionate cost on healthcare as they are either incapable or disallowed from buying insurance policies yet they still need and receive healthcare.
https://ballotpedia.org/California_Proposition_25,_Majority_...
However, the same election voters passed Prop 26 which requires a 2/3 supermajority for levy and fee increases.
They tried this 2/3 majority thing again. It's not hard nor is it especially expensive to get a ballot initiative passed, more so in an off election. Prop 8 passed the same election that Obama got elected.
https://ballotpedia.org/California_Two-Thirds_Vote_for_State...
1st - that $9 billion surplus isn't a surplus. The state has debt and unfunded liabilities of over $1 TRILLION. $9 billion is couch change in comparison. Also, Brown has already said that "surplus" is being spent.
https://californiapolicycenter.org/californias-total-state-l... http://www.capradio.org/articles/2018/05/11/governor-brown-t... https://www.ocregister.com/2018/04/06/with-california-taxpay...
2nd - this state is over taxes and when they can't tax us more, they levy fees. Like the the 12 cent gas tax for infrastructure projects that have already been paid for, and the increase DMV registration fees for the same. This state is one of the worst for business, which is why so many people and businesses are fleeing the state.
3rd - we have the largest homeless population in the country and are doing nothing to prevent or solve the issue. also, over 40% of people living here (citizens and non-citizens) are on some form of welfare or entitlement. where do you think that $9 billion "surplus" is going?
4th - we are at the bottom of schools systems and quality of life. see #3.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation-now/2018/03/01/ca... https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/economy/2018/02/08/geog...
5th - destruction of the middle class. our open borders policies provide cheap labor. we've also allowed non-citizens to obtain professional licenses - construction, lawyers, medical, etc. this takes away opportunities for citizens - you know the ones that are fleeing the state.
6th - speaking of non-citizens. we've issued over 1,000,000 driver's licenses to non-citizens and over 3,000,000 million own homes in our state. you don't think that amount of people, here illegally, have an affect on our middle class, our lower class - come on, this affects everything from quality of life to our school systems.
but sure it's all fine and dandy. where's the meme with the dog in the room on fire?
California is the 5th biggest economy in the world. It just surpassed the UK. (http://fortune.com/2018/05/05/california-fifth-biggest-econo...). Despite only having 12% of the US population, it contributed 16% of the total US job growth over the past 5 years. California's GDP went up by $127 billion from 2016 to 2017 alone.
This, despite people fleeing the state. Good riddance--any business that can't stay afloat in California's massive market place without hand-me-outs like tax cuts is a failing business. Hundreds of thousands of other businesses are doing just fine.
How does "fifth largest economy in the world" benefit you if you can't even afford to purchase a house?
"Fifth largest economy" benefits Larry, Sergey, Tim Cook...you, not so much
And the primary problem with people not being able to afford houses is that they're not able to generate savings due to college loan debt, which is a national problem not restricted to California.
California had an enormous capacity to deliver quality of life to it's citizens, but outside of capitalists and elite workers, it's pretty much failing to deliver.
[0] The good aggregate performance coupled with the intense needs created by the poor distributional performance hurts CA in various federal funding formulas, where federal cost sharing goes down with better aggregate economic performance.
You might want to check out some rental listings and compare it to the minimum wage. Poor people come to not freeze, but that doesn't mean current circumstances aren't increasing the homeless population all on their own.
The census tells me there are ~800,000 people in LA at or around the poverty line. The LA times tells me there are ~50,000 homeless people wondering around.
Now, I don't live anywhere near LA, but the base numbers here make me think that when people say there's a major housing problem, they're telling the truth.
Again, this is just to my satisfaction, but I have looked a little more than just relying on anecdotes.
unlike Canada, the state of California cannot simply print its own currency to address the issue
So the gap between quality of service and quantity of money is concerning. CA-run single-payer terrifies me, for instance. Mandated insurance is great, but we haven't shown the ability to effectively manage a state monopoly service so I don't want us doing it ourselves.
Good intentions, spectacularly bad execution. Currently I prefer that to bad intentions, better execution, but it's trying my patience.
And, if we have a 9 billion surplus, why are my taxes so high? Other than the weather, there’s nothing I see running better than Texas where taxes are much lower. Downtown San Francisco, especially near Tenderloin, looks like a refugee camp — if the refugees were crazed drug addicts. Houston is a city of millions and has fewer homeless than the city of San Francisco. You also don’t have tent cities on the sidewalks. Nor do you have parking garages blaming thefts of auto owners who have the audacity to leave items in their car. It’s as if local governments were warning girls to not wear revealing clothing, lest they be raped. Rather than locking up smash-and-grab theives, Prop 47 treats that crime like a traffic ticket — and then blames the victim for “tempting” the crime. How backwards is that? Prop 47 — more “great” government?
But sure, it’s a “great” government here in California — the weather outside this morning is delightful. The California Office of Weather Control is doing a smashing good job.
To be fair, I am happy I relocated here; but it isn’t because of the competency of the government. Taxes, politics and government were in the “cons” column when I made the decision. Even housing costs were not a particular negative because I’d also be making a salary that could more easily afford it. But, I am not convinced that our expensive government provides a good value compared to other states.
I lived in Houston for 30 years, and the bay area for 3. If you were living outdoors, would you stay in Houston? Not a chance. If you're outdoors, go where the weather's good. Houston's weather is the opposite of good. SF's is the epitome of good.
In case you (or anyone in this thread) is unaware, AAA ("Triple-A") is a fantastic way of circumventing the DMV. I've never waited more than 15 minutes (no appointment), and the staff is quite adept at helping with more complicated situations.
There are, uhh, some times of day where you can get through the DMV in under an hour and a half, in my experience. But I'll let y'all figure that one out.
Texas has extremely high property taxes and their sales taxes are comparable to California's. The end result is roughly the same tax burden as you would face in California, but everything about Texas is worse: the weather, the people, the food, the politics, the environment, the political dysfunction, the blatant intrusion into people's rights to live their lives freely especially if you're a woman, a minority, or not straight.
Do agree about San Francisco being a shithole of homelessness, but that's a local issue, not a state issue, and part of the problem is that places like Texas send their homeless to California in part because of SF's generosity to the homeless. (Their former governor used to brag about it.)
So a city will have like 12 and the millions of acres around it will only have 1. I think this is a general problem(under-representation) in the US e.g. The House but California is even more clear example of it.
AKA where your food comes from.
State Democrats have control of all levels of government, so they need to find something to oppose outside of the state - there is no opposition left inside the state.